High Point — Despite brisk registration, there is still time to sign up for the 2003 Furniture/Today Leadership Conference Dec. 3–5 at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grand Lakes in Orlando, Fla.
The event, with the theme "Opportunity Knocks," will give leading retailers, manufacturers and suppliers the opportunity to discuss critical industry issues, including the growing clout of imports, the future of domestic furniture manufacturing and ways to tap into the burgeoning Latino market.
"Now more than ever, the industry is in the midst of dramatic change," said Ray Allegrezza, editor-in-chief of Furniture/Today. "However, along with this unprecedented change are unprecedented opportunities. Our plan is to drill down into both the challenges and the opportunities during the conference."
As part of that plan, Furniture/Today has assembled some of the industry's most critical thinkers, including Mickey Holliman of Furniture Brands International, Kurt Darrow of La-Z-Boy, Kevin Sauder of Sauder, Jake Jabs of American Furniture Warehouse and a host of others. The schedule:
Wednesday, Dec. 3
Early arrivals can enjoy a morning golf outing at Grand Lakes Resort and a tour of Havertys Furniture in Orlando. Cocktails, dinner and an after-dinner party will follow that evening.
Thursday, Dec. 4
Joe Ruggiero, executive producer and host of several HGTV series, will kick off the day by covering the topic, "Where Are Our Opportunities With The Consumer?" He will be followed by a panel of U.S. manufacturers who will discuss their competitive advantages and why they believe they are "here to stay."
Panelists include Greg Harden, Harden Mfg.; Bruce Frenzel, Thornwood Mfg.; James Gerken, Norwalk Furniture; Larry Liebenow, Quaker Fabrics; Kevin Sauder, Sauder; and David Haynes, Haynes Bros. Furniture.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Roger Blackwell, an authority of consumer behavior and author or co-author of 24 books on that topic and marketing strategy, research and global marketing.
Thursday evening will feature an awards dinner honoring Manufacturer of the Year Billy Hodgson of Kathy Ireland Home by Standard and Retailer of the Year Bill Child of Salt Lake City-based R.C. Willey.
Friday, Dec. 5
Keynote Retailer Wayne Johansen, president of HOM Furniture in Coon Rapids, Minn., will discuss how the retailer has grown from annual sales of $30 million in 1997 to close to $160 million in 2002. He will be followed by a panel discussion on opportunities in upholstery, including Larry Crink, DeCoro; Rob Culp, Culp Inc.; Sean Ou, Summit House; Keith Koenig, City Furniture, Tamarac, Fla.; and Luana Davis, Bauhaus.
AICO Amini Innovations Corp. is the lead sponsor of this year's conference. Other top sponsors include Primex New York, P.J. Kids, Mattress.com and AP Inds.
For more information, contact Kathy Humble, event coordinator by e-mail at khumble@reedbusiness.com, by phone at (336) 605-1066 or by mail at FT Leadership Conference 2003, P.O. Box 2754, High Point, N.C. 27261.
