International Market Centers Appointed New Vice Presidents

The recently formed International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC), which operates both the High Point and Las Vegas Markets, has appointed several new vice presidents responsible for advancing new business opportunities for IMC’s portfolio of properties and offering more value to IMC’s showroom partners.

Julie Messner, a High Point native and formerly vp/Publication Sales for the International Home Furnishings Center in High Point since 2008, will now serve as vp/Business Development handling home furnishings leasing for IMC’s High Point properties. Prior to joining the IHFC, Messner spent three years as the leasing director for MMPI High Point, where she was responsible for leasing temporary showrooms in the Suites at Market Square and the Plaza Suites buildings.

Craig Staack has been named vp/Business Development in charge of leasing the home furnishings category in Las Vegas. Before joining World Market Center’s leasing team in 2009, Staack owned and operated three furniture stores in Las Vegas. In the past, Staack served on the executive committee of a Fortune 500 company and held the SVP/GMM post of three top retailers including Montgomery Ward, Heilig-Meyers, and Homelife.

Messner and Staack report to Tom Mitchell, IMC President of Home Furnishings.

IMC has also promoted Lee Hershberg to the position of vp/Home Décor. Based in High Point, Hershberg most recently served as IHFC’s vp/Accessory Leasing since 2008 where he was responsible for the 100% occupancy rate for 560,000 square feet of space. Previously, Hershberg spent more than seven years at Nielsen Business Media (formerly VNU Expositions) in Atlanta as a sales executive for the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show (KBIS), and was ultimately promoted to show director.

In addition, Margaret Powers has been named vp/Tradeshow Las Vegas and will oversee the sales and management of the Temporaries Division at the Las Vegas Market. Powers is a 20-year veteran of the gift industry holding top merchandising and corporate retail positions with Hallmark Cards, Enesco, and Hershey. Before joining WMC as director/Business Development in 2008, she served as a director of leasing for Merchandise Mart Properties handling exhibitor sales for LA Mart, 7W New York, and The Chicago Market.