Futon Association Targets Largest Retail Audience Ever

Furniture World Magazine

About 40 million people live within a day’s drive of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, site of the 2004 Futon and Specialty Sleep Expo. Philadelphia, the site city of the March event, is at the epicenter of this enormous potential retailer audience. Those retailers have received continuous Expo news and information through a strong FAI marketing effort that began at Expo 2003 and is continuing through March. The Association’s marketing efforts have been ambitious. A direct mail teaser postcard was sent to over 25,000 retailers and the Association also placed nearly 150,000 eight page informational brochures in four major trade magazines: Furniture Today, Furniture Style, Futon Life and HFN (Home Furnishing Network). Plus, full color full page ads were placed in recent issues of Furniture Style and Futon Life. Overall, including a number of highly targeted mailings, FAI has so far produced over 250,000 impressions to potential Expo attendees. Said FAI President Pattie MacMillen of the marketing effort, “The FAI celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2004. It’s also the Expo’s 20th anniversary. A specific and targeted marketing effort to such a large retail audience is a perfect complement to our milestone year because we are investing in the futon category’s future as well as celebrating two decades of success. Philadelphia 2004 is our opportunity to promote a great category to a large retailer base that will find futon furniture their perfect investment, too.” In addition, the Association’s website, www.futon.org, is packed with Expo information that can be accessed at any time. It contains registration and sponsorship forms, event schedules, travel and accommodation discounts, late breaking news as it occurs and contact points for the Association and for Expo Manager Tambra Jones. For more information about joining the Association or attending the Futon & Specialty Sleep EXPO in March in Philadelphia go to www.futon.org or call 1.800.327.3262. (The Futon & Specialty Sleep EXPO ™ is owned and managed by the Futon Association International.)