In September 2009, World Market Center Las Vegas, the home furnishings industry’s leading marketplace, in collaboration with the National Home Furnishings Association (NHFA) and Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) launched the first ever national campaign that united the home furnishings industry under the banner of National Home Furnishings Month.

In the last decade, the cultural conversation around the home was all about the “flip this house” mentality. Today, the benefits of expressing yourself via a financial investment in the home have evaporated, and a void has emerged where the financial chatter used to be.

But the inherent emotional bond to “Home” has fundamentally remained the same, the cultural conversation has shifted from flipping and staging homes to foreclosures, mortgages and poor investments. More importantly, “Home” can mean many positive things beyond a financial investment.

• • A sanctuary
• • A haven
• • Where traditions are started
• • Where life events are celebrated
• • Where personal taste is displayed

The world would be a better place if people saw their homes as a commitment to their families, not a line item in their portfolios.

“Is It Home Yet?^TM” is a consumer-facing marketing strategy designed to reach people at multiple touch points that will ultimately benefit the entire home furnishings industry,” said Robert Maricich, president and CEO, World Market Center Las Vegas. “This is a rare opportunity to bring together the entire industry for the benefit of raising awareness and positively changing the way people view purchasing home furnishings.”

The industry wide initiative is further endorsed by other leading trade associations including the Home Furnishings Independents Association (HFIA), Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC), the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD), the Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) WithIt (Women in the Home Furnishings Industry Today), and the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA). The campaign also marks September as “National Home Furnishings Month” culminating in a highly promoted 10-day sales event at the end of the month. The $20 million multi-year program is financially underwritten by World Market Center Las Vegas.