Conference draws over 500
First ever All-industry convention
Gerri Hunt -- Furniture Today, March 20, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. — More than 500 people attended an all-industry conference here, networking and listening to industry and economic analysis and advice on techniques to improve their business.
The National Home Furnishings Assn. and the American Home Furnishings Alliance sponsored the first-ever All-Industry Convention. The Florida Home Furnishings Representatives Assn. co-hosted the event.
Laurie Auman, NHFA meeting planner, said 515 attendees spent three days at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort.
Educational sessions addressed retail sales, consumer trends, imports and product safety. Presentations focused on the global economy, legislation and upcoming elections.
Bill Seidman, former Federal Reserve chairman and now a CNBC-TV commentator, took a global view in his keynote speech.
“We hear that China is going to be a dominant power and will rule the world,” he said. He admitted China is “a threat,” but noted the United States has faced this sort of challenge before.
“I remember an earlier time when we thought the Japanese would be leaders in the world economy,” he said. Acknowledging that the United States lost a few industries to Japan, Seidman said the U.S. economy came back stronger than ever.
Speaker Dennis Snow of Snow & Associates, a Florida-based consultant, spoke about leadership excellence, saying it’s essentially a numbers game. Snow, who worked with the Disney organization for 20 years, said that only about 25% of employees are actively engaged in their jobs. Another 20% are actively disengaged, with the remaining 55% falling into the neutral category and “waiting for one thing — to see which of the other two groups will win.”
Peter Giorgio, a consultant with Global Logistics Solutions, told the group it’s essential to know the import process, urging companies not directly importing to learn about product flow.
“A freight forwarding company is the best plan, because you know they’re on your team. It gives you representation overseas,” said Giorgio. “And the more you know about the import flow, the better you can schedule warehouse operations, and flex up or down with manpower.”
He suggested consolidating product from various factories at overseas warehouses, then filling containers with what’s needed.
“Yes, that’s an extra cost, but many vendors there will work with you,” said Giorgio. “And you can offset the cost in your warehouse in the States.... Maybe you need (a smaller) warehouse.”
Gib Mullan, director of compliance for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, explained portions of the Consumer Products Safety Act that apply to the home furnishings industry. It can be found at www.cpsc.gov..
He advised retailers and manufacturers to notify the government immediately in cases where a product doesn’t meet standards, has a defect that creates a substantial hazard, or creates an unreasonable risk of personal injury.
Penalties for not reporting problems include an $8,000 civil charge for each unit, up to $1.825 million. Mullan said one shouldn’t assume that if there’s a customer complaint with no injury, there’s no problem. Think about the potential for injuries and report the problem, he said.
Mullan urged company owners and managers to track customer complaints and lawsuits, manufacturer changes, and product testing.
The CPSC issues recall notices for some problems. Of the 545 investigative reports it filed last year, 14% ended in recalls, including 23 involving furniture.
“There have been some tip-over problems, instability, chairs breaking, and pinching problems in recliners,” said Mullan.
John Satagaj, the NHFA’s Washington counsel, said Congress has been stymied in dealing with issues that are crucial to the industry, including repealing the estate tax and alternative minimum tax, and reining in health care costs. He said Congress won’t effectively tackle health care “until there’s a meltdown of unions in America.”
“Congress is in a mess and can’t function,” said Satagaj. “First there was lobbying, then the ports deal … non-agenda items are stopping the agenda.”
The next All-Industry Convention will be held in February or March 2008. For more information, visit www.nhfa.org or www.ahfa.us.
Editor-in-Chief Ray Allegrezza contributed to this story.
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Conference draws 500
Apr 2, 2006
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