Furniture First Symposuim Reports Record Attendance

Furniture World Magazine

Furniture First buying group announced that it successfully prepared and executed their 11 Annual Symposium, held in Chicago, IL, August 19 – 21, 2008. This Symposium generated record attendance; of the 168 total member-stockholders that comprise Furniture First, 88 companies turned out for the event. This year’s theme “New Strategies for Survival and Success,” focused on what the non- competing membership can do in order to continually improve and grow their businesses. The three day work-oriented conference was planned to educate and inform members on many of the industry’s most important topics. Furniture First Board of Director Chairman, Steve Rotman commented that, “the Furniture First Symposium was filled with outstanding ideas and a wealth of information on how to improve sales, profits, image and customer service, during challenging times. Everyone benefited.” Throughout the Symposium, networking opportunities and idea gathering were prevalent among the membership. Keith Koplan of Koplan’s Home Furnishings sums up his experience, “I always feel that if I gain one new idea at a symposium that I have spent my time wisely. With that as the criteria, it was a very valuable use of my time and that doesn’t begin to include the value of the camaraderie of peers.” Furniture First is already thinking about the 2009 Symposium location, theme and educational events. Furniture First is a home furnishings & mattresses only buying cooperative representing independent home furnishings retailers from medium-low to medium-high end quality products across the United States. If you would like more information about the organization, please contact Bill Hartman, President, at 1-800-411-3477 ext. 123 or via email at BHartman@FurnitureFirst.com.