Home Furnishing Association Announces Seminars Schedule for High Point Market

Furniture World News Desk on 9/22/2017

Home Funishings Association recently released their High Point Market seminars to take place October 14th through the 17th:

Saturday, October 14, 2017

9:00am – 10:00am
How Visual and Voice Search Are Revolutionizing Product Discovery
Richard Sexton, Chief Product Officer, MicroD
Smarter, faster, easier—the three pillars of technology evolution. With the popularity of Siri, Alexa, Google Now, Cortana and the accessibility of smartphone and tablet cameras, the way consumers use online search is changing. Voice-activated devices and visual shopping are leading the search revolution and demand new methods in website optimization. Join Richard Sexton, chief product officer at MicroD, as he summarizes how voice and visual search work, what companies are doing to stay relevant, and why it matters! Learn about the impact these features have on how shoppers are searching your merchandise and discovering their next purchase.
(TRACK: Technology)

10:30am – 11:30am
Avoid Common Mistakes in Developing Your Ecommerce Strategy
Carl Prindle, Blueport Commerce
Samsonite buys eBags. Unilever bought Dollar Shave Club. Walmart buys Jet – right after Jet buys Hayneedle. Big money is being thrown at ecommerce. What’s your ecommerce offensive strategy?
In this session, Jesse Akre will lead a continuing discussion in making the right online decisions and how to avoid common misconceptions, mistakes and stumbling blocks. Get all your questions answered on this frontier.
(TRACK: eCommerce/Marketing)

1:00pm – 2:00pm
Top 3 Digital Power Plays to Elevate Your Brand
Isaac Knorr & Kurt Strasser, Knorr Marketing
Not sure which digital media to invest your advertising dollars into?  Digital media has become one of the most important tools in any marketing arsenal to elevate brand awareness and increase traffic and sales. In this session, you’ll discover the top 3 digital power plays to grow your store’s brand awareness and drive traffic through the doors. You’ll be better prepared to deliver a cohesive branding and sales campaign by implementing the power of Google Advertising, email, and Facebook.
(TRACK: Digital Marketing)

2:30pm – 3:30pm
The Pros and Cons of Different Sales Compensation Plans
Joe Milesky, JRM Sales & Management
Having worked with hundreds of independent retailers over the years, Joe Milesky has seen a wide variety of ways to compensate salespeople. Ultimately each retailer has to decide whether they want to have an incentive program for their salespeople. Every retailer is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all model for compensating salespeople. During this seminar, Joe will cover a myriad of ways of compensating, the pros and cons of each, how to determine if your method is effective, how to determine the amount a salesperson should earn, and a stress-free way to change the way you compensate. (TRACK: Sales/Sales Training)

4:00pm – 5:00pm
How Print + Digital = Highest Return on Investment
Rose Oldenkamp, Color Ad
Some believe direct mail advertising is obsolete while others think digital marketing lacks results. This session will connect the dots and show how direct mail and digital marketing can be effective when used together. Discover how to get the highest return on investment compared to the monetary gain of each as a stand-alone strategy.
(TRACK: Advertising/Marketing)

Sunday, October 15, 2017

9:00am – 10:00am
State of the Industry
Jerry Epperson, Mann, Armistead & Epperson, LTD
Join industry icon Jerry Epperson as he gives a deep dive on the furniture industry—where we are and where we’re headed—based on the economy, politics, international influences, new interest in the industry from outside investors, and more.
(TRACK: State of the Industry)

10:30am – 11:30am
Embrace Creative Destruction and Implement it in Your Business
Bill Napier, Napier Marketing Group
Creative destruction is happening to brick-and-mortar retailers every day. What is it, and why must your retail business embrace it, initiate it and live by it to survive. In this session, we’ll explore the true meaning of the definition and the key areas you need to implement CREATIVE DESTRUCTION in your sales, marketing, technology, and operations to create a true value chain for your customer.
(TRACK: Advertising/Marketing)

1:00pm – 2:00pm
Facebook Comes of Age
Denise Keniston, Web4Retail
Facebook advertising has come of age!  Retailers are 'stepping up' and 'rushing in' to embrace Facebook advertising as one of their primary forms of marketing. In this session, you’ll see how and why Facebook ads are this summer’s BIG value and how Facebook has changed marketing forever. Bring your iPads, phones and laptops. Denise will be doing a Facebook LIVE demo and giving you detailed tips on what makes Facebook advertising a retailer’s dream. 
(TRACK: Advertising/Marketing)

