As you may know, I rarely jump at the chance to travel. I’m a homebody through and through, and tend to prefer being in my own space with my own bed and my own people/pets. I’m very settled in this personality trait of mine, and have zero shame about it! But, that said, when the opportunity arises to see Joanna Gaines in person on stage at High Point Market in North Carolina, you just don’t say no to travel. This was my first time visiting Market in person, and it was every bit as inspiring and magical as everyone says it is.

In case you’re unfamiliar, this event happens every April and October, and is the largest home furnishings industry trade show in the world. It typically gets more than 70,000 attendees each spring and fall respectively, and features over 11 million square feet of showroom space taken up by 2,000 exhibitors. It’s physically impossible to see it all unless you go for the entire week’s worth of hours. Their showrooms have nearly completely filled what had been the historic downtown area, and now that I’ve been driven through the area, I find that very easy to believe. The High Point Market spans across multiple buildings, and allows you to connect with a seemingly endless amount of creative brands showcasing everything from furniture and lighting, to art, rugs, hardware, and one-of-a-kind antique home accents.

I was able to snag a press pass to the event at the invitation of Loloi, whom I have been working with for almost 10 years as part of my business as a content creator. I’m forever grateful for their support. They invited me to come as a VIP guest to their encore keynote theater event, which, as I mentioned, included a conversation with Joanna Gaines, but also designers Brigette Romanek, Amber Lewis, and Leanne Ford. The panel (beautifully moderated by Dennis Scully!) was, of course, the highlight of my day at market. We were seated front row center, which gave the conversation such an intimate feeling.

The women spoke on all sorts of creative business topics, like learning how to say no, hiring people to your team who have skills that you lack, and also how important it is to recenter yourself occasionally to make sure your current projects still align with your original “why.” As far as takeaways, I’m personally more determined than ever to start hiring out the things I can’t do well myself after hearing Amber talk at length about how she has done exactly that. I remember hearing over and over again across the panel that scaling your business is nearly impossible without building your team, so I’m planning on opening myself up to new hires soon. The major points brought up during the talk have given me so much more direction for my business—I think it’s going to have a direct impact on my 2024/25 goals.

At any rate, I did want to recap some parts of my day at High Point Market in this post, but I also wanted to make sure I offered a little more value to you, so I’m sharing a handful of my best tips below for navigating Market as a first-timer, and, specially, as someone with an influencer press pass, like I had. This type of pass is different from the buyer and trade passes that so many other attendees wear throughout the event, and I felt it did set me a little bit apart. There were some things that I learned along the way that I wanted to pass along to others who might be going for the first time in order to cover the event for their blog, so keep scrolling for that insight.

High Point Market Tips For Press Bloggers:

1. Wear whatever you want up top, but pair your outfit with sneakers. Trust me! You will be walking miles, so prioritize comfort first and style second. I saw hundreds of women in the cutest patterned dresses paired with white sneakers, and they all looked fabulous. I’ll be following suit with that look the next time I go. Oh, and wear a light layer that you can remove or put on as needed.

2. Use the bus system to get to and from the venue. We parked at a designated mall parking lot and hopped on the Market shuttle, which drove us right to the event’s front door. It was super low stress and meant we didn’t have to search for a decent parking spot in the mayhem that is Market downtown.

3. Do whatever it takes to snag a seat to the keynote event! While I really enjoyed our hours wondering between showrooms for the majority of the day, the theater event was my favorite part of the day. I learned so much that I can’t wait to implement into my business over the next few years.

4. Bring business cards. This is a great way to quickly supply sales reps with your information, and projects a level of confidence in your presence there as a member of the press.

5. Pack your phone charger. I ran out of juice halfway through the day, and it was such a pain to have to stop to find a plug. Luckily, we did find one next to the Shoppe Object bar, so it wasn’t too tedious of an activity. But I still would encourage you to bring some kind of mobile quick charger so you don’t have to abruptly pause your momentum.

6. Be prepared for some discrimination when wearing a blogger/press tag and not a “Buyer” tag. We didn’t experience much of this, but I remember a couple of occasions when we were (literally!) looked down on for not being buyers. As an example, the sales rep at Napa Home & Garden walked up to our group to ask with a big smile if we needed any help, but then turned right around and walked away without waiting for an answer when she saw our press tags. I was appalled at her treatment, and think it’s poor business sense to underestimate the value we provide. Don’t let that “Press” label hold you back from demonstrating exactly why you belong there just as much as the “Buyers” do.

7. Leave your big bag behind. They provide free totes! I’m so glad I opted for a small crossbody bag. The free Loloi sponsored canvas totes we got at the door were perfect for stowing away all of the showroom packets we picked up throughout the day.

8. Don’t expect to do much physical shopping. This isn’t a day for buying home décor and furniture. While you technically can do that, I found that it was more of a fact-finding occasion than a stock-up opportunity. I bought a piece of art from Loloi and one of their “cash and carry” pillows, but it seemed to be a little bit of a hassle for everyone involved with those transactions. The point is to gather ideas and make notes for future purchases, not so much for day-of shopping (although you absolutely can, and some showrooms do encourage it!).

9. Grab snacks as you go from vendors because you don’t want to find yourself in a “hangry” situation. Most of the showrooms we went to provided small snacks and pieces of candy to attendees. I’m so glad I thought to grab an occasional packet of crackers because there were moments running between buildings and showrooms when I found myself absolutely ravenous.

I love looking back on those shots from the keynote event…Seeing those brilliant, ultra talented men and women in person (from the front row!) was my version of a rock concert. I also really loved seeing the Loloi family onstage for the event. Again, I can’t thank them enough for all the support they’ve shown my small business over the last 13 years. They’re just as much celebrities to me as those famous designers are!

As far as final words go and the things I walked away from Market thinking? I loved the variety of styles to see in all the showrooms we visited because it helped me realize what I personally gravitate toward most. Being able to see and feel products in person—especially the rugs at Loloi—was fabulous, and connecting with brands face to face was priceless for me as a designer, and for my business as well. One thing that surprised me from my visit was the immediate reaction I felt around color. I got more excited than ever about color this trip! And global accents, too—things with heavy textures and pattern. Artistic, sculptural lighting was also something I found myself snapping photos of over and over again, so I have a feeling you’ll be seeing that a lot more often in our home and on my blog. Finally, the daily crowd energy of Market was just so inspiring, and I, ultimately, can’t wait to go back.