Three reasons to attend our Bedding Conference
David Perry, Executive editor -- Furniture Today, March 16, 2009
The problem: Business is tough, the competition is tougher than ever, and you are hoping to eek out some sales gains this year.
The solution: Attend Furniture/Today's fourth-annual Bedding Conference, set for May 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, Fla. (just outside Naples).
We've got a strong, retail-oriented program set for the conference, which attracts bedding's A-list producers, suppliers and retailers and provides a unique opportunity for those groups to interact in an educational setting.
Why should you attend? Three reasons come to mind.
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You can learn something new about the business. The wise mattress man (and woman) is a student of the business. We've assembled a master's level lineup of teachers to give you high-level insights on the business.
Our keynote speakers are Mattress Firm President Steve Stagner and noted sleep expert Michael Breus. Stagner is a key executive at Houston-based Mattress Firm, one of the nation's largest and most professional bedding retailers. His topic: Creating a Culture of Constant Improvement.
Breus is a clinical psychologist and author of the book, “Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep.” His talk, sponsored by Carpenter, is titled, Good Night, Sleep Right.
Those two sessions are followed by something new for the conference, an Ask The Experts panel, featuring top executives with Hickory Springs (our headline sponsor), Lilly Management Group and Therapedic. They've got answers for your tough questions. -
You can hear retail success stories. Everyone wants to know what's working in this challenging sales climate. We've got several retailers on the agenda to tell you what's working for them. Panelists include Jeffrey Klein, president of Sleep etc., in Norwalk, Conn.; Arthur Watkins, president of Mattress Inn in Nashville, Tenn.; and Roger Magowitz, president of Mattress Discounters in Virginia Beach, Va.
Leggett & Platt's Mark Quinn is presenting a“retail makeover” session, in which he explains how a mattress retailer remade his business and reaped the rewards.
In addition, we will be sharing the success stories written by four Retail Giants of Bedding (soon to be announced). -
You can take home ideas that will grow your business. We've got some of the best sales trainers and consultants in the industry to give you practical ideas on how to close more mattress sales. Craig McAndrews of The Retail Institute presents a scorecard on how well retailers are telling better sleep messages. He is followed by Gerry Morris of the Sleep Trust Guarantee, who talks about what mattress retailers need to do to find success in tough times.
Registration is now open online at www.furnituretoday.com. Feel free to call me with any questions you may have. My direct line is (336) 605-1114. See you in Florida!
Contact David Perry at dperry@reedbusiness.com
Bedding Conference set for May 5-7
03/09/2009
