ICFA Plans Variety of Events for Casual Market Atlanta

September 3, 2024  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

On the day before the official start of the Market, ICFA invites dealers to join in the Retailer Roundtables and Think Tank on Sunday afternoon on the 10^th floor of Building 1. Some store owners have said that one of their most important activities during the show is to connect with other stores to learn how they deal with various situations and challenges. Lunch will be served at 1 p.m., followed by two table discussions scheduled at 2pm and 3pm.

To maximize the afternoon networking opportunity, a Think Tank session is scheduled for 4pm where attendees are invited to bring a business challenge, industry concern or great idea for discussion with your tablemates. At 5pm, participants are invited to a reception in the Summer Classics showroom, 2-E-7. The fee to attend is $50 for members, including a $25 donation to City of Hope. Click to register: 2024 Fall CMA Retail Roundtables.

On Monday morning, ICFA calls all women in the casual furnishing industry to start their day at the Women’s Leadership Breakfast Boost in the 10-04 meeting room on the 10^th floor of Building 1. This free networking event provides an opportunity to catch up with industry friends and meet new colleagues. A continental buffet will be available at 7:30am with a fun professional development program that runs from 8-8:30am. Attendees can reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/r/qBK1D6duEd

Also on Monday morning, all Market attendees are invited to join the Walk for Hope at AmericasMart as part of a national event series that unites everyone impacted by cancer to take tangible steps to eliminate the deadly disease. The group will gather in the second-floor lobby of Building 1 at 8:30am and take a 20-minute walking tour of the outdoor floors. The casual industry has its own ICFA Sunshine team to raise funds to support City of Hope cancer research and life-giving care. Register at https://ourhope.cityofhope.org/ICFASunshine.

At the end of the day on Monday, a big group of marketgoers will enjoy an entertaining Braves & Brews event at Truist Park as the Atlanta Braves take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Buses will leave AmericasMart at 5:30 pm for a great night of baseball, light bites and brews with your peers. Complimentary tickets for Casual Market attendees are limited. Reserve your tickets now!

Furniture, Lighting & Décor magazine has charted the increasing amount of time that consumers are spending in their outdoor spaces and will make a presentation – Lighting Up the Outdoors – at a lunchtime seminar on Tuesday. Buyers are encouraged to come to the Seminar Space on the 14^th floor in Building 1, 14-D-9, to enjoy lunch at 11:30 am before the presentation at noon.

ICFA’s Design Excellence category award winners were just announced, and these outstanding outdoor products will be on display in the second-floor lobby of Building 1 during the Fall Market. From these 11 front-runners, the Lillian B. Winchester Best of Show Award will be announced at the ICFA Awards Party, scheduled on Tuesday from 5 – 7pm in the second-floor lobby. All marketgoers are invited to enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music while celebrating the best in outdoor furniture design.

As an industry organization, ICFA will host its Annual Meeting on Wednesday morning to recap activities of the past year and share news of plans for 2025. All marketgoers are invited to attend the early meeting in the 10^th floor meeting room 10-02. Continental breakfast will be available at 7:00 a.m. in advance of the start of the meeting at 7:30.