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Motivation for Peak Performance
Phil Gutsell, GutSELL & Associates
How do you get your team to always perform their best and get out of their comfort zone? Phil Gutsell has researched hundreds of retail operations and discovered the critical factors that keep you and your people satisfied with the norm. Phil will explain the adjustments you and your team can make to put them in position for stellar results. Discover the key behavioral factors that separate your store from higher results and a better bottom line.
(TRACK: Sales/Sales Training)

4:00pm – 5:00pm
Designing the “Store of the Future”
Martin Roberts, Martin Roberts Design
Everyone is talking about the buying "experience” in furniture stores today. Experts agree that this will draw customers in, get them to test and interact with merchandise and buy more products. But, when it comes down to details on how to implement this bold, new and potentially mind-altering experience few helpful hints or suggestions can be found. Martin Roberts will present a new prototype concept that incorporates the latest thinking and the most up-to-date technology to achieve a “Store of the Future”.
(TRACK: Store Design/Merchandising)

Monday, October 16, 2017

9:00am – 10:00am
Tips and Tactics to help Improve Warehouse Management
John McCloskey, Profitability Consulting Group
Warehouse managers know all too well that the task of managing the operations for a warehouse facility is far from straightforward. John McCloskey has worked with top retailers across the country and he’ll share the best practices that make these retailers run efficiently and sustainably and how they use their back ends to make money for their businesses.
(TRACK: Operations)

10:30am – 11:30am
Minimize Overhead Costs and Negotiate Service Contracts Like a Pro
Dan Schneider, SIB Fixed Cost Reduction
Basic overhead costs for services such as telecom, waste removal, utilities, and maintenance are unavoidable, but money tends to fall through the cracks because so little attention is paid to these areas. Service agreements and invoices often conceal costly overcharges, above-market rates, redundant services, and price increases. Cost reduction expert Dan Schneider will share strategies for avoiding common pitfalls and give tips on negotiating contracts with vendors and service providers to create savings and prevent overspending from happening again.
(TRACK: Operations)

1:00pm – 2:00pm
Effectively Using Tablets on the Sales Floor
Richard White, NextGen Concepts Inc.
Bring your tablet to this interactive session to discuss common issues, different software, and best practices for salespeople to be effective on the sales floor utilizing a tablet. You’ll leave this session with an all-inclusive plan that’s ready for implementation.
(TRACK: Sales/Sales Management)

2:30pm – 3:30pm
Making a Memorable Customer Experience
Ryan Lindsley, eSTORIS
It’s no secret today's consumers are tech-savvy. In fact, 80% of the US population has made an online purchase. This means it’s increasingly important for your business to stay relevant to consumers with an ecommerce presence. Even further, the technology you offer in store can make a significant impact on the customer journey. Learn why integrating your in-store experience with your ecommerce initiatives can benefit your business.
(TRACK: eCommerce)

4:00pm – 5:00pm
Learn the Color Wheel with Confidence
Margie Kyle, We Make Color Easy, The Color Doctor
If you struggle with your color selections, your clients won’t buy a thing. The Color Doctor will give you more than 25,000 no mistake Dewey color combinations to use with confidence. Discover when to use the 7 different color schemes: Complement, Split Complement, Triadic, Analogous, Diad, Tetrad and Monochromatic. Plus, learn how to introduce the Achromatic shades in each of the color schemes and about Color Language (the meaning of each color). The Color Doctor will show you how to use the color wheel in new and exciting ways.
(TRACK: Interior Design)

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

9:00am – 11:00am
MASTER CLASS
Furniture Repair Made Easy! Leather & Wood Repair Demonstration
Sue Harman, Guardsman Furniture Professionals
Do you spend time, money and resources rectifying delivery damage, product defects, and other types of furniture damage? When is it best to repair versus replace? What are you getting for your repair spend? In this Master Class Interactive session, Guardsman’s in-house furniture expert and technical training manager will demonstrate a variety of repairs to leather furniture pieces. You might be surprised by what can be cost-effectively repaired on-site or in the consumer’s home instead of being replaced. Sue is a color stylist and technical coatings expert responsible for formulating wood finishes and troubleshooting finishing operations for manufacturers across North America. Today, Sue manages the technician-training program and constantly develops new repair products and methods for our teams. (TRACK: OPERATIONS)