Daily News Archive
Brought to you by Home Furnishings Business
January 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on January 18, 2013
Wood furniture vendor Standard Furniture has relocated its Las Vegas Furniture Market showroom to World Market Center's space C-1489.
Moving to a new location gives Standard the opportunity to design its Las Vegas Market showroom from the ground up to perfectly fit with our merchandising mix, said Todd Evans, president. The new visually open, modern floor plan allows for a more effective use of space, he added, creating additional visual excitement by removing restrictive walls that tend to block views and overly segment design categories.
Designed by Vicki Garrett, Standards showroom designer, the companys new showroom will feature a freestanding customer café anchoring the center of the space, with a series of product displays surrounding this core area. With the new open layout, the displays will be easier for retailers to view and provide more creative interplay between various product categories.
Standard had been showing in space C-1501. Its new showroom is 25,000 square feet.
Our new showroom isnt any bigger, but it uses the space more wisely, projecting a very forward-thinking atmosphere, said Evans.
Along with the opportunity for a redesign, the new showroom location also gives Standard an attractive location with increased visibility and traffic. The entrance to C-1489 flanks the crossover walkway that connects buildings B and C and provides easy access to elevators.
We are excited about this positive move for Standard Furniture, and invite our current and prospective customers to come see our progressive new C-1489 showroom and experience our dynamic new product introductions, said Evans.
Based in Bay Minette, Ala., Standard Furniture was founded in 1946. Its line includes bedroom, dining room, entertainment, occasional and youth furniture.
January 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on January 18, 2013
Luxury home furnishings brand Christopher Guy will unveil a new
Las Vegas Design Center showroom during
Las Vegas Furniture Market.
The 8,184 square-foot Christopher Guy showroom--
World Market Center's Building A, space 495--will occupy two adjacent showroom spaces. The new showroom is designed as a gallery space where visitors will experience the iconic designs found in Christopher Guys Galleria collection, showcased on pedestals and in a dramatic wall art and mirror gallery setting; as well as the signature Christopher Guy collection showcased in lifestyle settings depicting living room, dining room, and bedroom settings.
The focus of the showroom will remain on the key furniture pieces that encompass globally patented Christopher Guy elements such as the Chris X legs. One highlight of the showroom is the state-of-the-art fully functional Christopher Guy Design Lab, created as an ideal working environment for interior designers allowing for interactive capabilities to complete entire design projects. The Design Lab will soon provide the Christopher Guys newly designed iRoom Planner allowing a designer to create an entire project within a one-stop working platform. All the tools needed by a designer will be readily available and at their disposal.
During the Winter 2011 Las Vegas Market, Christopher Guy was awarded the prestigious Design Icon Award.
The opening of the Christopher Guy Las Vegas showroom marks our fifth dedicated showroom in the USA and I could not be more delighted to be part of the Las Vegas Market designer showroom community," said Christopher Guy Harrison.
"Over the years we have worked on many properties in the area, from residential to some of the worlds most prestigious resorts, starting years back with the Bellagio and more recently with the Encore, and a presence in Vegas will position our company to continue to partner with the great hotel designers that contribute great products to fine hotels.
The opening of the Las Vegas showroom follows the opening of the Christopher Guy flagship showroom in West Hollywood, Calif. The 10,000-square-foot showroom, which opened in July 2012, houses a complete state-of-the-art experience in an extraordinary showroom presentation, aimed at capturing the essence and glamour of the Los Angeles lifestyle.
In April, Christopher Guy will once again expand its presence in the U.S. with the opening of an 18,000-square-foot showroom in the historic New York Design Center. This showroom will become an integral part of Christopher Guys global headquarters, and will showcase Christopher Guy's newest collections. Aimed at strengthening the brands offering to key designers and architects in one of the worlds largest metropolitan areas, the new showroom will showcase three penthouse suites portraying the varying lifestyles of a well traveled consumer.
January 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Executive Changes on January 18, 2013
Sales veteran Renee Ballard has joined adjustable bed manufacturer Reverie in the newly created position of national accounts manager.
She brings more than 20-years experience in business-to-business sales and a track-record for growing major accounts across multiple industries to Reverie, Silver Creek, N.Y., where she reports to Reverie Vice President of Sales Raymond Totaro.
Ballard most recently was a national account executive for The Buffalo News, where she significantly increased revenue of two major accounts by more than 250-percent in under a year. Prior to that position, she served as a strategic account manager for the Business Advantage Division for leading national retailer Staples. In that role, Ballard catapulted annual account revenue from $1.7 to $6 million and earned multiple awards for excellence in account development and leadership. Additionally, she spent six years as a business development manager for Cyrk, Inc. in Massachusetts, managing top tier accounts such as AOL, TimeWarner, Saatchi & Saatchi and SwissAir.
