news-record.com

The Las Vegas furniture market wants to force an old-fashioned Nevada showdown with High Point Market in 2009.

High Point’s economy is built on the semiannual furniture market, and the city has spent the past three years facing the competitive threat from the Las Vegas Market by polishing its services and amenities for thousands of buyers at the spring and fall sessions.

On Wednesday, the upstart from Nevada said it will strike at the heart of High Point’s traditional schedule by moving its second 2009 market from July to September, one month from High Point’s annual October market.

It’s a big gamble for Las Vegas, which is trying to force buyers to choose one market over the other, say local analysts and furniture professionals. But a Las Vegas executive says it’s just good business.

The date changes could signal behind-the-scenes trouble for the Las Vegas Market’s owners, said Brian Casey, the president and chief executive officer of the High Point Market Authority.

“They have significant financial investors that have not been necessarily realizing the return they expected,” he said. “They may be forcing the issue on the future direction of that market.”

One furniture businessman who has chosen High Point for his major exhibits is Lee Boone, president of Legacy Classic Furniture.

“I think they’re trying to force the issue among retailers and manufacturers as to which market’s going to prevail,” Boone said.

Legacy decided a year ago that it was too expensive to exhibit at both markets, so it chose High Point.

September is a busy time for the furniture industry. High Point begins its fall season with a premarket period where big manufacturers show products to a few buyers.

Las Vegas’ date change would conflict with that. Second, a major show in Shanghai also is scheduled for the same period.

“This could be a very high-risk gamble,” said Ivan Cutler, a furniture journalist and analyst. “It’s the proverbial line in the sand literally and figuratively. They are asking people to give up leases in High Point, where it’s a low-cost operation, where the economy right now benefits High Point. They’re asking people to make a major geographical and psychological shift. They’re asking for a tectonic shift in a conservative industry.”

For Robert Maricich, Las Vegas Market’s president and chief executive officer, the new dates are just a way to offer better service.

Las Vegas offers markets in February and July. July was not as popular with customers, Maricich said, and September was the next best month because hotel rates are lower and European companies are finished with August vacations.

“We have quite a few customers that attend both Las Vegas and High Point,” Maricich said. “The overwhelming reason was we wanted to have a market that was the most relevant and cost-effective for the attendees.”

“It’s a tactic that they’ve used before, and unfortunately it doesn’t have a lot of substance behind it,” Casey said. “The reality is that if you really look at the potential impact on High Point, it’s going to be minimal at best. And if anything, it’s going to upset some of the companies that exhibit at Las Vegas.”

Contact Richard M. Barron at 373-7371 or richard.barron@news-record.com