Universal Furniture’s in-person learning events return this June with live streaming opportunities for those who can’t attend. And back by popular demand is the Universal To the Trade Designer’s Lounge complete with Beauty Bar.
The company’s showroom and high-tech Learning Center are hosting multiple events Saturday, June 5 through Tuesday, June 7. Come experience one of designers’ favorite stops at High Point Market. Here’s what’s on the calendar for June.
SATURDAY, JUNE 5
Universal To The Trade Designer’s Lounge Presented by Rue
Event Name: Universal to the Trade Designer’s Lounge
Date: June 5-7
Time: 9 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Relax and recharge in Universal’s 2,000 sq. ft. Designers Only Workspace. Charge your devices and take advantage of free wi-fi. Need a hair touchup? Sign up for an appointment at the Beauty Bar.
Melissa Galt
Event name: Rates & Fees to Double Your Revenues in Half the Time
Date: Saturday, June 5
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Join interior design business coach Melissa Galt to learn how to increase revenue in your design business. Topics covered include:
Escape the Trap of Hourly; Step into the Priceless Valuation of Design
Learn the Two Fee Method of Design to Simplify Invoicing and Earn More
Stop Chasing the Money; Get Paid in Advance of All Design Delivery.
HPxD
Event name: How to Shop High Point Year-Round
Date: Saturday, June 5
Time: 2pm
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Have you heard? A new movement called HPxD is reimagining High Point as a hub of design and creativity open all year-round. Designers and industry pros weigh in during a lively panel discussion. Learn how HPxD came to be (and stay), how to shop High Point off Market, what HPxD means (and doesn’t mean) for designers, what #HPMKT has to say, and how to join the movement. A panel discussion moderated by Gary Inman, Gary Inman Home Couture and featuring panelists Don Ricardo Massenburg, Nancy Fire, Dudley Moore and Victoria Sanchez.
SUNDAY, JUNE 6
Gail Doby
Event name: Creative Value Blueprint
Date: Sunday, June 6
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Join Gail to discover:
*Why Your real problem is often not what you think
*A successful business is your real art
*How financially successful designers charge for services
*Planning for Profit
*Marketing, Mindset, & Mastery.
The Kaleidoscope Project
Event name: The Kaleidoscope Project
Date: Sunday, June 6
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Please join AmyLynn Schwartzbard and Patti Carpenter, co-founders of the Kaleidoscope Project, in conversation with Designers Today Editor-in-Chief Jane Dagmi, as they take us on their journey from concept to completion of this Designer Showhouse to broaden the design narrative within our creative community.
Adam Japko
Event name: Branding & Influencer Marketing: Useful Revelations for the Post Pandemic Era
Date: Sunday, June 6
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Like everything else, influencer marketing & brand development were impacted by the Covid pandemic. Conducting usual business marketing sensitive to pandemic-driven changes in human nature and abnormal lifestyle conditions invited
new and specific styles of content creation and engagement. Since the first quarter of 2020, the process of building influence online for business outcomes evolved under an organic cloak with shifts that will last long into post pandemic years. Adam will provide an overview of the pandemic’s impact on Influencer Marketing for the design industry including: Human Condition & online audience; Digital Marketing Developments; and Long Term Effects on Influencer Marketing Tactics.
MONDAY, JUNE 7
How the Pandemic is Changing Retail
Event name: How the Pandemic is Changing Retail
Date: Monday, June 7
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: Join retail consultant Rachel Gerli of Right Hand Brands to learn the big pivots retailers made in 2020 to react to a changing consumer climate — and get a forecast for future changes in 2022 and beyond. She'll dive into everything from emerging trends to the big bets retailers are investing in, and how you can think about these innovations in your own retail or design business. The future is closer than you think.
Social Storytelling
Event name: Social Storytelling: Creating a brand narrative that stands out online
Date: Monday, June 7
Time: 11:30 a.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: The process of establishing yourself as a brand feels like an enigma to many interior designers – how do you find the time to be consistent and prolific on social media? How long does it really take to build a following that drives leads and partnerships? And, most importantly, how do you know what to say about your business, over and over again every day?
Sandra Funk
Event name: Why You Shouldn’t Charge for Your Initial Consultation
Date: Monday, June 7
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Universal Furniture Showroom, 101 S. Hamilton St. (Shuttle Stop 15) Red Line
Description: To charge or not to charge? That is the question, and often a hotly debated one. Does charging a fee mean I will automatically accept the job? Does not charging a fee expose me to people who just want free ideas? From the West Coast to the East Coast, designers are either charging or not charging for their first meeting with potential clients. Learn why designer Sandra Funk has chosen to forgo this fee.
