High Point Market is certainly one of the oldest and most established in the furniture industry. The tradeshow dates back to when North Carolina was THE center of the furniture manufacturing industry. Of course, that all changed with globalization and the rise of Asian furniture manufacturing.

It’s admittedly been many years (pre-pandemic) since I went to High Point. It was always fascinating to see how the furniture industry was similar to and different from the decorative lighting industry. At that time, a very small percentage of lighting manufacturers exhibited at High Point, and they were almost entirely portable lighting manufacturers (floor and table lamps), such as Pacific Coast Lighting and Uttermost.

I was surprised to learn that High Point has become a major trade show for hardwired decorative lighting manufacturers to reach designers. Last Spring, 2023, many hardwired decorative lighting manufacturers exhibited, including Accord Lighting, Crystorama, Currey & Co., Finesse Décor, Hinkley Lighting, Hubbardton Forge, Hudson Valley Lighting, and Varaluz, among others.

International Market Centers (IMC) that runs High Point, has intentionally ‘spotlighted’ the lighting category, adding tours and educational sessions focused on lighting, for designers. A quick look at this coming April’s Event Calendar found a couple dozen lighting-focused events sponsored by Hudson Valley Lighting, Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting, Hubbardton Forge, Currey & Co., and Varaluz.

The High Point Exhibitor Directory now lists 43 exhibitors for next month’s show under the “Fixtures / Chandeliers” product category. The 2024 High Point Market will take place April 13-17 in High Point, NC. More information about the 2024 High Point Market is available here.

All images: HighPointMarket.org

David Shiller

David Shiller is the Publisher of LightNOW, and President of Lighting Solution Development, a North American consulting firm providing business development services to advanced lighting manufacturers. The ALA awarded David the Pillar of the Industry Award. David has co-chaired ALA’s Engineering Committee since 2010. David established MaxLite’s OEM component sales into a multi-million dollar division. He invented GU24 lamps while leading ENERGY STAR lighting programs for the US EPA. David has been published in leading lighting publications, including LD+A, enLIGHTenment Magazine, LEDs Magazine, and more.

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