Mr. Flinchum,

Would you have complained that Paul Revere woke the neighbors?

HP has a big challenge, seem that we would want the details to better prepare for the fight. Pointing out the strenghts of Las Vegas is news reporting of the most useful sort.

Mr. Cone,

Don't pass out but you and I are in accord on this one. If the comparisons in the article are factually correct in respect to costs of hotels, cars, food, etc., then I'm not sure where the "unfairness" comes in. It seems to me that the N&R has amassed some good information for High Point concerning their biggest competitor. I suggest HPIHFM takes this info and injects it into their marketing plan.

I'm sure there are many companies what would love to have this much info on their competition, gathered by a third party and at no cost to them.

If you're going to war, you need all of the intel you can gather about your enemy.

If one wishes to talk about fairness in the Furniture Market shows, talk to the people who have lost their job in furniture manufacturin. Yet the company's that ended their employment still have their showroom in the US. And they make their product in Asia or elsewhere!

Is that fair?

I've heard from HP furniture friends that the Chinese can make copies, but they don't design like Americans do -- yet. (Implied: they will.) I faulted the N&R once for not publishing the Las Vegas threat to Market in the online edition; I think it's critically important. The solution is not going to be only in less-gouging in hotel prices.

There is a solution; or a way of keeping Market here. But it's going to involve HP/GSO/W-S woring together to provide shuttles, transportation, night life, and amenities (that we do SO well!) into a single organization called Triadism. Three CVBs? Heck, work together and bring a home-town show to market buyers.

As for the Chinese? Are you (that's everyone, myself included) checking the labels on what you buy? Are you buying American?

Let's be honest, High Point doesn't have the facilities to handle the furniture market like LV does. The hotel issue alone is enough to make me want to go to LV rather than HP if I were a gallery owner. Plus you go one block over from downtown and you are in the really bad part of town. If HP wasn't so vunerable LV wouldn't have made a smart steal of the furniture market. I give HP 10 years before there is no longer any market at all.

July Average High Temperature:

High Point - 89 degrees
Las Vegas - 103 degrees

And this was an unusually hot July for High Point.

I agree that if I had the choice to go to Las Vegas or High Point, I'd probably pick Vegas just for the shows and attractions. But not in the summertime.

Also, the furniture market is about a lot more than hotels, shows, strippers, and gambling. They actually do come here to see furniture, supposedly. And where else can you see what you can see in High Point? (besides China)

Jill,

I know you meant nothing by it, but that 'really bad part of town' you refer to contains some of the nicest people in the triad.

They don't have all the finer things in life, but many of them would show you more generosity and love than you'd ever see if you visited Starmount.