Welcome to Extreme Home Makeover: Trade Show Edition!
We all know that the furniture making and interior design industries are full of colorful and rewarding business opportunities. You may want to sit down before reading this, but according to Statista, the furniture market is projected to become a 274.2 billion industry by 2026, and interior design services are expected to produce 12.4 billion in revenue—that’s a lot of money!
How can you get a piece of the pie? The Center of Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) reports: “It takes an average of 4.5 sales calls to close a sale without an exhibition lead, and only takes 3.5 sales calls to close a lead from an exhibition.” At industry trade shows, professionals can connect with suppliers, manufacturers, and top design influencers.
What happens at Home Furnishing and Design Trade Shows?
When you picture a home and furnishing design trade show, what comes to mind? Is it an exhibit full of dull lamps and bedframes? Or postmodern art and fancy galas? While you may run into those things, you’ll also discover breathtaking displays, product launches, Q+A panels, motivated buyers, and much, much more.
However, the main thing you should think of is Return on Investment (ROI). While trade shows can be a lot of fun to attend because they take place in destination cities, they should affect your bottom line in noticeable ways. To ensure the best ROI, here are some things to consider before choosing which show will be most profitable.
- Find which shows your target audience attends
- Figure out the costs of exhibiting
- Develop attainable business objectives related to the show
- Train your booth staff on selling strategy
- Design a booth that attracts prospects
- Measure your results to make adjustments for next year’s event
According to CEIR, in 2022, face-to-face marketing was the preferred type of networking, with 95.2% of respondents preferring it over virtual events. Engaging with hard-to-contact motivated buyers can make all the difference in business development and finding new market connections.
With that said, here are 8 of the very best home furnishing and interior design trade shows.
1. High Point Market Spring
When: April 22 – 26, 2023
Where: High Point, NC
This tradeshow brings together a community of like-minded industry professionals from all walks of life, with over 75,000 attendees representing 100+ countries. This innovative show packs a punch with 2,000 exhibitors on 11.5 million square feet of inspiration. To maximize networking opportunities, High Point has a variety of social events for attendees to learn from unique style spotters.
Registration: High Point Market Authority
2. Winter Las Vegas Market
When: January 29th-February 2nd, 2023
Where: Las Vegas, NV
The Winter Las Vegas Market is perfect for finding the latest home furnishings and interior design trends. Experience permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits, with 4,300 furniture, home décor, and gift resources that provide excellent value at this premier west coast gift and home market.
Registration: Las Vegas Market
3. Neocon
When: June 12-14, 2023
Where: Chicago, IL
First arriving onto the scene in 1969, this trade show is the principal commercial interior show. According to the Neocon website, 400 leading companies and emerging players share products and services in categories ranging from interior finishes and building products to technology and furniture and fabrics. Neocon connects the design community by bringing professionals representing various markets like healthcare, hospitality, retail, education, public space and government, and commercial design.
Registration: NeoCon
4. International Contemporary Furniture Fair
When: May 21st-23rd, 2023
Where: New York City, NY
As North America’s leading platform for contemporary furnishing design, you will discover the latest in original and sustainable design by over 350 established and emerging brands. While their focus is on original and sustainable design, the IFCC connects more than 10,000 Architects, interior designers, retailers, distributors, developers, artisans, and the press.
Registration: Exhibit / ICFF
5. HD Expo
When: May 2nd-4th, 2023
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Project managers are known to prowl this show to procure materials from exhibitors for their current projects. This tradeshow is consumer-driven and industry-led, which provides notable and qualified buyers in the hospitality industry. It’s great for point of contact sales, which makes measuring ROI easier.
Registration: HD Expo + Conference
6. BDNY
When: November 12-13, 2023
Where: New York City
Boutique Design New York (BDNY) specializes in connecting boutique hospitality brands and designers with insider experiences and exceptional vendors; this two-day event is jam-packed with conference speakers and exhibitors with the latest products and designs in boutique hospitality and lifestyle communities. Check out this post on BDNY for a more in-depth look at what it’s like to exhibit here.
Registration: BDNY
7. International Window Coverings Expo
When: April 20th-21st, 2023
Where: Charlotte, NC
Since 1986, the International Window Coverings Expo has been the premier trade show dedicated to the success and growth of the window coverings industry. While this is a highly specific subset of the interior design industry, there’s still plenty of benefits to attending. Choose from dozens of classes and hands-on demonstrations in the workroom central zone and find new products and programs for your business.
Registration: IWCE 2023
8. NY NOW Winter Market
When: February 5th-8th, 2023
Where: New York City, NY
There’s a reason why many of the top interior design trade shows in New York. It’s the capital of the arts in the U.S. And this show is very special because of its unique draw. According to the New York Now website,
- 51% of buyers who attend this show exclusively attend NY Now
- 78% of buyers at the market have the title owner or buyer
- 70% of exhibitors come to NY Now to launch new products
- 75% of buyers say that NY Now is essential to their business
- 50% of the 10,000+ attendees are brick-and-mortar retailers, with 8% interior designers
This show is particularly good for companies looking to source products for their store.
Registration: NY NOW Winter Market
Conclusion
Home Furnishing and design trade shows provide incredible face to face networking opportunities and inspiration. If you need help sifting through this list to find the right show to exhibit at, contact one of our marketing consultants below!
The Trade Group is a full-service trade show and event marketing company. We will work with you to create an exhibit or an event that brings in leads and helps you achieve your business goals. Contact us here or give us a call at 972-734-8585.
Photo credit: Pexels