In selecting Renee for this position, we wanted to find a seasoned sales executive first and foremost, who had the experience to add value to our larger accounts. We believe she has the perfect blend of expertise and a fresh perspective thats needed in the sleep products industry, said Totaro. Renees an innovator--just like us, and were excited for her to bring new ideas and sales strategies to the table. Her extensive expertise in sales, marketing and process improvement, as well as her strength in cultivating both relationships and new business, makes her the ideal person to help grow our sales and retail partnerships across America.
Ballard received her bachelors degree in organizational management from Houghton College and her masters in business administration from Medaille College. She is Six Sigma certified.
January 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Special Events on January 18, 2013
Home furnishings women's leadership network WithIt's first Leadership Development Institute next month will examine topics including gender imbalance.
Recent research indicates there are two good reasons for home furnishings companies to seek out qualified women for top leadership positions, and both reasons point to a stronger bottom line.
A Harvard Business Review article on The Female Economy in 2009 examined the significant buying power of women worldwide. The authors concluded that, without women in senior-level positions to help direct product development and marketing, many companies are missing out.
This article captured the attention of CEOs like Muhtar Kent at Coca Cola, who recognized that female heads of households were the main purchasers of his products, said Sara N. King, author and principal at Optimum Insights Inc., an executive training and coaching firm. Kent recognized that he had an imperative to both select and develop women for key positions in his organization.
Others are following suit, King points out. Beyond the financial considerations, McKinsey research (October 2012) is showing that many CEOs believe that having both women and men involved on boards and executive teams results in better decisions than a group dominated by men.
King will facilitate WithIts first Leadership Development Institute, Feb. 28, at the Greensboro-High Point Airport Marriott.
Since the 2009 Harvard Business Review article, more research has been published, more organizations have been created to focus on womens advancement, more internal womens initiatives have been launched and the issue has received attention at the Economic World Forum.
In addition, a report published by Credit Suisse last summer showed that, of the nearly 2,400 companies in the MSCI AC World index from 2005 onward, the companies that had a gender diverse board outperformed the male-only ones by 26 percent over a six-year period--which, for public companies, is a second reason to address the gender imbalance in corporate leadership.
Still, says King, progress is slow.
This has become a complex global issue with few simple solutions, she said. Nevertheless, King says she is hopeful for the future, given recent trends.
There have been increased requests for leadership development programs and mentoring and network opportunities for women. There have also been more internal organizational goals set to increase the numbers, and more data about what it will take to create a pipeline of women poised for the C-suite, said King. I believe we are on the cusp of change where the numbers of women in top leadership positions will begin to accelerate.
King spent 23 years at the Center for Creative Leadership, a top-ranked, global provider of leadership education and research, before launching her own consulting business. As a thought-leader on executive development and leadership training, she has authored several books, including Discovering the Leader in You.
At the Leadership Development Institute, King will focus on the critical success factors for women leaders. The all-day program is available to WithIt members for $295; the cost for non-members and other Piedmont Triad-based professionals is $325.
To reserve a seat for this important leadership development opportunity, visit WithIt.org for registration details, or contact Sara Lyke by e-mail.
Lodging at the Airport Marriott is available at a discounted rate of $129 on Feb. 27-28.
January 17,
2013 by in UnCategorized
By Home Furnishings Business in Las Vegas on January 18, 2013
Las Vegas Furniture Market visitors will see a dazzling color display, "Road to Emerald," presented buy Pantone and Houzz.
Inspired by Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year, Emerald, Las Vegas Market's will present a colorful, juried, "total home" product exhibit in a flagship location on the first floor of World Market Center's Building C.
In a partnership with Pantone and Houzz, "Road to Emerald" will include three lifestyle concepts that showcase noteworthy products from current and future Las Vegas Market tenants, all against the backdrop of recent Pantone color picks: Emerald, Tangerine Tango and Honeysuckle. Ultimately, "Road to Emerald" seeks to inspire retailers and designers as they shop Las Vegas Market this winter, including Gift+Home and the Las Vegas Design Center.
"We wanted to create a visually striking, merchandised window display that represents the 'total home' product offering available at Las Vegas Market, plus a dazzling Emerald City right here in Las Vegas is a natural," said Dana Andrew, vice president of global marketing & communications of International Market Centers. "From furniture and accessories to gifts and tabletop, our 'Road to Emerald' mixes on-trend products with impactful colors that continue to bring excitement to home and gift stores."
Featured products include an enchanting light fixture designed by Mary McDonald for Robert Abbey; chairs and tables from Las Vegas Market newcomers Julian Chichester and Mr. Brown; a best-selling vanity table and chair from Christopher Guy (who returns to Las Vegas Market this winter in a new showroom) complemented by a glam-inspired upholstered lingerie swivel chest and faux sheepskin bench created by Michael Amini of AICO; a timeless dining table from industry bellwether (and Las Vegas Market first-timer) Stanley Furniture, adorned with a complete tabletop presentation by internationally-renowned home brand Alessi (a future Las Vegas Market tenant); wall décor from the Barry Dixon Collection by Arteriors; a new rug from the Genevieve Gorder Collection by Capel; eclectic accents from Phillips Collection; and many more colorful surprises.