News

As part of its ongoing support of the design and retail community during the COVID-19 crisis, International Market Centers (IMC) is presenting a series of free webinars for gift, home and apparel buyers and exhibitors, beginning this week.

Tailored to each market and market center’s audience, but available to the industry at large, the webinars allow AmericasMart, Atlanta Market, Atlanta Apparel, IMC High Point Market, Las Vegas Design Center and Las Vegas Market customers to continue to connect despite current social distancing efforts.

“Our April webinar content is designed to help retailers, designers, manufacturers and sales agencies both during the current crisis and as they look toward the future,” said Dorothy Belshaw, IMC chief marketing and digital officer. “We are committed to continuing to support our customers through this difficult time and will continue to present online content as long as there is a need.”

April topics include timely discussions like preparing for businesses to reopen and navigating remote selling, plus trend education, business efficiency tips, branding exercises and discussions on sustainability and new technologies.

Upcoming April 2020 Webinars

Retail Town Hall: An Open Panel Discussion to Focus on Key Industry Concerns

• Moderated by Paul Erickson and Celeste Boehm of Management One
• Tuesday, April 21, 2020
• 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT

In a live Q&A session, a panel of retail business owners, consultants and industry experts will address key concerns from the mounting threat of coronavirus. Register for this event.

Clarity & Confidence Amidst Change

• Presented by Kimberly Sundt
• Wednesday, April 22, 2020
• 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

The foundations of creating a strong brand are timeless, but with where the world is today, where should designers be focusing when it comes to their brands and their marketing? Kimberly Sundt is a brand and client experience strategist who works with the interior design industry, empowering them to position and promote their businesses in ways that make them stand out in their clients’ minds. Register for this event.

In this webinar, Sundt shares the “4Cs of Branding,” her framework to build a brand that resonates, has a soul, and lives throughout all parts of a business; what brand clarity is, and tactics to find it; how brand clarity leads to brand confidence, and how that can guide every marketing decision; how brand consistency can increase the trust factor between designers and clients; and how to communicate with clients, stay on brand, and build relationships during this time.

Paint & Pigment

• Presented by Rachel Moeller, designer account executive at Sherwin Williams
• Thursday, April 23, 2020
• 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

In this webinar, Rachel Moeller, designer account executive at Sherwin Williams, discusses how pigments play a crucial role in delivering a desired color and outcome to surfaces. Attendees will learn insights into the foundation of color and how certain colors affect our mood, perception and decision- making. Moeller will address the practical application of specifying color today, and how to determine the best paint system for your project. Register for this event.

Design’s Role in a Healthy Home Movement

• Presented by Rachel Moeller, designer account executive at Sherwin Williams
• April 30, 2020
• 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

In this webinar, Rachel Moeller, designer account executive at Sherwin Williams, discusses paint technologies to help improve the quality of clients’ homes with respect to indoor air quality, odors, mold and mildew and disease-causing bacteria on painted surfaces. Attendees will learn how to find paints and coatings that are 3rd party-certified so they can recommend a product with confidence. Register for this event.

Previous Webinars

How to Create Processes & Procedures for Your Business … So Your Business Runs More Efficiently

• Presented by Gail Doby, ASID and Kathleen DiPaolo
• Tuesday, April 14, 2020
• 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT

One of the least favorite tasks that designers avoid like the plague is documenting processes and procedures. However, one of the most magical things they can install in their businesses that will allow their teams to execute their visions with precision, are those pesky tools. Topics in this webinar include how to prioritize processes and procedures so a business can run efficiently with fewer costly mistakes, how to write a process so it is not too detailed, but it gets the point across for the team; and how to write a procedure so that it is easy to follow and replicable by a team. Register for this event.

Botanica: Cooperation and Hope for Spring/Summer 2021

• Presented by Laurie Pressman, VP of the PANTONE Color Institute
• Wednesday, April 15, 2020
• 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT

Summer 2021 looks to a world that teaches how to be flexible, how to adapt, how to be resilient, how to live with more cooperation and hope. In line with this new feeling is a palette of color highlighted by quieter, more natural tones, as well as bursts and blooms of brilliant and stunning floral hues that cross the spectrum. In this webinar, Laurie Pressman, VP of the PANTONE Color Institute, explores key color trends and inspiration for S/S 2021. Register for this event.

