Howards Furniture and Decorating Center

Winning Campaign Sets Standard for Tradeshow Industry

High Point, North Carolina—The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) has awarded High Point Market’s “Collage” ad campaign both first place and honorable mention in its 2009 Art of the Show Competition in the “over 150,000 net square feet” category.

Every year, the prestigious international competition singles out advertising and promotional materials that set the standard for the entire tradeshow industry. As such, the High Point Market’s promotional materials will be on display at Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition to be held next week, in Atlanta, GA.

The High Point Market’s “Collage” ad campaign and exhibitor directories scored first place honors in the Attendance Promotion Campaign, and honorable mention in the Attendance Promotion Brochure categories. The campaign and brochure were created for the High Point Market Authority last year by Emisare, a Greensboro, NC-based advertising agency.

“Collage presented Market as a multi-layered assembly of products and ideas drawn from many sources,” says Scott Williams, vice president, marketing strategy, Emisare. “In creating the campaign, we sought to portray Market as a rich resource that offers its guests a complete experience of the forces that are shaping today’s homes and driving their customer’s business decisions.”

“The home furnishings industry was hit especially hard by the housing market collapse of 2008,” says Brian D. Casey, president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority. “Creative campaigns such as this one, along with the innovative use of communications strategies and technology, allowed us to hold registrations firm and deliver events that were inspiring, productive and rewarding for exhibitors and Market guests alike.

“Building on this successful strategy, we are currently developing new messages and incorporating new communications tactics that personalize our promotions to an extent that is unprecedented in the event industry,” Casey says. “Our focus now is on connecting home furnishings professionals with the solutions and resources they need to grow, as evidenced by our new ‘Connect’ campaign which positions High Point as the connection point where the entire industry comes together, with eye-catching graphics that call to mind a kaleidoscope, signifying the continual evolution of Market, and the myriad resources available here.”

 “We are very proud to have been recognized for this work by the IAEE, but even more excited that these materials contributed to Market’s success in attracting attendees during a time of extremely challenging economic conditions,” relates Keith Kesler, creative director for Emisare.

Indeed, the IAEE awards mark the second time the innovative “Collage” campaign has been honored with a major industry recognition. Emisare also won a Silver Addy Award in the Communication Arts national business-to-business category for mixed/multiple media for the campaign.

 “As we move forward, we are confident that the inherent strengths of the High Point Market, communicated by these innovative promotional programs, will expand our reputation as the premier selling venue for the home furnishings trade—and lead to even greater success in the future,” Casey sums.

www.highpointmarket.org