“A Trip to Ahhs!” is a visual adventure celebrating beauty of change and irony

HIGH POINT, N.C. (Nov. 11, 2009) – The lively and creative mind of designer Mike Farrell, Imagine Adventures, always guarantees something entertaining in his Adesal showroom during Showtime and for this 40th edition of the show he has an even larger venue on the top floor of the Suites at Market Square.

Farrell is the creative director of “Amazed: A Trip to Ahhs!,” a visual adventure covering a 4,000-square-foot corridor of vignettes and stages incorporating everything from life-size witches made of candy to fantastic displays made of broomsticks, tin, straw, cartons, picket fences, color chips, newspaper and other everyday objects.

The installation, which debuted at the October furniture market thanks to MMPI, which owns the building, is being tweaked especially for Showtime and includes products from other ITMA members, as well as Adesal. MMPI has contracted with Farrell to do a new event every April and October at the High Point Market, which could potentially become a part of Showtime in the future.

With the help of local talent and ingenuity, Farrell spins his edgy, pop culture-filled vision into an eccentric, humorous look at choice – what he calls the real “whichs.”
“I want to generate a storm of visual references and trends that will transport Showtime attendees from a black-and-white world and color their dreams as the industry rethinks the past, takes charge of the present and builds hope for the future,” Farrell says.

“Just like Dorothy, we all know there's no place like home and we're here to inspire, create and sell the things that make life magical and full of color.”
Tuesday night, Dec. 8, MMPI will host a Showtime social event highlighting the exhibit and will host all Showtime attendees for “Get Twisted in the Land of Ahhs” in the Suites at Market Square from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

MMPI, a trade show and property management firm, produces more than 300 trade shows, market events and conferences each year. MMPI manages The Merchandise Mart and 350 W. Mart Center in Chicago; Market Square, the Suites at Market Square, Hamilton Market, Plaza Suites, Furniture Plaza and the National Furniture Mart in High Point; the Architects & Designers Building and 7 W New York in New York; the Boston Design Center in Boston; the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles; and the Washington Design Center in Washington, D.C.

Showtime boasts the most extensive presentation of fabric, leather and trimmings in the Western Hemisphere. The 40th edition of the internationally acclaimed market takes place Dec. 6-9. The next edition will be June 6-9, 2010.

Further information about ITMA and Showtime is available at www.itmashowtime.com or via email to info@itmashowtime.com or calling (336) 885-6842.

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