Doug Stephens, “The Retail Prophet” and internationally recognized consumer futurist, started his keynote presentation at High Point Market on Sunday by depressing his audience with the statistic that 8,643 retail stores closed in 2018, and 10,000 more are projected to fail in 2019.

His news got worse.

The hottest seat on Sunday morning at Market (after the earlier WithIt Breakfast, which this year featured Erin and Ben Napier of HGTV’s “Home Town”—see our tweet!) is in the Retail Resource Center Seminar Room, Plaza Suites, where industry leaders gather at 9:00am to hear Jerry Epperson’s incomparable perspective on “The State of the Industry.”

It’s been an insider’s industry tradition for over 25 years, because when it comes to forecasting the future of furniture, Jerry is even more accurate than a psychic. Put this event on your calendar for the Spring 2019 Market—now! 

Is every minute on the ground in High Point during the October International Home Furnishings Market scheduled as tight as your jeans the day after Thanksgiving? Contacts to meet in real life, collections to preview, contracts to sign, and after-hours parties to let off steam make it tough to squeeze in anything more. 

If you can find time to sneak away to learn the latest in industry trends and technology, there are definitely some highlights we want to point out. Consider it an investment in staying relevant and making your colleagues think you are smarter than them.