Furniture companies across the globe are congregating in High Point for the fall Furniture Market.

The High Point Market is the largest furnishings industry trade show in the world.

“The latest economic impact survey says we're bringing in about $5.38 billion, annually," said High Point Market Authority President Tom Conley. 

Every six months, the market draws 75,000 people to North Carolina from across the world.

"We are a very visual industry and so people want to come to see the product, feel it, and touch it,” said Conley. “We have not been as dramatically impacted by the Internet as some other consumer products have been."

This fall, several designers are making first time appearances.

"We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 to 250 new companies and what they represent by in large are smaller companies that are very innovative, very creative; it's the kind of unique finds our buyers are looking for," said Conley. 

One returning designer is Joanna Gaines from the HGTV show "Fixer Upper."

"Joanna and Chip are just hot, hot properties and a lot of the manufacturers have recognized that and so they offer products in a lot of different categories,” said Conley. 

Sure to catch the buyer’s eye this year is the new trend galleries.

"Basically what we've done is taken two of our biggest trend forecasts for spring of 2017 and broken them down into shopable products, so when you walk through the trend galleries you're actually getting real rooms of what these trended items are," said Home Interiors Director for fashionsnoops.com Jaye Anna Mize.

Mize said those trends include minimalist beach scenes, Cuban culture influences, a range of blues and dusty pinks.

(Source: twcnews.com  Author: Elaina O'Connell)