Baths: Investment in Health, Water Conservation, and Overall ROI

• Presented by David Gunter of Stover Sales and Associates
• Wednesday, April 15, 2020
• 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

If everyone only showers, why keep the bath on the plans? In this webinar, participants will learn about materials, old and new, and manufacturing processes used to create the modern bathtub. Attendees will discuss the bath as health maintenance equipment, practical wash product and emotional support tool as well as water conservation as it relates to bathing and showering. The presentation will look at bath styles for every design aesthetic and size requirement plus square foot costs versus the space the bath occupies. Register for this event.

Navigating Remote Selling While Markets are on Pause

• Presented by GHTA, featuring Dorothy Belshaw, executive vice president, chief marketing & digital officer at IMC; Eric Dean, president at IMC_di; and Teddy Pekalski, director of sales at IMC_di.
• Wednesday, April 15, 2020
• 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT

As the COVID-19 outbreak evolves, business norms change in hyper-speed. In this webinar, Dorothy Belshaw, Eric Dean and Teddy Pekalski will share tips and strategies to increase productivity through technology, drive remote collaboration between buyers and sellers, foster retailer relationships and prepare for recovery. Register for this event.

Roundtable Discussion with Global Tradeshow Leaders

• Presented by
  • FashionSnoops Featuring David Audrain, executive director of Exposition Division and CEO and partner of SISO
  • Dorothy Belshaw, executive vice president, chief marketing & digital officer for IMC
  • Sam BenAvraham, owner of Liberty & Cabana
  • Dodo & Aroma, show directors of On Time Shanghai
  • Michelle Finizo, CRO of Foundermade
  • Kelly Helfman, president of WWD MAGIC, PROJECT Women’s, Micam Americas and Sourcing
  • Mattia Miglio, international marketing manager for BolognaFiere Cosmoprof s.p.a.
  • Sharifa Maurdoch, co-owner of Liberty Fairs and founder of ENVSN Festival
  • Raffaello Napoleone, CEO Pitti Immagine
  • Boris Provost, CEO of Tranol
  • Nicole Leinbach Reyhle Founder & Publisher of Retail Minded
  • Karalynn Sprouse, executive vice president of Emerald Expositions
  • Anita Tilman, CEO of Premium Berlin.
• Thursday, April 16, 2020
• 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT

Fashion Snoops presents a roundtable discussion with some of the most influential cross-market tradeshow leads from across the globe who will discuss the current reality and answer questions from the community. Register for this event.

JUST ONE Sustainability Essentials Webinar

• Presented by the Sustainable Furnishings Council
• Thursday, April 16, 2020
• 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT

Companies of all sizes and in all segments of residential furnishings are compelled to each do their bit to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Similarly, the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) is mindful that mitigating CO2 emissions and other life-threatening pollution is equally important. It can be overwhelming, but SFC member companies are in action, knowing that each step taken counts. In this webinar, SFC will present its new campaign, JUST ONE, which encourages the industry to learn from peers about what they are doing in their operations to reduce energy consumption, better manage their supply chains and be loud about it. Register for this event.

10 Things You Can Be Doing Right Now to Improve Your Business in Anticipation of Re-Opening

• Presented by Lisa Ard, founder of Curate Hive
• Thursday, April 16, 2020
• 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT

In this webinar, Lisa Ard, founder of the Curated Hive small business community, discusses how to make the most of down time to be ready to meet pent-up market demand when the economy re-opens. Register for this event.

Information about IMC’s markets is available online via these links:

• Atlanta Market / Atlanta Apparel / AmericasMart: AmericasMart.com
• High Point: IMCHighPointMarket.com
• Las Vegas Market / Las Vegas Design Center: LasVegasMarket.com