Maximize Market Success: Tips for High Point & Vegas Markets

Shake up your show routine and don’t forget to make time to relax and enjoy it.

The most recent Las Vegas Market was a bustling one, and Sleep Savvy’s got great coverage of highlights you might have missed — not just in the Market Report but in our Beds by Design and Product Spotlight features, too. So, market is clearly on our mind. There’s another show just weeks away — High Point Market, October 26-30, in High Point, North Carolina. Whether you’re headed to the spring show or back to the Vegas market over the summer, it’s not too early to think about the best way to make the most of your time at the next show.

Try something new

It’s easy to get in a rut. Of course, you want to spend time with your best vendors, but, if it’s not already on your market agenda, commit to checking out a couple of new sleep products sources, either those showing for the first time or maybe a company you haven’t visited in several years. Our industry changes faster than ever, and Mattress Maker X may not be the same old, same old anymore.

Be a student

It can be tempting to spend all your time doing business in showrooms, but markets are also learning opportunities. They offer full calendars of keynotes, expert-led seminars and panel discussions on everything from social media to merchandising to consumer trends to e-commerce and more. Pencil a few into your schedule, and you’ll return to your store with great new ideas to try. 

Window shop

Instead of scrolling your phone as you move from showroom to showroom, spend that time looking at how different home furnishings companies merchandise their spaces. What looks fresh? What catches your eye? What ideas could you take back to your store?

Get some retail therapy

Take an afternoon to check out a couple of mattress specialty shops or furniture stores in the area to see how others are doing things. Introduce yourself and chat with the retail sales associates to learn about their challenges and successes or go incognito as a secret shopper — either way, you’ll learn something.

Have some fun

It’s hard to be away from your retail operation, and it’s tempting to try to compress your trip. Yet that can lead to sore feet, backaches and tension headaches. Give yourself wiggle room for travel snafus and time to relax a little. In High Point, plan to enjoy the market entertainment; in Vegas, see a show. At either market, consider spending one night watching a good movie and eating room service and another night having a leisurely meal with colleagues. Attending market is work, but it doesn’t have to feel like it.