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UFA Takes New Direction
May 28,
2012 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on May 29, 2012
The Unfinished Furniture Association will unveil its new branding and growth strategy at the annual Real Wood Furniture tradeshow.
The event runs June 11-13, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando. Real wood, customization options, and an improved retail shopping experience are three points of differentiation aimed at reaching furniture shoppers that the association will capitalize on as the organization repositions itself.
UFA Board President Tim Case intends to mobilize and ignite its membership made up of manufacturers, suppliers and retailers at this years tradeshow, which is still open for registration.
The UFA board has invested in quantitative research this year and the conclusions point to a substantial opportunity for our members and others to capture a greater share of the market in the home furnishings segment, said Case. Customization and personalization capabilities in this retail niche are more valuable to the consuming public than ever before. We are genuinely excited to present real strategies and solutions for improving our members businesses next month, and we invite all interested parties to join us.
UFA engaged ThinkWay Strategies, for the market research project and recommendations for repositioning the 22-year-old member association. ThinkWay has worked with consumer products leaders Mattel, Fisher-Price and Nabisco, among others. ThinkWay CEO Larry McManis will present research results and conclusions during the tradeshow kickoff event on June 11.
In addition to outlining this new opportunity for attendees, UFA will support its findings with a solid retail marketing strategy, including recommendations for converting retail sales. Connie Post, founder of Connie Post International and Affordable Design Solutions, will deliver the tradeshows keynote address on the topic of upgrading retail presentations.
We will arm UFA members with the tools they need to successfully grow their businesses in 2012 and beyond, Case said. This years tradeshow kickoff is sure to be one of the most exciting in our history.
UFA has a membership of approximately 500 retailers, manufacturers, and sales representatives in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. The associations mission is to support the growth of its members through development of exclusive products, standards, and marketing, created in cooperation with UFAs retailers and member-manufacturers.