It's hard to be bored at Las Vegas Market, let alone in Las Vegas. With so many great showrooms to tour and so many cocktail parties to attend, your schedule probably looks completely booked.
But if you're staying in showrooms all day, you will be missing out on the other features of market, mainly the educational seminars put on by Las Vegas Market and the Home Furnishings Association. Both groups have some accomplished speakers comes to market next week, and if you're looking for new ways to grow your business and up your marketing game, then listen up.
Here is your complete guide to the retailer seminars at Las Vegas Market this winter.
Create a Marketing Playbook to Win the Digital Game
You're probably tired of hearing this by now, but most customer purchases — be they ultimately either in-store or online — start online. Customers are researching, comparing prices and checking local store websites and hours as they navigate the buying landscape. If you want customers to buy from you either in-store or online, then you better be showing up in search results and wowing your website visitors.
At Create a Marketing Playbook to Win the Digital Game, speaker Jay Diamond of Netsertive, Inc. will lend advice on how to building a marketing playbook no matter your budget. He'll cover what your digital marketing budget should be, how to divvy up your marketing budget and where to spend those dollars to get the best return. Attendees should walk away with a clearer idea of how to build a digital marketing plan.
Sunday, Jan. 28
9 a.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
Drive Traffic, Increase Sales and Boost Loyalty with a Private Sale
Have you considered holding a private sale in your showroom? Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the concept, there are always ways to improve your private sale to get the most out of it.
At Drive Traffic, Increase Sales and Boost Loyalty with a Private Sale, speakers Courtney Tehoke and Bill Theis of Synchrony Financial will help your better spread the word about your event, improve your sales and build on your customer loyalty.
Sunday, Jan. 28
10:30 a.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
Best Practices — What Works in The Real World
There's no doubt that traditional brick-and-mortar retail has changed with the rise of Amazon, but traditional retail isn't completely going away, even as some of the big-box giants seem to go away. Some tactics still work; others don't. Wouldn't it be nice to hear from other retailers about what's working and what's not?
That's where David McMahon of HighJump/PROFITsystems comes in. His seminar, Best Practices — What Works in The Real World, will give retailers the chance to listen to some of his suggestions as well as voice their own. Listeners will be encouraged to talk about their own experiences in retail from how they've changed to what's working now and what's not. This is a great opportunity to learn from your peers.
Sunday, Jan. 28
1:00 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
Motivation for Peak Performance
Do you feel stuck in a rut sales-wise? Sure, you're making a profit, but you know your sales associates can achieve more.
Learn to think out of the box with Phil Gutsell of GutSELL & Associates and his seminar, Motivation for Peak Performance. Gutsell has researched hundreds of retail operations and identified key factors that keep owners and associates satisfied with the status quo, but as any business owner knows, there's always room for improvement. His seminar will help you identify key behavioral factors that keep your store from reaching its potential — and how to overcome them.
Sunday, Jan. 28
2:30 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
How Media Influences Today’s Home Furnishings Consumers
The relationship between consumers and media has changed dramatically starting with the rise of social media. Consumers now interact with media in different ways than they did 10 years ago, which means the way they're interacting with your ads has also changed.
In How Media Influences Today’s Home Furnishings Consumers, speaker Chip West of Valassis, Inc. will discuss how today's customers consumer, engage with and respond to advertising messages. West's presentation will unpack the data that shows how purchases have changed and what's currently influencing purchases right now.
Sunday, Jan. 28
4:00 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
The Management Challenge: Delegate Unto Others Before They Delegate Unto You
One of the biggest hurdles for small business owners is learning to effectively delegate tasks to employees. Your business is your baby, and how can do it all right by you? But if you're not delegating, then you're most likely overworking yourself and squandering the talent you have on staff.
Joe Milevsky, CEO of JRM Sales Management, knows your pain and is here to help. His seminar, The Management Challenge: Delegate Unto Others Before They Delegate Unto You, will help you step back, develop effective lines of communication and coach employees so they can reach their potential.
