I don’t have my own design blog, but as a ghostblogger for my interior design clients who do, I get to attend High Point Market with a press pass.
Because writing content for my clients calls for a level of familiarity with products, it’s important for me to see the trends and to get acquainted with the aesthetics and offerings of various brands.
Sure, I could just do that research online, but my clients need an air of authenticity to the writing I do for them that can really only come from me seeing the products live and experiencing Market as they do.
Because I have clients all over the US (and beyond!), I usually don’t get to meet them in person unless I can catch up with them at Market. I love nothing more than getting to greet my amazing clients with a big hug and chat with them while we enjoy the showrooms together.
Another huge part of the fun of Market for me is meeting designers, bloggers, and brands I don’t yet know.
While I love seeing all the beautiful, innovative new products, what I care about the most in my visits to Market is connecting with and promoting amazing people who are doing amazing work.
To that end, there are a few things I’d love the furnishings vendors / exhibitors to know about press pass holders like me so we can better help to promote you online.
If we like you and your products, we’d so love to Instagram you . . . but if we can’t find your profile lickety-split, we’ll probably just give up.
Every time I go to Market, I’m hopeful someone else has thought of this, but no dice as of yet, so I’m just going to say it.
I’ve long thought it would be so amazing to have signage right there in your showroom with your IG handle.
Maybe put it on cute table tents scattered throughout the space.
Maybe on an artfully drawn chalkboard at the entrance.
Maybe on a cool, branded wall sign that’s visible from anywhere in the showroom.
Maybe even on a business card handed out to everyone as they enter.
Put it anywhere as long as we can get that info in the moment without having to track someone down to ask.
Of course, whenever a salesperson or someone manning the showroom is handy, I do gladly ask them. But if they’re busy with a buyer, I wouldn’t dream of butting in for any reason (OK, maybe if something was literally on fire, but for an Instagram handle, nope).
Please, please, please make yourselves super easy to promote with this one little fix. And while you’re at it, give us a few hashtags you’d like us to use for you too!
(And by the way, though it’s not a vendor issue, the cell reception is completely terrible throughout Market. Please let me know if there’s already a solution, but if not, this is my official plea to HPMKT on behalf of EVERYONE who attends – help us promote you and your exhibitors with free public Wi-Fi that works, at the very least in InterHall, Market Square, and Suites!)
Yeah, so about whether or not you’re supposed to scan our press passes – we totally don’t know either!
Scanners sometimes work on our passes and sometimes not. Sometimes we just get waved through without an attempt to scan us.
NBD for us, but all of your scanning people would probably appreciate it if someone could get confirmation about it. At the very least, pre-warn them. Those poor souls get so frustrated when their scanners aren’t “bloop”-ing on our passes. They just keep trying and trying . . .
. . . Which means everyone else who’s trying to get into your showroom is (understandably) super annoyed while hold up the line with our unscannable selves.
(Again, shout out to HPMKT that maybe a Market-wide communication about which passes you needn’t bother with is in order, if not a fix to the scanners themselves so they take all passes – please and thank you!)
We’re there to promote you even if we’re not doing a full-on press tour of your showroom.
I don’t do showroom tours simply because I’m not a big media outlet so I feel like I’d be taking your manpower and attention away from your buyers, which ultimately isn’t helpful to you.
But I’d love for your greeters to let us know a couple of cool facts about your products or to have a small info card or flyer just for those of us who pop in and won’t get / don’t need a full press pack.
That way, we’ll know we should take special notice of, say, your fabulous new line of performance fabrics, or those gorgeous sconces that were inspired by something unexpected and interesting.
As long as the info is compelling, brief, and relates back to the images we can capture in your showroom, it’s a win-win: We get great, ready-made content for our IG posts and you get publicity that spreads your actual talking points.
I realize I might actually be speaking only for myself here. I’m certainly not a big fish in the media pond and I have no business making demands.
At the same time, I’m a firm believer that we all come to High Point Market twice a year – designers, furniture brands, press, and even HPMKT itself – to lift up the design industry.
I’m there to do my part (small though it my be) to introduce the public to you and to what Market is all about.
Making those kinds of “introductions” is my passion and it’s ultimately why I left magazine writing behind – so that every word I write for designers and brands can introduce them to the world in a way that makes them sound as amazing as I think they are.
I see all the hard work and time you put into showing at Market and I so appreciate that you invite me in to see your offerings. These are just a few little things I’ve observed over the years that I believe can help us (me?) help you.
Thanks for being awesome and see you at Market!
