125 attend Contemporary Design Group conference

Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, December 28, 2012

Among the retailers attending the Contemporary Design Group conference are Jeff Selik, Hillside Furniture, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Robert Roman, Decorum Furniture, Norfolk, Va.; Tamara Scott-Anderson, Contents Interiors, Tucson, Ariz.; and Mat Wallman, San Francisco Design, Salt Lake City

SAN DIEGO — The Contemporary Design Group recently wrapped up its annual conference at the Hotel Palomar here, a four-day program that drew a record 125 attendees.

For the first day and a half of the conference, CDG retailer members worked with suppliers at the conference, "examining relevant issues that are impacting the industry," according to a release. Jeff Hiller of ProAction Marketing Group facilitated panel discussions and breakout sessions.

During the remaining time, members worked in closed-door sessions, sharing best practices, marketing strategies, sales management concepts and successes, merchandising strategies and other aspects of their businesses. They shared financial data and discussed ways to improve their stores' bottom lines.

One CDG member, Pat Howard of Sklar Furnishings in Boca Raton, Fla., said the event was the "biggest and probably best conference ever."

Joe Johnston, left, Johnston Casuals; Julie Haimsohn, Lawrance Furniture, San Diego; Luc Globensky, Pianca; and Jacob Harlow, The Century House, Madison, Wis.

Manufacturer panelists Lorri Kelley of Palliser, Bruce Birnbach of American Leather, Mike Buskirk of Lazar Inds. and Steve Feldman of BDI take questions at the Contemporary Design Group’s annual conference.

The group has 22 member companies, primarily in the contemporary niche of the home furnishings industry, with 37 stores around the United States. New members added in the past year are Tema, Albuquerque, N.M.; DoMa, with stores in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla.; Ironhorse in the San Francisco Bay Area; Indoor Furniture, Columbia, Md.; and Niu Urban Living, McAllen, Texas.

For more information on Contemporary Design Group, contact Sandie Garrett at sjg@contemporarydesign.com or Howard Haimsohn at howard@lawrance.com, or visit the group's website at www.contemporarydesign.com/.