BrandSource Sets Convention Agenda

August 18, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on August 19, 2011

Retail merchandising group BrandSource has set the agenda for its annual convention, August 28-31 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

The convention will feature the launch of an exclusive Kathy Ireland home furnishings line. Ireland, wife, mother, CEO and chief designer of the $1.5 billion Kathy Ireland Worldwide, is now the brand ambassador for BrandSource. Attendees will be offered exclusive deals on home furnishings under the Kathy Ireland brand name.

At the convention, themed "Roll up Their Sleeves and Succeed," BrandSource will unveil new product lines and new technologies for greater efficiency; and offer workshops and seminars designed to give member retailers competitive advantages. CEO Bob Lawrence expects attendance to increase 25 percent over last year's gathering.

On the technology front, BrandSource will unveil a new mobile application that has been under for the past year; and also will launch its new Web-based Expert Parts program, designed to save members time searching for parts. The new online interface allows users to quickly and easily look up parts for most mainstream domestic brands, as well as LG and Samsung, place the needed items on a single "shopping list" and immediately check availability and estimated ship time from multiple distributors across the country. Orders can be immediately placed, avoiding dozens of wasted hours per year and a drain on the efficiency, productivity and profitability of the service department.
 
As a result of its new partnership with Ingram Micro for Expert Warehouse 2, BrandSource members will learn about new opportunities and greater access to a broader range of products, including tablets, computers, printers, networking devices and more.
 
Best-selling New York Times author Stephen Mansfield, founder of The Global Leadership Development Fund, is keynote speaker for the convention. Mansfield is a popular speaker, known for his rowdy humor, deep faith and ability to inspire audiences with tales from great lives of the past.
 
BrandSource, Anaheim, Calif., will offer an assortment of seminars and workshops designed to help members succeed, including: A Business Guide to Leadership Skills; The Science of Cleaning Dishes; Furniture Advantage 2012 (getting a jump on the competition); Creating Raving Fans; Introduction to Situational Leadership; Survival of the Fittest; Inventory, When Enough Is Enough; Google Analytics 101; Electrolux Next Wave of Innovation; The Science of Sleep-Don't Sell Mattresses, Sell "Quality Of Life" and more.

Tuesday night (Aug. 30) entertainment will be The Guess Who, Canada€™s first international rock music superstar group in the 1960s.

"The BrandSource Convention line-up was developed with a keen understanding of the tough times we are all facing in this business--and globally," said Lawrence. "We've put together a well-rounded program designed to help our members increase sales, which is the bottom line. This includes exciting product launches and new technologies that will help them be more competitive, as well as special offers and exclusive deals that they can take advantage of during the convention."

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