MEDIA CONTACT:
Karen Olson
Vice President of Marketing
International Market Centers
Phone: 336-821-1502
For immediate release
High Point, N.C. (March 20, 2012) – Two bedding majors – Therapedic and Pure LatexBLISS – are moving to new, larger showrooms for the upcoming High Point Market, set for April 21-26, expanding the assortment of sleep products being shown in the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC).
Therapedic, which had been exhibiting in Plaza Suites, moves to M-607 of the IHFC, doubling its space to 4,846 square feet with its new showroom. Pure LatexBLISS, previously in M-535, is relocating down the hall to M-528 and more than tripling its space to 7,184 square feet.
The addition of Therapedic and expansion of Pure LatexBLISS’ space make the IHFC an even more important destination for bedding buyers, said Julie Messner, vice president of leasing for International Market Centers.
“In the past few years, the IHFC has added a number of leading mattress producers to its exhibitor base,” said Messner. “Having these exhibitors located in close proximity to one another creates a very convenient shopping experience for bedding buyers.”
Other bedding exhibitors in the IHFC include Anatomic Global, Classic Brands, Comfortaire, Five Star Mattress, Gold Bond, Hickory at Home, Jamison Bedding, Knickerbocker, Leggett & Platt, Magniflex, Paramount Sleep, Primo Bedding, Restonic Mattress, Serta, Simmons, South Bay International, Southerland, the Specialty Sleep Assn., Spirit Sleep, Symbol Mattress, Ultra Comfort and Zedbed.
For Therapedic, moving to the IHFC’s Main wing provides an opportunity to “go where the fish are,” said Gerry Borreggine, president and CEO.
This new expanded showroom will allow Therapedic to have a less cluttered presentation with a better flow that’s easier for retailers to navigate, according to Borreggine. It will also provide needed space for the company to officially launch its new EcoGel mattress line. “Gel is the hottest category in the bedding industry today. We’ll be adding a fourth model that will be brand new for High Point,” said Borreggine.
A producer of a comprehensive line of mattresses in a range of constructions and price points, Therapedic has 14 factories in the United States, 22 international factories and six factories that work with it as licensees for specialty sleep products such as top-of-bed items, pillows, toppers and mattress covers.
Pure LatexBLISS, which has been showing at the High Point Market since its launch in 2009, is moving to a larger showroom in the IHFC to make room for its fast-growing line of luxury mattresses, pillows and toppers, said Kurt Ling, CEO. In the past six months, the company has expanded its core lineup of five Talalay latex mattresses with seven new beds and four new pillow models.
At the April High Point Market, Pure LatexBLISS will spotlight two new, lower-priced collections called Latex Hybrids. The line includes seven models in both slow-response and fast-response variations that feature Talalay latex on the mattress top with a bonded foam/latex underneath. All of the models also incorporate “Active Fusion” climate-control gel technology in the fabric yarns and inside the Talalay latex, storing and releasing energy on demand. This material helps cool a warm sleeper and warm a cool sleeper so that two partners can sleep at their optimal body temperatures.
The additional showroom space also will allow the company to demonstrate its new in-store mattress display program and accessory display for pillows and toppers.
“We needed a lot more showroom space so that we can show the full range of our line,” said Ling. “The new showroom will be spacious and bright, so that retailers can really examine our entire assortment and what we have to offer.”
At the High Point Market, Pure LatexBLISS attracts some bedding buyers it doesn’t see at other shows, according to Ling. “Some of the difference is geographic, as there are a number of East Coast retailers who will drive in. But we also see bedding buyers from the larger-scale furniture stores who come only to High Point.”
Pure LatexBLISS’ location in the IHFC’s Main wing makes it easy for bedding buyers to visit the company, Ling added, since a number of major, mid-tier mattress producers are clustered nearby. “It’s an awesome, one-shopping opportunity for bedding buyers who are looking for an alternative. They can see a wide range of product quickly and efficiently.”
Other bedding manufacturers at the High Point Market include Corsicana and Sleep & Beyond at Showplace, Carolina Mattress Guild in Furniture Plaza, and Protect-a-Bed and and Otis Bed Manufacturing in Plaza Suites.
About International Market Centers
International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC) is the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. IMC owns and operates 11.5 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas. IMC buildings in High Point include International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC), Showplace, Showplace West, 200/320/330 N. Hamilton, Market Square & Suites, Market Square Tower, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza, National Furniture Mart, Hamilton Market and 300 S. Main Street.
IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. For more information on IMC, visit imcenters.com.