Monday, Jan. 29, 2018
10:30 a.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B1050
Using Buy Local Campaigns to Build Business
Many consumers love supporting local businesses and keeping their hard-earned money in the community. But consumers can't buy local and help out your business if they don't know you're there — and if you're not showing up in local search results, you might as well not be there.
Carol L. Schroeder, author of Specialty Shop Retailing: How You Can Succeed in Today’s Market, can help in her seminar, Using Buy Local Campaigns to Build Business. Schroeder will help attendees create their own Buy Local campaigns to help build community awareness and grow your brand.
Monday, Jan. 29
11:30 a.m.
Pavilion 2 Seminar Room
How to Track Website Visitors to In-Store Revenue
As Crystal Vilkaitis told us, technology is advancing so much that soon, we will be able to track purchases from those initial searches all the way to in-store purchases. It may sound a little Big Brother-esque, but this technology could help you create better, more targeted digital ads and see drastically improved results.
In How to Track Website Visitors to In-Store Revenue, Scott Hill of Perq will help you track customers on your website to their in-store purchase. He will also provide tips and advice on leveraging chat boxes and email campaigns to improve your ROI.
Monday, Jan. 29
1:00 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
Marketing the Mattress Buying Experience
Who would've thought buying mattresses online would become such a lucrative business venture? The success of Casper and other online mattress retailers shows us that mattress are no longer an in-store-only purchase. Therefore, it's up to retailers to make the buying process worth the trip to the store.
Jeff Giagnocavo of Gardner’s Mattress and More is here to help. His seminar, Marketing the Mattress Buying Experience, will help you turn mattress buying into an experience and make it more exciting to come into a store rather than ordering online.
Monday, Jan. 29
2:30 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
How Visual and Voice Search Are Revolutionizing Product Discovery
In the January issue, we covered how voice search is rapidly becoming the norm and how it can impact the way customers shop for lighting and home furnishings. If you enjoyed reading MicroD's Richard Sexton's point of view, then don't miss his encore seminar.
Similar to his previous seminar at High Point Market last fall, How Visual and Voice Search Are Revolutionizing Product Discovery will tackle how home automation products like Amazon Echo and Google Home have changed voice search, how consumers are using voice search and how businesses can stay relevant in the voice search era.
Monday, Jan. 29
4:00 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B-1050
Stand Out in the Crowd: How Online Reviews Boost your SEO
Online reviews matter more than you would think. Because consumers start their shopping research online when they search for local businesses, one bad or good review can influence whether or not future customers come into your store. In addition to influencing consumer choices, online reviews can also help you rank higher in search results, and that alone can be worth its weight in gold.
Speaker Nick Miller of Podium knows the furniture retail space is competitive. In his seminar, Stand Out in the Crowd: How Online Reviews Boost your SEO, he will go over how online reviews affect your website's search engine optimization (SEO), why that matters and how to improve your own SEO. His tips and advice will help make your store's online presence more competitive and capture more of your local market.
Tuesday, Jan. 30
9:00 a.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
MASTER CLASS: Furniture Repair Made Easy! Leather & Wood Repair Demonstration
Have you ever ordered product from a company only to have it show up with damages and problems? Chances are you have, and you've spent a considerable amount of time trying to fix the repairs yourself with mixed results.
Learn the right way to do it with Sue Harman of Guardsman Furniture Professionals. Her seminar, MASTER CLASS: Furniture Repair Made Easy! Leather & Wood Repair Demonstration, will hold a live demonstration of leather and wood repairs, showing you the best ways to do repairs and how to know when it's best to walk away. Her advice will help you understand the cost of your repairs and how to know when you're getting the best deal.
Tuesday, Jan. 30
1:00 p.m.
Retailer Resource Center, Building B, B-1050
Feeling overwhelmed? Don't worry, you don't have to hit every seminar. Before you leave for market, take a look at what you want most out a seminar. Does your digital strategy need some fine tuning? Are you looking to help your sales team grow? Choose the seminars best suited to your business needs and then head back to the showrooms for a cocktail party.
Tell us, which seminars interest you the most? Share with us in the comments.
Photo: Jennifer Morrow via Flickr
