6/2/2026 - High Point Market
Diversity Advocacy Alliance Opens Nominations for Annual Awards
HIGH POINT, N.C., June 2, 2026 – For its third annual home furnishings industry awards, the High Point Market Authority’s Diversity Advocacy Alliance (DAA) committee opens its 2026 nomination form through July 8.
The three award categories are “Open Arms,” “Mentorship,” and “Social Responsibility.”
High Point Market exhibitors eligible for the Open Arms Award are selected based on how well they receive showroom visitors irrespective of their race, gender, or orientation. The nominees in this category also reflect diversity within the company’s employment practices and marketing.
Individuals eligible for the Mentorship Award actively foster growth among established and emerging colleagues. The recipient of this award has a proven track record of providing guidance, support and mentorship to industry professionals from underrepresented backgrounds.
Individuals or companies eligible to receive the Social Responsibility Award are known to act for positive societal change and champion inclusivity beyond High Point Market trade events, through their recognition of diversity’s significance in driving innovation, creativity, and unique perspectives across all business interactions.
"The Diversity Advocacy Alliance Awards exist to shine a light on the individuals and organizations who are doing the real work of building a more inclusive home furnishings industry,” says Ben Johnston, DAA chair and founder and principal of Houston-based interior design firm Benjamin Johnston Design. “We are proud to open nominations for the Open Arms, Mentorship, and Social Responsibility Awards and encourage our entire community to take a moment to recognize those who exemplify a true commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Additional details regarding the awards criteria are located on the Diversity Advocacy Alliance page of the High Point Market website: https://www.highpointmarket.org/DiversityAdvocacyAlliance
The award recipients will be honored at an event taking place during Fall Market in October.
DAA was established in 2022 to focus on the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the home furnishings sector. The committee is made up of thirteen members. The group’s mission statement reflects a commitment to expanding representation of the BIPOC community and facilitating the implementation of equitable policies and practices throughout the industry and its leadership.
ABOUT THE HIGH POINT MARKET AUTHORITY
The High Point Market Authority (HPMA) is the official sponsor and organizer of the biannual High Point Market, located in High Point, N.C. Held each spring and fall, High Point Market is the world’s largest home furnishings trade event of its kind, representing every product category, style and price point through its extensive list of exhibitors, and attracting tens of thousands of wholesale buyers, sellers, interior designers and other specifiers from more than 100 countries. Find High Point Market online at highpointmarket.org, and follow the trade show on social media using the hashtag #HPMKT.
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