City leaders and organizers of the furniture market secured $1.875 million during the 2007 legislative session, funding that includes $875,000 for transportation services during the trade show and $1 million for promotion of the event.
The extra $1.6 million being sought this year would go toward marketing the trade show, said High Point Market Authority President Brian Casey. That would bring the total state financial commitment to marketing the trade show to $2.6 million.
"We need to increase our concentration on international markets and continue to prospect for new categories of buyers," Casey said.
The additional marketing money also would help trade show organizers bring more designers to High Point, he said.
High Point leaders and market organizers have had mixed success this decade securing appropriations from the General Assembly. The market -- the single biggest economic event in the state each year -- has gotten annual appropriations since 2003, but usually below the level requested by local officials.
City leaders and market organizers have taken a direct approach to lobbying.
During the spring market last month, city leaders brought 70 to 80 area and state elected officials to High Point to tour the trade show district. It was the second straight year that city leaders brought elected officials to the market.
"Anytime you have firsttime visitors, they are totally impressed by the magnitude of this event," saidHigh Point Mayor Becky Smothers, a member of the Market Authority board of directors.
"It's so much easier for (legislators) to understand how important their support is. They do once they've been here," Smothers said.
pjohnson@hpe.com|888-3528
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