Furniture Today,
Sessions to cover global supply chains, marketing, energy, China

GREENSBORO, N.C. — A diverse trio of experts will speak in a compact eight hours of sessions here Aug. 9-10 at the American Home Furnishings Assn. Suppliers Division conference.


The event is open to all industry executives, with no upcharge for companies that are not members of AHFA.

“Managing the complexity of today’s global supply chain and global marketing environment has overwhelmed many companies in our industry. This event was designed to stimulate strategic thinking and provide company executives with ‘operating intelligence’ to help them improve profitability,” said Buster Mann of Hickory Springs Mfg., who is president of the 225-member Suppliers Division.

The conference will be at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center here. An optional golf outing is slated for noon on Aug. 9, with the conference program beginning at 6 p.m. with a reception and dinner.

Michael Knight, CEO of Third Wave Research, is the dinner speaker. He has worked for more than 20 years in demographic analysis and marketing intelligence for clients including Procter & Gamble and Pfizer, as well as furniture heavyweights Ashley, Thomasville, Boyles and R.C. Willey.

The next day’s program runs from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes breakfast and lunch.

Michael Economides, a University of Houston professor, business consultant and former chief scientist at the Global Petroleum Research Institute, will speak at 8 a.m. on “Energy Geopolitics.”

George Stalk Jr., a senior vice president and director at the Boston Consulting Group, will speak at 10 a.m. on “The China Riptide: Threat or Opportunity?” He works with clients to integrate the emerging influence of China into their competitive strategies.

Registration is $250 for all companies, and the optional golf outing costs $90 per player including a box lunch.

Meeting registration is available online at www.ahfa.us. After clicking on the AHFA logo, go to EVENTS and scroll down to the Suppliers Division Conference. A group rate of $159 a night is available until July 8 at the Grandover. Call the hotel at (336) 294-1800 for reservations.

For more information, e-mail rcraven@ahfa.us.