Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
IMC Plans 2nd CEO Summit
August 7,
2013 by in High Point, Industry, Market, Special Events 
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29, and Thursday, Jan. 30, during the 2014 Winter show. The executive-level conference for the gift and home furnishings industry will include keynote addresses, panel discussions and presentations, as well as exclusive networking opportunities for participants.
“This executive-level gathering is designed to address critical business issues and provide insights into the issues—and opportunities—across today’s gift and home furnishings industries,” said Scott Eckman , International Market Centers’ chief marketing officer. “For 2014, the conference content will encompass subjects relevant not only to gift and home décor specifically, but also to home furnishings in general. Las Vegas Market is committed to providing a forum that addresses the key topics, including financial, operational and global issues that are of concern to all of our stakeholders.”
Confirmed speakers to date include Charles Garcia, former White House aide under George W. Bush and nationwide leader in the Hispanic community, who will address the rising consumer influence of Hispanics in the U.S., and suggest how the gift and home furnishings industries can cater to this community in everything from product development to company operations; Vivek Kundra, the first U.S. chief information officer appointed by President Barack Obama, who will speak about proper IT planning for businesses and the role that data will play in the future to transform businesses into worldwide organizations; and Susan Packard, co-founder of HGTV, who will present “Entrepreneurship: How to Create and Build Great Companies,” using examples from her own career successes and discussing her best practices experience of entrepreneurship. Several other speakers are in the process of being confirmed and will be announced soon.
The inaugural Las Vegas Market CEO Summit was held in January 2013 at Las Vegas Market, and conference organizer Randy Eller said the combination of hard-hitting keynote addresses, lively panel discussions and informative presentations was greeted enthusiastically by leading industry executives.
“No other industry event allows top-level gift and home furnishings industry executives to interact and exchange ideas in an educational and inspirational environment,” said Eller, president of Eller Enterprises. “The exceptional quality of the speakers and presentations presents an unparalleled opportunity for industry executives to address issues that affect their individual businesses as well as the overall world economy.”