Atlanta Market Announces Summer 2020 Market Virtual Programming

Furniture World News Desk on 6/30/2020

Atlanta Market announced a seven-week schedule of virtual programming leading up to the Summer 2020 Atlanta Market, August 13-18, 2020. Timely topics for the webinars, presented July 1-August 10, 2020, include business strategies for a post-pandemic world, opportunities to hear from retail and design trailblazers and information to help attendees plan for a safe and successful market. In line with buyer sentiment, virtual events will be held this summer in lieu of in-person programming to allow buyers more time at market for product discovery.

“Throughout the years, the Atlanta Market community has shown us that compelling, actionable and aspirational programming is a key element of their market experience. So, as the market experience has shifted, so has our presentation of this signature programming,” said Dorothy Belshaw, International Market Centers chief marketing and digital officer. “Like our other digital offerings, these virtual events extend the market experience until the time is right to present in-person events again.”

Atlanta Market’s series of pre-market webinars present relevant topics for retailers and designers. Top retailers share their experiences in discussion with Thomas Lester of Home Accents Today in “Retail Stars - East vs. West” and Zoë Gowen of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles in “Purchasing Power!” Retail strategy is the focus of “Re-Imagining Buying & Selling: Reposition Your Retail Strategy” presented Lilly Stamets of Premier Retail Consulting; “Santa’s Got a Whole New Bag” presented by Michelle Lamb of The Trend Curve; and “Tracking the Pulse of the Gift Industry” presented by Erica Kirkland, publisher and editor of Giftbeat. Additionally, the WithIt women’s leadership development network presents exclusive programming moderated by Kathy Wall, president & Ringleader of TMM, The Media Matters. Other topics include “Understanding Instagram Analytics to Drive Growth” and market orientation that outlines new protocols and tools. The full list of virtual events and registration information is available at AmericasMart.com/Events. (NOTE: A full list of webinars follows.)

Atlanta Market’s popular Shop the Show program returns with 10+ influencers from its past four seasons sharing their inspiration in five topics – “The Art of Home,” “Cozy Up at Home,” “Do Your Home Work,” “Kitchen Comforts” and “Retail Revival” – through blog posts, look books, social media posts and a webinar “A Focus on Function and Fresh Perspectives with Top Style Influencers” moderated by Kelli Lamb of Rue. All Shop the Show content will be available before the market. During market, Atlanta Market’s social media channels (@AmericasMartAtl on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) will be a source for trend spotting, showroom tours and other updates.

Market attendees also are encouraged to participate in Atlanta Market-sponsored virtual industry events including “Women of Influence: Virtual Awards Gala” presented by BridgeTower Media on July 21; Greeting Card Association’s “LOUIE Virtual Awards Program” on July 30; and the “Retailer Excellence Awards” presented by Gifts & Decorative Accessories on August 6 which features a text-to-donate campaign, led with Gift for Life, to raise funds for the Dallas-based A Sister’s Gift Women’s Center. IMC sponsors a conversation with Gifts & Decorative Accessories Editor in Chief Lenise Willis and the finalists for the REA Visual Merchandising Award in “Countdown to REAs | Selling the Imagination: Best Visual Merchandising Tips” on July 9.

Here is the scheduled programing:

SUMMER 2020 ATLANTA MARKET WEBINARS

July 1 – August 10, 2020

Wednesday, July 1

Raising Your Profitability by Owning Your Niche in Interior Design

Moderated by Hadley Keller of House Beautiful with Rachel Cannon of Rachel Cannon Limited Interiors

1:00 PM

Interior designer, Loudmouth Introvert podcast host and business coach Rachel Cannon will share how she identified and narrowed down her business to work with primarily introverts (and a few special extroverts!), while increasing her profitability at the same time. Cannon will explain how owning your niche allows designers to profit on a specialty that is uniquely yours and truly enjoyable. By working with mainly introverts, Cannon shows her clients and the interior design world how introverts and extroverts can peacefully coexist at home, and the importance of designing based on intuitive needs.

Wednesday, July 8

Home Accents Today Retail Stars - East vs. West

Moderated by Home Accents Today's Thomas Lester with Warren Clark of Domaci, Cheryl Kees Clendenon of In Detail Interiors, Lisa McDennon of Nuance Home + Lifestyle, and Heather Osmond of Osmond Designs

1:00 PM

Join us as we listen to some of Home Accents Today’s Retail Stars past and present share their brick-and-mortar accomplishments, their best ideas and how they implemented them, what makes them stand out in this crowded and competitive field, how they’ve made the most of tough times, and more. Discussion will be East Coast retailers vs. West Coast retailers, to compare and contrast business throughout the United States.

Monday, July 13

Re-Imagining Buying & Selling: Reposition Your Retail Strategy

Moderated by Lilly Stamets of Premier Retail Consulting

1:00 PM

Retail is rapidly transforming. Digital acceleration, fast as lighting. Innovation cycles, shorter than ever. How do stores pivot? Capitalize on their unique selling proposition (USP)? Prosper! Don't be overwhelmed by momentum. Agility is of the essence. Learn how retailers have adapted their digital presence, assortments and services (BOPIS!). Be inspired by the brand-new ways they are showcasing, selling and delivering products. Be stretched to creatively reimagine your business!

