Article Number : 1709 |
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| Date | 1/30/2007 7:46:23 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1709 |
| Abstract | Las Vegas—This year’s Surfaces Educational Conference once again promises to offer something for everyone. Over a four-day period, 42 sessions along five targeted tracks will be presented... |
| Article | Las Vegas—This year’s Surfaces Educational Conference once again promises to offer something for everyone. Over a four-day period, 42 sessions along five targeted tracks will be presented. Show officials said through these seminars and workshops, retailers, installers, architects, designers, distributors and builders can get information they need to succeed. The following is the most up-to-date information on the conference schedule as of press time, including time, title, track, etc., and a brief description as provided by Hanley-Wood, owner of Surfaces. Tuesday, Feb. 6, 9 a.m. to noon Title: 25 Ways to Increase Profits Track: Business This interactive workshop will review the best business practices found to increase profits, improve cash flow and expand operational efficiencies. Speaker: Leslie Shiner Title: IRS Secrets You Should Know Track: Business This seminar is for the prudent business owner looking to benefit from smart tax planning. Learn strategies to reduce your chances of an IRS audit, red flags and ways to pay less income tax. Find out which deductible benefit plan allows for tax-free distributions even before retirement. Speaker: Lance Wallach Title: Moisture Mitigation Track: Installation In this workshop you will learn steps to ending moisture-related problems: moisture sources, migration, below-slab vapor retarders and pH testing. Speaker: Peter Craig Title: Building A Sales Empire Track: Sales This workshop covers recruiting, hiring, training, incentive programs and how to best retain a highly trained staff. Additionally, learn how to optimize the sales and gross margin on every sale, drivers of productivity, effective sales meetings, prospecting and more. Speaker: Paul Bumblauskas Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Title: Basic Concepts in Financial Management Track: Business Understand the basics of the financial structure and profitability of your company. This program provides a down-to-earth, clear understanding of virtually every financial report one may be exposed to in business. Speaker: Bart Basi, Ph.D. Title: Designing for the Senses Track: Design Sponsored by: Wools of New Zealand Learn about the evidence-based residential research and the impact on the home fashion industry. Speaker: Deborah Burnett, ASID Title: Most Common Failures with Ceramic Tile Track: Installation Sponsored by: FCICA Learn about the underlying causes in the five most common types of tile and installation-related failures and how to prevent them. Speaker: Dave Gobis Title: Prospering in Turbulent Times Track: Marketing This workshop is loaded with strategies, tactics, tips and techniques every business person needs to know to stand out to customers. Speakers: Georganne Bender and Rich Kizer Title: Selling Hardwood Flooring Track: Sales Sponsored by: NWFA This workshop will give you the product knowledge you need to sell hardwood floors with confidence. Speakers: Steve Seabaugh and Richard Poirier Wednesday, Feb. 7, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Title: Advanced Marketing Strategies Track: Marketing This advanced-level seminar will help you take a more proactive approach to marketing your business. Learn how to develop a lucrative referral rewards program, build professional networking alliances, write an effective press release, establish credibility in your marketplace and many more proven strategies. Speaker: Paul Montelongo Title: Self-Management Time Management Track: Business The seminar spells out proven techniques for managing both business and personal time. Speaker: Les Cunningham Title: Are Your Rates Fair? How to Stay Competitive Track: Design Focus on new pricing structures that are palatable to your consumers. Hourly fees, specification fees, supervision fees, and other expenses will be discussed and structured to keep your clients comfortable with your charges. Speaker: Jamie Gibbs, ASID Title: Maximizing Tile Installation with Trim Profiles Track: Installation Attendees will learn how to improve the integrity of tile installations and increase the versatility of tile in various applications, including countertops, walls, showers and more. Speaker: Chad Matthews Title: Showroom Design for Retail Success! Track: Marketing Sponsored by: Wools of New Zealand This seminar is for small to