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High Point Market will put design trends, emerging technology, materials and the changing business of interior design in focus this fall with a new lineup of educational programs, showroom tours and networking events at The Point.
The High Point Market Authority announced programming at the Commerce Avenue venue will run October 17-20 during Fall Market, with daily sessions addressing topics ranging from artificial intelligence and performance fabrics to Spring/Summer 2027 textile trends.
Among the sessions particularly relevant to the surface and panel industry is The Human Advantage: What AI Can't Replace, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18. Tracee Murphy, The Design Biz Therapist, will examine how designers can incorporate AI and other emerging technologies while maintaining the human expertise and emotional intelligence that distinguish design firms.
Materials and performance will also take the spotlight Sunday afternoon during Designing Interiors with Crypton Fabric and 29 Park. Moderated by Luxe senior editor Jennifer Boles, the discussion will examine the intersection of performance, aesthetics and livability in interior materials.
On Monday, Oct. 19, the 2026 Style Spotters Trend Panel will provide a post-Market look at the trends emerging from furniture showrooms, including the materials, colors and styles shaping the home furnishings market. The panel will feature Style Spotters Rhobin DelaCruz, Juliana Ewer, Kathy Kuo, Amber Guyton and Isabel Ladd, with Stacy Garcia moderating.
The programming concludes Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Reworking Beauty: Home Textile Trends for Spring/Summer 2027. Jaye Mize of Future Snoops and Carrie Dillon of the International Textile Alliance will examine the ideas and influences expected to shape the next season in home textiles.
For Surface & Panel readers, the sessions offer another opportunity to track downstream design trends that can influence decorative surfaces, furniture, cabinetry and interior materials. Color and material preferences identified at High Point often provide useful insight into the directions designers and manufacturers may pursue in future product development.
The Point will also host Hot Spot Tours Saturday through Monday. Led by 2026 Style Spotters and experienced Market attendees, each tour will take participants to two or three selected showrooms, providing a curated look at new products and introductions across the sprawling High Point Market campus.
Additional programming will address designer-brand partnerships, lessons from building an interior design business and new revenue opportunities for design firms.
Located one block west of the Transportation Terminal on Commerce Avenue, The Point will be open to registered Market attendees Friday through Tuesday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Wednesday from 8 a.m.-noon. In addition to its educational programming, the venue offers a lounge, eatery and guest services center, with Market Advisors available to help attendees navigate High Point's 13-city-block showroom district.
Fall High Point Market takes place Oct. 17-21, 2026, in High Point, North Carolina
