WHFA sets educational agenda for conference

Event set for May 2-4 in Anaheim, Calif.

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, February 16, 2010

ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Two iconic American brands, Disney and Harley-Davidson, will set the theme for the educational agenda of the Western Home Furnishings Assn.'s 2010 Conference & Expo.

The event, set for May 2-4 at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., will feature 13 educational sessions.

Sessions with the Disney Institute will teach attendees the Disney approach to brand loyalty and will explore techniques used to retain customers for life.

Retail consultants Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender will have attendees exploring "The Science of Shopping" by using Disney as an example of great store layout and merchandising techniques. This two-part session includes an evening in the Disneyland theme park, where attendees will be able to visit several retail stores.

"The Disney Institute will be a key contributor to this year's conference and they will be sharing their magic with all who attend. This conference is a unique opportunity to learn about this magic and bring it into our own industry," said WHFA's 2010 president, Claudia LeClair, Fiesta Furnishings, Scottsdale, Ariz.

The conference's opening session will be "Make Some Noise" by Ken Schmidt, marketing visionary and former director of communications for Harley-Davidson. He will show attendees how the motorcycle manufacturer was turned around through building a new corporate culture, rekindling relationships with customers and reaching out to new ones in untraditional ways.

The conference will end with a motivational session by George Hedley on how to transform your company into a systemized and organized growing business that delivers bottom-line results, builds equity, wealth and freedom.

During the event, the EXpresso Expo will provide added opportunities to discover new business enhancing ideas. It will feature 20-minute shots of education on topics such as advertising, marketing, technology or operations.

Also on the schedule are retailer-to-retailer roundtable discussions on money-saving and business generating ideas, which are always a highlight of the conference.

Registration is $495 for WHFA members and $595 for non-members. Teams traveling together can take advantage of the Team Discount and receive each registration for $395 each.

For more information and to register, visit www.WHFAconference.com or call (800) 422-3778.