Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
AHFA Plans “PR Lab” at 2026 Marketing/PR Conference
July 8,
2026 by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry 
Sometimes companies can see a crisis coming from a mile away. Other times the crisis sneaks up quietly then explodes with unexpected force. Regardless how it arrives, when a crisis hits your company today, preparation is the key to controlling communications and minimizing damage.
Public relations, marketing and communications professionals at all levels will benefit from the “PR Lab” planned as part of the 2026 Marketing/PR Conference presented by the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA) August 26-27. This new conference feature is designed to provide the latest public relations insights to help address common corporate challenges. This year’s focus on crisis communications comes as product safety, global trade and economic issues have forced the home furnishings industry into the national spotlight on many occasions over the past year.
Leading the exercise will be Jim Furrer, senior vice president at Steinreich Communications, where he shares his expertise in strategic media counseling, crisis communications and senior management coaching with clients that include national, emerging and franchise brands. Furrer has more than two decades of experience in creating and implementing global communications for leading companies and organizations, among them Dunkin’ Brands, Tupperware, TGI Fridays and Spirit Halloween.
The August 26-27 Marketing/PR Conference will be held at The Conference Center at Guilford Technical Community College in Colfax, North Carolina, just minutes from Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro. Registration is $350 for AHFA members and $650 for non-members and includes a light breakfast both days, lunch both days and a cocktail reception on August 26.
“The PR Lab is a must-attend session for every communicator and marketer, no matter the size of your company,” says Patricia Bowling, AHFA vice president of communications. “The best crisis communications work is often invisible. We recognize it by what doesn’t happen.” Attendees will learn techniques for establishing clarity and confidence and key steps for controlling the narrative around difficult situations.
Additional conference sessions include:
- Houzz & Home Trends on the Rise for 2027, presented by Pamela McNally, head of field marketing for Houzz Pro;
- Establishing a Brand Clarity Framework, presented by Chirag Nijjer, brand strategist;
- AI Marketing Tools 2.0, with Matt Ritter, Associate Professor of Strategic Communication at High Point University;
- Myth-Busting Generational Marketing Insights for 2027 from Sara Gutterman, co-founder and CEO of Green Builder Media; and more.
Register today to reserve your seat for this unique conference targeting the information (and inspiration) needs of home furnishings marketers. The conference begins with a light breakfast and attendee check-in at 8 a.m. August 26. The Wednesday program concludes at 5 p.m. and is followed by a networking cocktail reception.
Thursday, August 27, opens with a light breakfast at 8 a.m. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon, followed by a grab-and-go-lunch for those catching early afternoon flights or an informal box lunch and roundtable discussions for all others.
A group rate of $144 per night is available to Marketing/PR Conference attendees at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Greensboro Airport. Reservations can be made online or by calling the hotel directly at (336) 884-4900. When booking by phone, reference the 2026 Marketing/PR Conference to receive the discounted rate. The discount is available through Monday, August 10, or until the room block reaches capacity.