# 95 | Navigating High Point Market with Marisa Wilson

Oct 10

“If you go to a panel or an educational event or social event, and there's someone there that you have been wanting to meet, take advantage of that! make the connections.” - Marisa Wilson

In today's episode, I got to sit down with Marisa Wilson, the creator of The Cool Girl's Guide to High Point, a fun and insightful resource designed to help designers navigate the expansive High Point Market. Her guide offers insider tips, must-visit showrooms, and advice from industry leaders, making it a go-to for anyone attending the event, covering 12 million square feet of showroom space.

In addition to The Cool Girl's Guide to High Point, Marisa runs Marisa Wilson Interior Design, her Charlotte-based residential design firm. She’s known for her playful yet thoughtful design approach, aiming to make the process enjoyable for her clients. Marisa also has a reputation for blending creativity with practicality, helping people create spaces that reflect their personalities. So how can you make the most of your High Point Market experience?

Origins of the Cool Girl's Guide to High Point

Marisa started out helping her friends organize their calendar of events through spreadsheets, working with goals they had of what they were looking to get out of the market experience. By reaching out to some big-name designers, keynote speakers, and presenters she ended up with a 27-page guide that has continued to grow over the last few years.

Top Navigation Tips to High Point Market

Marisa shares about the convenience of staying close to the market and utilizing their shuttles to and from the convention center. Planning your schedule and events in advance is a must! Typically planning for about 75% of your time and leaving 25% open is a great way to start.

Keeping track of which showrooms had which products can be truly overwhelming! Take a picture of each showroom as you're entering so that you know the photos after that came from a particular showroom. Adding notes to the photos in your phone along the way is also a gamechanger!

Taking Advantage of Insider's Tours

If you're a first-time attendee or you haven't been to the market in a while, take advantage of the insider's tours - completely free - and they allow you to meet other designers and visit showrooms for specific themes such as lighting, vintage, textiles, etc. Make sure to sign up for these in advance as they are usually smaller groups!

Networking at High Point

Don't be shy! People are at High Point to check out all the products and showrooms, but also to network and meet other designers. You will find that everyone is warm and inviting, so just get out there, start conversations, and truly make the most of this wonderful experience!

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