Atlanta Market Preview

The Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Market gets under way Wednesday at Americasmart. Following are some news and notes from around the show. Look for more in the Thursday edition of this newsletter, and be sure to follow the Home Accents Today editors around the show at twitter.com/homeaccents2day.

Cyan Design opens new showroom with Smart Car giveaway
Cyan Design is giving away a Smart Car to one lucky buyer this market.

Visitors to the company’s new 4,500-sq.-ft. space on the 13th floor of Building 1 can enter for a chance to win a new energy efficient Smart Car. The winner will be announced Sunday at noon.

MoMo Panache partners with Susan G. Komen
MoMo Panache is partnering with the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate at the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market. Show attendees who donate $20 or more will receive a personally signed item from Helen James’ glassware collection. MoMo Panache is located in Building 2, suite 933A.

Port 68 making Americasmart debut
Port 68 is showcasing its collection of lighting, accessories, accent furniture and upholstery in a new permanent showroom, space 14-E-5, this market.

The company, launched earlier this year by industry veterans Michael Yip and Mark Abrams, debuted more than 200 SKUs at the spring High Point Market.

Abrams won the 2009 ARTS Award for product designer of the year. He has licensed his designs with Oriental Accent and Paragon, among others. Yip was most recently vice president for Oriental Accent, where he worked for 19 years.

GHTA hosting hospitality suite, networking reception

The Gift and Home Trade Association invites all Americasmart exhibitors and attendees to visit its hospitality suite, during show hours, and to attend a networking wine reception and happy hour Friday evening from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The suite, located in Building 2, 1238 A, will provide GHTA members and non-members with a look at the association’s new benefits and initiatives. “Over the past year, the GHTA staff and member volunteers have worked tirelessly to expand GHTA benefits and programs,” said Diane Carnevale Jones, executive director. “We invite the industry to visit our hospitality suite to view all of the exciting new benefits and to learn why it is important for each and every vendor, sales agency and rep, and other qualified industry friends to join the GHTA to work as one powerful and unified voice to improve the industry.”

Americasmart University offers full schedule of retailer training
Americasmart University is a strategically structured educational program. Designed in conjunction with industry experts to teach retailers business fundamentals so you’re equipped with the tools and techniques you need to stay competitive and to grow your business.

Friday
8:30-10 a.m. – Retail Basics – Beginner, Fabulous Fourth Quarter Events. Presenter: Lynni Megginson. Sponsored by One Coast.Coffee and Muffins at 8 a.m. Megginson will lead the audience through setting up fabulous fourth quarter events proven to successfully drive traffic and sales. Attendees will leave with a detailed game-plan, including merchandising ideas, tips on great products and effective ways to partner with sales reps and vendors. Building 1, Floor 10, Room 1002

10:30-11:30 a.m. – Retail Basics – Beginner, Doing Business in the New Norm. Presenter: Melissa Haberstroh, The Burlap Horse. Being a retailer today is more challenging than ever. As a seasoned retail veteran, Haberstroh will share the techniques of getting more “green” into your store’s cash register. Learn how to develop and adapt your store’s style, lifestyle-merchandising, events and atmosphere into a brand that’s successful and sustainable. Building 1, Floor 10, Room 1002

1–2 p.m. – Building Your Brand – Beginner, Gaining an Advantage from Graphic Design. Presenter: Vicky Jones. Whether it’s the logo on your storefront, signage, point-of-sale or packaging, graphic design connects with people. Great graphic design will inspire, attract and entertain your customers. Learn how graphic design solves business problems, how to find the right designer or design firm, and how to get the most from the process. Building 1, Floor 10, Room 1002

2:30-3:30 p.m. – Building Your Brand – Beginner, The One Marketing Tool You Own: Your Web Site. Presenter: Vicky Jones. Use the Web and email marketing to advance your business. This class will cover how to create and maintain your retail Web site and how to use email marketing to draw your customers back into your store. Building 1, Floor 10, Room 1002

Saturday
9:30-10:30 a.m. – Buying & Selling – Beginner, Selling Skills: Uncovering Customer Needs. Presenter: Lynne Peer. It’s the salesperson’s job to understand what customers need and want to effectively direct them to the right product. Learn how to provide the best assistance to customers and help them make decisions. Building 1, Floor 10 Room 1002

11 a.m.-Noon – Buying & Selling – Beginner, Handling Objections in the Sales Process. Presenter: Lynne Peer. This class will help you identify and respond to customers’ objections. An objection occurs when a customer doesn’t agree with the direction the sales process is headed. Knowing how to handle obstacles in a professional way can help you uncover keys to making the sale. Building 1, Floor 10 Room 1002

1:30-2:30 a.m. – Buying & Selling – Beginner, Dealing with Dissatisfied Customers.
Presenter: Lynne Peer. When customers are dissatisfied with your product or service, it’s important to work together to reach a resolution. This seminar will address major causes of dissatisfied customers, what motivates customer behavior and how to handle different customer personalities. Building 1, Floor 10 Room 1002

Sunday
9:30-10:30 a.m. – Retail Basics – Beginner, Take Control of Your Cash Cycle: Working Capital Management. Presenter: Rod Pulley. Discover how to manage your cash cycle, improve cash flow and increase your working capital. You’ll learn: elements of cash flow management, the difference between profit and cash flow, how effective cash management improves profitability and the impact the cash cycle has on your working capital. Building 1, Floor 4, Room 4-G-7

11 a.m.-Noon – Retail Basics – Beginner, Essential Tools for Business Decisions: The Income Statement and Balance Sheet. Presenter: Rod Pulley. This seminar examines the relationship between the income statement and the balance sheet, how the parts on each statement relate to each other and how to use these relationships in managing your business. You’ll learn how your balance sheet relates to your income statement, and how to assess risk, measure return and determine if you’re using assets efficiently. Building 1, Floor 4, Room 4-G-7

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Retail Basics – Beginner, Risk and Reward: Managing Inventory. Presenter: Rod Pulley. Understand why inventory cost is greater than simply the invoice cost plus freight. This class will look at inventory carrying, shrinkage, damage and obsolescence costs, and discuss strategies for managing these costs. It will help you understand the various costs related to inventory, asses the impact of inventory cost on your financial performance and manage costs related to inventory. Building 1, Floor 4, Room 4-G-7