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Furniture First 2017 Symposium for Home Furnishings Dealers

Posted by Joe Gargiulo | Tue, May 09, 2017 @ 09:47 AM

home furnishings dealersCome for the discounts and rebates; stay for the knowledge pooling. Sure, it’s a permutation of an overused saying, but what does it really mean in relation to the Furniture First 2017 Symposium? Furniture First believes education through networking and peer-to-peer sharing benefits its members, so much so that the trade association invested considerable time and effort in producing a three-day event at a sweet destination for home furnishings dealers. The symposium is scheduled for May 15 – 17, 2017 at the Desert Ridge Marriott in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We maximize these activities formally with retailer round table networking and best idea sessions, and informally with plenty of time for socializing,” states the symposium’s Why Attend page. “Members ask one another which programs are working and what merchandise is selling. They seek their peers' advice and guidance in solving common business challenges.”

The event presents merchandising, operations and marketing topics while making “every effort to highlight issues faced by our members, provide solutions and strategies, and introduce new products to our retailers.”

CrossCheck, a preferred vendor of Furniture First, will be represented by Senior VP Charles Dortch III in the Vendor-Led Networking Session on May 16. He will review payment services for home furnishings dealers, and discuss how they can increase sales, reduce risk and improve cash flow. Visit him at Table 29 (T29) during the event to learn more about CrossCheck's payment solutions.

The symposium presents several networking opportunities including group breakfasts and luncheons, morning and afternoon breaks, a Welcome Reception & Dinner, Meet & Greet, Cocktail Reception, and Dinner and Best Idea Award.

Guest speaker Ken Gronbach will cover “Charting the Course through Demographic Change” in a 90-minute session about the “common-sense yet counter-intuitive realm of demography.” He is the president of KGC Direct, LLC and an “internationally respected demographer who has been able to forecast societal, commercial, economic, cultural and political phenomena with uncanny accuracy.”

In another presentation, “Re-Engineering Retail: The Future of Selling in a Post-Digital World,” futurist and author Doug Stephens envisions the “retail space of the future, from staffing and store design to technology and marketing, and how every aspect of retailing will change dramatically in the years ahead.”

Equally compelling, Larry Schneiderman presents an overview of his family’s success in “Schneiderman’s Furniture: Growing in One Tough Market, 1948-2017.” He will discuss how Schneiderman’s Furniture has grown from a small store in northern Minnesota to six beautiful showrooms while competing with Minnesota based retailers such as Room & Board, HOM Furniture, Slumberland, Furniture USA, Becker Furniture, Ashley Furniture and Pottery Barn.

The full schedule is available on the Furniture First web site.

Payment Solutions for Home Furnishings Dealers and Consumers

The CrossCheck presentation will also include an explanation of Multiple Check, a program designed to simplify the payment process for home furnishings dealers while easing the financial burden on consumers making large purchases.  

With Multiple Check in place, consumers write 2 – 4 checks for one purchase that are deposited over 30 days according to their preferred dates. Home furnishings dealers receive guaranteed payment with each deposit, and the extended period gives consumers time to replenish their checking accounts. Download our free guide to learn more.

Complimentary Consultation

Topics: Home Furnishings, Events / Conferences

Written by Joe Gargiulo

Marketing Specialist Joe Gargiulo has 25-plus years in marketing, communications and copy writing. As a writer, he enjoys connecting story leads to all aspects of the human experience.