Thursday, July 16

Purchasing Power!

Moderated by Zoë Gowen of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles

Presented by Meg Huff of Huff Harrington Home and Colleen Waguespack of Fig & Dove

1:00 PM

As consumers' expectations and buying patterns evolve in a post-pandemic world, retailers' and manufacturers' priorities and approaches are also changing. Atlanta retailer Meg Harrington, co-owner of Huff Harrington Home, and Louisiana-based product and interior designer Colleen Waguespack of Fig & Dove, discuss how they are expanding their reach and brand influence through freshly reimagined strategies, from e-commerce and influencer marketing to in-house design services and more.

Wednesday, July 22

Understanding Instagram Analytics to Drive Growth

Presented by Erin Phillips, Founder and CEO of Pinckney Palm

1:00 PM

Have you ever wondered what is the best day and time to post on Instagram? How about the age of your audience, or where most of them live? Are you curious which images perform best for you and what you should stop posting altogether? Instagram's built-in analytics can show you all of this for FREE! Join Erin Phillips as she teaches you which metrics matter most and how to use analytics to grow your business on Instagram.

Thursday, July 23

A Focus on Function and Fresh Perspectives with Top Style Influencers

Moderated by Kelli Lamb, editor-in-chief of Rue

Join our Shop the Show alumni as they inspire us on all things retail and design, their latest creative outlets, favorite products from Atlanta Market, essentials for today’s home-centric consumer and more!

Wednesday, July 29

Santa’s Got a Whole New Bag

Presented by Michelle Lamb of The Trend Curve™

1:00 PM

Should Holiday assortments be adjusted for a COVID-19 world? Yes! That’s because color for this important selling season is shifting in unexpected ways. Themes are also in flux. Going forward, trends that feel familiar or nostalgic will resonate the most. But since familiarity must be updated, and nostalgia is different for every generation, balancing comfort and newness will be key. Come learn about the palettes, patterns and styles that will resonate with consumers for 2020 – 2022.

Tuesday, August 4

Tracking the Pulse of the Gift Industry

Presented by Erica Kirkland, publisher and editor of Giftbeat

1:00 PM

For more than 25 years, Giftbeat has provided the gift industry with insight into the top-selling lines in over 50 product categories via a panel of 300 reporting stores. Every month, Giftbeatshares its proprietary market research exclusively with subscribers. Join the publication’s owner and editor, Erica Kirkland, for an insightful session packed with actionable advice on what’s selling in independent gift stores across the country, along with the marketing methods and operational actions stores are taking to attract and sell to consumers.

Thursday, August 6

WithIt Panel

Moderated by Kathy Wall, president & Ringleader of TMM, The Media Matters

1:00 PM

Prior to founding TMM in 2000, Kathy Wall has lent her award-winning talents in marketing, brand strategy, and advertising services to the home furnishings industry for three decades. At a time when women executives were a rarity, she broke glass ceilings at some of the industries’ largest companies and has the scars to prove it. Wall will draw out the success stories and best practices from these proven professional women in a lively panel discussion punctuated by audience questions.

Monday, August 10

Market Reorientation: Prepare for Productivity in a New Environment

Presented by Sarah Koutsogiannis, IMC director of Buyer Services

1:00 PM

Been here before? First visit ever? We look forward to being Together Safely! Market will look and feel different this time. Familiarize yourself with what changes to expect to maximize your Market experience. From shuttles and badging, to food options and showroom operations, your safety is of utmost importance. This quick-hitting overview includes tips, tricks and tools to help you have a productive, safe visit.

INDUSTRY VIRTUAL EVENTS

SPONSORED BY ATLANTA MARKET

Thursday, July 9

Countdown to REAs | Selling the Imagination: Best Visual Merchandising Tips

Presented by Gifts & Decorative Accessories

Sponsored by International Market Centers

3:00 PM

Consumers don’t want to just buy a product; they want to buy an idea or an experience. To sell that, retailers need to up their visual display game. In this webinar, see and hear about some of the best visual merchandising displays submitted for a Retailer Excellence Award. The finalists for the Visual Merchandising Award will take us through some of their most imaginative displays and explain their best tips and tricks for creating exciting vignettes that encourage the consumer’s customer’s imagination.

Tuesday, July 21

Women of Influence: Virtual Awards Gala

Produced by BridgeTower Media: Casual Living, Designers Today, Furniture Today, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, HFN, Home Accents Today and Home Textiles Today

4:00 PM

Honoring the women in the gift, home furnishings and interior design industries who influence and inspire us with their leadership, accomplishments and strategic vision. The one-hour online presentation will highlight the award winners and feature a keynote address by Patricia Russo, executive director of The Campaign School at Yale. A virtual cocktail hour will follow.

Thursday, July 30

LOUIE Virtual Awards

Presented by the Greeting Card Association

Over 154 Years of Service to the Furniture Industry

Atlanta Market Announces Summer 2020 Market Virtual Programming

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