Georgia Home Furnishings Association Convention

Furniture World Magazine

The Georgia Home Furnishings Association, the largest and oldest independent state home furnishings association in the country, recently held its 44th Annual Convention at the Amelia Island Plantation Resort in Amelia Island, FL. The 1998 Convention drew a crowd of 360 attendees, the largest in eight years. The three-day event kicked off on Sunday evening, June 21, with a Family Carnival in which kids of all ages experienced everything from face painting to putting contests. The convention continued with an enthusiastic "Best Ideas Competition" on Monday morning. The competition was facilitated by Ted Shepherd of Shepherd Performance Groups (see related article), and was so successful among the attendees that they will hold another competition at the 1999 Convention. Other highlights during the convention included the annual President's Banquet on Monday evening where the GHFRA "Rep of Merit" Award and the GHFRA "Nice Guy" Award was presented. The evening concluded with dancing to "The Catalinas." The Ladies enjoyed a luncheon on Tuesday afternoon with a Fashion Show presented by a local Fernandina Beach boutique. The convention concluded on Wednesday morning with Keynote speaker Erik Russell, retired Head Football Coach of the Georgia Southern University Eagles. Russell entertained the crowd with his humorous tales of football in the Southeast. Each year, the GHFA offers the Claude Bailey Golf Tournament, Tennis Tournaments and a Reps vs. Retailers Volleyball Tournament for our attendees. The 1999 Georgia Home Furnishings Association Convention will be held at the Crowne Plaza Resort in HiIton Head Island, SC. Among the events being planned are an Hawaiian Luau, a '50's Sock Hop, and the 2nd Annual Best Ideas Competition with Shepherd Performance Groups. The dates for this event will be June 20 - 24, 1999. For more detail, contact Katherine Rawlings at (800)541-8595 in Georgia or (770)979-1100.