medium size retailers who want to transform their stores into the favorite destination for customers looking to buy. You will learn strategies using fast and easy affordable tips to design your store for retail success. Speaker: Deborah Burnett, ASID Title: 25 Winning Ideas for Closing the Sale! Track: Sales You have done the marketing and advertising to get the customers in the store, but are you prepared to close the sale? Learn how to sharpen your selling skills. Speaker: Paul Bumblauskas Title: The Top 10 Selling Sins! Track: Sales This presentation provides new ideas on how to qualify prospects, overcome objections, ask for the sale, establish long-term relationship with clients and avoid the “10 Selling Sins” of retail professionals. Speaker: Fred Berns Wednesday, Feb. 7, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Title: Pricing and Maximizing ROI Track: Business The primary objective of most financial statement analysis is to assess the profitability and risk of a firm. You will be given helpful hints on how to determine your return on investment (ROI). Speaker: Floor Covering News’ Bart Basi, Ph.D. Title: Improving the Retailer, Installer Relationship Track: Business Learn how you can develop a mutual relationship with your installer and promote an environment where teamwork, accountability, education and customer satisfaction are important. Speaker: Les Cunningham Title: Specifying Reclaimed Wood Flooring Track: Design Reclaimed hardwood offers an enhanced level of quality, design and exceptional appearance from its previous life. In this seminar you will learn about the characteristics, origination, grading, processing, cost and installation with this antique material. Speaker: Deb Berry Title: Natural Stone Flooring Installation & Maintenance Track: Installation Sponsored by: Marble Institute of America (MIA) This session will address the importance of the installer “owning” the substrate, which involves careful preparation of the surface to avoid cracked and buckling tiles or worse—post-installation problems. Speaker: Ralph Williamson, CTC Title: High Impact Retail Events on a Shoe String Budget Track: Marketing Would you like to have monthly low-cost sales and traffic building events planned for your store? This is a seminar packed with proven ideas to build traffic, generate sales and build customer loyalty. Speakers: Georganne Bender and Rich Kizer Title: Selling Value, Not Price Track: Sales The advantages to selling on value and not solely on price are numerous. Learn how you can truly separate your store from the competition, deter comparison-shopping and overcome price objections. Speaker: Warren Tyler Title: Reaching Your Peak Performance Track: Sales In this highly energized session you will learn how to develop the fundamental skill sets to ensure you can reach your peak performance. Speaker: Paul Montelongo Thursday, Feb. 8, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Title: Making the Software Investment Track: Business Sponsored by: National Floor Trends Magazine The panel will discuss a variety of software systems available for the floor covering industry: inventory control, visual, scheduling and various other product features. Speaker: Pamela Bowe Title: Dare to be a Different Designer Track: Design Learn how you can make yourself memorable and add power to your personal sale. Leave empowered as the one-of-a-kind professional you are! Speaker: Fred Berns Title: Sustainability and the Floor Covering Industry Room: 602 Track: Design This panel discussion will provide an overview on material selection, performance, durability, design using innovative products, care/maintenance and post-consumer material. Speakers: Penny Bonda, FASID, NCIDQ, LEED AP (Moderator); David Knight; Bruce Goff, ASID, IIDA; Tim Bolby and Henning Bloech Title: Waterproofing Tiled Showers Track: Installation In this session we’ll review traditional versus modern waterproofing technology to show how tiled showers have evolved. You’ll leave with a solid understanding of the fundamentals of tiled shower systems. Speaker: Greg Gelston Title: Strategies for a Successful Retailer Track: Marketing Sponsored by: Fabulous Floors Magazine In this retailer-to-retailer seminar, you will have an opportunity to review a variety of shared business practices in management, marketing, installation and a host of other topics facing today’s retailers. Speakers: Tom Jennings, Lisbeth Calandrino (Moderator) and Tom Boschwitz Title: Advanced Selling Skill—Making it to The Next Level Track: Sales This seminar will review (and define) sales philosophy, provide a profile of successful sales professionals, identify inhibitors