November 25, 2008

AmericasMart® University (AMU)—the home/gift/area rug industry’s most complete retail business education program—gives January 2009 Market buyers unmatched learning opportunities with a slate of facilitators drawn from the highest echelon of designers, consultants, tastemakers and business practitioners.

In a standing curriculum offering Retail Business Basics, Buying & Selling and Building Your Brand, with beginner, intermediate and advanced classes scheduled in each, January buyers will profit from the expertise of such industry leaders as Cathy Fischer, Mercedes Gonzalez, Bob Negen and other luminaries. A-list course facilitators will be at Market in AMU classrooms to define and explore best practices for business, design direction, trends and more. Plus, the January AMU lineup adds a new Market exclusive: Safavieh hosting a designer dialogue featuring Suzanne Kasler, Jamie Drake and David Easton, preceding a showroom ribbon cutting celebration.

The January 2009 AMU schedule is:

Explode Your Sales – Simple Marketing Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind

Buying & Selling – Beginner

Presenter: Bob Negen

Sponsored by One Coast

Breakfast

Building 2 WestWing

Thursday, January 8

8:30-10 a.m.

Electronic Marketing – Easier, Cheaper, BETTER!

Building Your Brand – Beginner

Presenter: Bob Negen

Sponsored by One Coast

Building 2 WestWing

Thursday, January 8

10:30 a.m.-Noon

Strategies in Developing an Exceptional Souvenir Business

Buying & Selling - Beginner

Presenter: Cathy Fischer

Sponsored by Options

Breakfast

Building 2 WestWing, 6th floor

Thursday, January 8

8:30- 10 a.m.

A Crash Course on Buying

Buying & Selling - Beginner

Presenter: Mercedes Gonzales

Building 3, 3rd Floor Conference Center

Thursday, January 8

10:30 a.m.-Noon

Training the Best Sales Team

Retail Basics- Beginner

Presenter: Mercedes Gonzales

Building 3, 3rd Floor Conference Center

Thursday, January 8

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Increasing Sales by Understanding the Value of Designer Rugs

Presenters: Suzanne Kasler; Jamie Drake and David Easton

Buying & Selling – Beginner

Sponsored by Safavieh

Wine reception & ribbon cutting

Building 1, Safavieh showroom

Thursday, January 8

4-6 p.m.

4-4:30 p.m. Designer discussion

4:30 p.m. – AmericasMart Ribbon Cutting for Safavieh Couture.

Jamie Drake, David Easton, Suzanne Kasler and Thomas O’Brien toast the unveiling of the new division for designer collections: Safavieh Couture.

4:30-6 p.m. – Wine reception and meet the designers.

Doing Business in the New Norm

Retail Basics - Beginner

Presenter: John Haste & Becky Smith

Sponsored by IMAX

Breakfast

Building 2 WestWing

Friday, January 9

8:30-10 a.m.

Where Have All the Customers Gone?

Building Your Brand - Beginner

Presenter: Chris Lemley

Building 3, 3rd floor Conference Center

Friday, January 9

10:30 -11:30 a.m.

Hiring & Firing Employees

Retail Basics - Beginner

Presenter: Carol Hacker

Building 3, 3rd Floor Conference Center

Friday, January 9

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Unique & Antique Rug Forum

Retail Basics – Beginner

Sponsored by the Oriental Rug Retailers Association (ORRA)

Contact ORRA for details: 804-270-3195; orraarnold@verizon.net

Building 1, 4th floor, room 4-G-7

Friday, January 9

3-5 p.m.

Walk the (Area Rug) Market with Phil

Retail Basics - Beginner

Presenter: Phil Menendian

Sponsored by the Oriental Rug Retailers Association (ORRA)

Building 1, 2nd Floor, ORRA booth #1200 Saturday, January 10

11 a.m.

Are You Sending Customers to Your Competition?

Retail Basics – Beginner

Presenters: Steve Boodakian & Sy Mahfuz, MERA Consulting Group

Building 1, 4th Floor, 4-G-7

Saturday, January 10

1 p.m.