SoHo Today conference brings the pieces together
Ray Allegrezza, Editor in chief -- Furniture Today, April 7, 2002
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you missed our recent SoHo Today conference, you missed a great meeting.
A few weeks ago, 100 of the industry's directional small office/home office retailers and manufacturers met in Greensboro to explore both the challenges and opportunities of this fruitful but fragmented market.
One of the many gratifying aspects of the event was the attendee list, which read like a who's who of SOHO. On the manufacturing side, we had diverse powerhouse players such as Gruga/Novimex, Kimball Home, O'Sullivan, Leda Desk, Herman Miller For The Home, Hooker, Jesper, Office Star, Stanley, Turnstone/Steelcase, Sauder, Bush, Global Inds., Neutral Posture, Palliser, Paoli, Winners Only and a host of others.
The list of retailers was no less stellar, with the likes of R.C. Willey, Furnitureland South, Office Depot, Havertys, City Furniture, Ikea, Rotman's, Steinhafel's, MacThrift Office Furniture and HOM Furniture.
This year's theme, Strategies for Growth, could not have been more appropriate. After an essentially flat year, all indicators point to a SOHO market that is on the rebound.
Thanks to insightful planning on the part of SoHo Today Editor Gary James, conference attendees had the opportunity to hear from mavens on a myriad of topics ranging from telecommuting, which is very much alive and well, to effective ways of explaining ergonomics to the SOHO consumer.
Of course, no examination of the SOHO market would be complete without a discussion about the mid-market, a critical sub-segment of the small office/home office arena. Attendees heard from four leading mid-market dealers, who shared the upsides and downsides of playing in an arena just above the residential market and just below contract.
The group also was given insight into effective in-store merchandising, design trends, and how and why a variety of retailers have SOHO pegged as a growth opportunity.
In his keynote address, Keith Koenig of City Furniture shared his strategy for scoring in the SOHO market, and also underscored the value of the conference. "Each of us has a piece to the SOHO puzzle," he said. "By coming here and sharing what we know, we can do a much better job fitting all the pieces together."
During our last session, an energetic interchange of ideas among all attendees, we put that thought into action. As a group, we defined the most prominent challenges. But we didn't stop there. The group came up with compelling and effective ways to overcome those challenges.
If you were with us, you know what they were. If you weren't, go to the SoHo Today Web site at www.soho-today.com and read Jenny Heinzen's report on the session. If you feel you have a piece of the puzzle, drop me a line, share what you know and help make us all better!
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