to your success and candid discussion on how to make it to the next level. Speaker: Warren Tyler Title: Strategies for David to Beat Goliath! Track: Sales This seminar will help you play offense, not defense and sell more successfully. Review numerous approaches on how to attract more customers and repeatedly sell more and larger orders. Speaker: Michelle Nichols Thursday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Title: Managing Homeowners’ Expectations Track: Business This seminar will offer guidelines on how to better meet your customers’ expectations right from the start to ensure their satisfaction and your future success. Speakers: Linda Talley and Sam O’Krent Title: Building Partnerships Across Industries Track: Design In this open forum, discuss with other designers, installers, contractors and manufactures issues such as: warranty, arbitration, client satisfaction and building; establishing relationships. Speakers: Jim Walker; Jim Hernandez; Bruce Goff, ASID, IIDA (Moderator), and Nancy Barsotti, FASID Title: Everything You Need to Know Pre-Installation Track: Installation This panel session will cover all areas prior to installation from estimating and measuring, customer expectations, job-site issues, moisture issues, defective material, complaints and fast-track construction. Learn how to ensure your company’s projects are completed properly and clearly define industry standards. Speakers: Gray Lafortune, Peter Craig, John Wabeke (Moderator) and Terry Fitzpatrick Title: Web Marketing Track: Business Find out how to increase your sales leads by effectively marketing your web site. Learn how to boost your search engine placement on Google and dramatically increase your local consumer web site traffic. Speaker: Michael Vogel Title: How to Sell to All Types of Customers Track: Sales This seminar uses the respected Myers-Briggs system to speed-read personalities. It presents many down-to-earth techniques for sales professionals or business owners to sell to all types of customers. Speaker: Michelle Nichols Title: Controlling Overhead Costs Track: Business Sponsored by: National Floor Trends Magazine With a multitude of forces impacting the overhead cost for retailers and contractors, the need to formulate a plan for controlling it is critical for survival. This panel of retailers and contractors will share solid, successful methods for controlling your overhead cost. Speakers: Aaron Pirner and Floor Covering News’ Scott Perron Friday, Feb. 9, 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Title: Recruiting, Hiring and Retaining Qualified Employees Track: Business Sponsored by: FCICA Recruiting, hiring and offering the best incentive packages for qualified candidates are essential to the growth of any business. Learn what to look for when choosing your next candidate and make your next hire a success! Speaker: Dave Stafford Title: World of Color ID Track: Design Sponsored by: Sherwin-Williams/ Duron Paints Just where do colors come from? You will journey through various examples, anecdotes and visuals. Be part of an “ha moment” as you are led through the spectrum, with stops at each hue. Speaker: Mark Woodman, CMG Title: Common Causes of Post-Installation Failures Track: Installation Sponsored by: Floor Covering Installer Magazine Learn how to guarantee your installations will be a success in this highly interactive session for installers. Discover what the most common causes of post-installation failures for wood, tile, stone, carpet and other types of floor covering are. Speakers: Mike Micallizi, John Moore (Moderator), Claudia Lezell, Jon Namba, David Gobis, CTC, CSI, and Steve Seabaugh Title: Profit Building with Carpet Cleaning & Restoration Track: Business The opportunity for extra income and protecting yourself from potential installation problems are just two of the reasons to get educated in floor cleaning, repair and restoration. Learn about the tools, equipment, and supplies you need to perform the job right. Speaker: Jim Carfield Title: Why Amazing Shopping Experiences Matter Track: Marketing Retailers who are able to create amazing experiences are the ones that consumers will gravitate toward. Review demographic information, the latest trends affecting the marketplace, different gender approaches to the shopping process and reactions to the in-store environment. Speaker: Christine Whittemore Title: Building Your Competitive Advantage Track: Sales Sponsored by: Fabulous Floors Magazine Learn how to strategically use your current information to get your customers to buy from you and not your competitors. This is a must attend for any small business owner. Speaker: Lisbeth Calandrino |