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9:00 am – 10:00 am

Last Impressions: Protecting Your Brand at the Customer’s Doorstep

Mark Bannon & Shelia Johnson, Metropolitan Warehouse and Delivery

In home furnishings retail, the sale isn’t complete until the furniture is in the customer’s home. White-glove delivery is the final, most personal brand moment—yet it’s often outsourced and under-managed. This session shows why last-mile delivery is a brand-protection strategy, not a cost center. Learn how consistency, trained teams, visibility, and proactive issue management help retailers protect reputation, exceed expectations, and build lasting customer loyalty at the doorstep.

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Cash Flow Is King: Building a Resilient Supply Chain in a Volatile Retail Market

John Donovan, Kickfurther

Healthy cash flow is the foundation of a resilient supply chain—especially for retailers navigating long lead times, large inventory investments, and unpredictable demand. We’ll break down how cash flow constraints quietly weaken supplier relationships, limit buying power, and create stockout risk. Attendees will learn practical strategies to strengthen their supply chain by aligning inventory planning, payment timing, and capital access. The goal: free up working capital, negotiate from a position of strength, and build a supply chain that scales profitably without putting unnecessary strain on the business.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Turning Logistics Chaos into Customer Confidence

Drew Icenhour, Jonathan Bradshaw, Mike Pritchard, Gulfstream Shippers Association & Bluewater Logistics Group

Logistics today faces real-world turbulence—delays, damaged deliveries, limited visibility, costly returns, and last-mile breakdowns that erode trust. The retailers who win turn these challenges into a better customer experience. This session shows how to identify friction across the delivery journey, use real-time visibility to prevent surprises, and empower teams to resolve issues fast. Learn practical tactics and templates to reduce costs, increase transparency, and turn delivery into a loyalty driver.

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Beyond the Container Rate: Using AI to Optimize Furniture Supply Chains

James Ford-Hutchinson, Shippabo

This session explores how AI-driven trade lane health gives furniture importers a clearer view of supply chain costs beyond ocean freight. Learn how improved visibility highlights excess inventory, carrying costs, missed sales, delays, and inefficient loading. See how AI aligns supply with demand, helps sales teams move the right products, balances high- and low-demand shipments, and identifies carrier partners that reduce disruption. The advantage isn’t more data—it’s using it to prevent exceptions and lost opportunities.

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

From Dock to Destination: Expert Logistics Insights for Retailers

Richard Tucker and Josh Delay, JB Hunt

Delivery expectations are rising while margins are under pressure—and traditional LTL playbooks aren’t enough anymore. This session goes beyond basics to unpack what’s really working right now in furniture logistics. Learn how leading retailers are reducing damage, improving transit times, increasing visibility, and lowering costs across dock-to-door operations. J.B. Hunt experts will share practical strategies, real-world examples, and proven tactics tailored specifically to the unique challenges of home furnishings delivery.

9:00 am – 10:00 am

State of the Industry: Navigating Supply Chain Chaos

Chris Brennan & Mari Bermejo, A.N. Deringer

Join us for a concise seminar tailored for furniture retailers and manufacturers. We’ll cover the current and future states of the ocean and domestic freight markets, how shifting political dynamics and new regulations are impacting global and domestic supply chains, and what it all means for your business. Walk away with practical, actionable strategies to strengthen supply chain resilience, reduce disruption, and save both you—and your customers—significant heartache.

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Who Moved My Cheese? What an Old Business Book Can Teach Us About AI

Richard Harris, Orbit Interactive

AI is no longer coming—it’s already changing how home furnishings retailers buy, sell, market, and operate. Just like the shift to inventory systems decades ago, the rules are moving fast. This session uses the timeless lessons of the business teachings of Who Moved My Cheese? to help retailers understand where AI matters, how to prepare teams for constant change, and when to act quickly versus stay put. Gain clarity, confidence, and practical guidance for leading growth in an AI-driven retail environment.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Small Retailer Advertising Collective: Compete with the Market Leaders

Erik Lillejord, Linnihan Foy

We bring together small retailers to co-invest in high-end TV and digital video campaigns built to outperform big-brand competitors. By joining an advertising collective, you can leverage polished, creative tailored to your brand to gain an immediate advantage in your market. Linnihan Foy can help lead, group formation, strategic planning and all aspects of production from concept to final edited spots.

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

CTV Unfiltered: A Paramount VP Reveals What’s Driving Revenue In 2026

Richard Harris, Orbit Interactive and Paramount Senior VP

What if you could see exactly how Paramount is driving measurable sales for furniture retailers using CTV? In this exclusive insider session, a Senior VP from Paramount and Orbit Interactive will reveal what makes Connected TV the fastest growth lever in furniture retail right now. They will pull back the curtain on how top retailers are driving measurable sales, store visits, and 7:1+ ROI using CTV in 2026. Learn the exact strategies behind precise shopper targeting, campaign measurement beyond branding, and market-level execution. Plus, candid breakouts comparing TV vs. CTV and Cable vs. CTV—no fluff, just results.

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

The Future of Retail: Connecting Every Customer Touchpoint

Angelo Mazzella, Spectrum Marketing Moderator: Omnichannel panel

Today’s home furnishings customer engages across multiple platforms, expecting a seamless experience whether they browse online, walk into your showroom, or receive a direct mail piece at home. In this expert-led panel discussion, industry leaders break down what true omnichannel marketing means for furniture and mattress retailers.  Learn how to utilize and align all touchpoints across social media, email, and print.

9:00 am – 10:00 am

The Hidden Profits in Bedding

Dan Miller, Guardsman

Looking for new ways to boost profit margins in bedding? Learn how to effectively sell protection plans with the right pricing, margins, and staff commissions. Discover why customers value these plans, how bundling increases sales, and what top retailers across the US are doing to succeed. Through real-world case studies, see the dollars left on the table when plans aren’t offered, and how to turn that into profit.

10:30 am – 11:30 am

Technology Trends in Home Furnishings

David McMahon, PerformNOW

Get an inside look at real-world strategies and tools used and shared by leading retailers. Explore how AI, automation, marketing innovations, and operational systems can help you streamline processes, improve service, and gain a powerful competitive edge in today’s retail world.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

From Showroom to Support: How AI Assistants Are Transforming Furniture Business

Steven Yang, Solvea

In the furniture industry, every customer interaction matters—from the first inquiry to final purchase and beyond. This session explores how AI assistants are taking on dual roles as AI receptionists and AI sales assistants, managing inbound inquiries, qualifying leads, answering product questions, and providing intelligent recommendations that support buying decisions. We’ll explore how these capabilities are being applied across showrooms, digital channels, and phone interactions to improve efficiency, support sales teams, and enhance customer experience at scale.

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

The Future of Retail: Personalizing the Shopping Experience

Jake Freedman, Dovr Media

In this fast-paced session, you will discover how the next wave of AI tools and automation is transforming the furniture industry. You’ll learn real-world strategies for using AI to personalize the shopping experience, boost conversions, and streamline store operations—from smart websites and automated marketing to data-driven service models. You will leave with actionable ways to future-proof your business and turn emerging technology into measurable revenue growth. Perfect for retailers ready to modernize without losing their human touch.

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Why Visual Merchandising Breaks at Customization—and What Comes Next

Clarence Chui, Pyxd, Inc.

Custom furniture reveals a hard truth: most visualization merchandising approaches don’t work. As fabrics, leathers, and finishes constantly change, visual merchandising collapses under cost, labor, and complexity. While 3D rendering can scale, it introduces subjectivity, heavy data demands, and endless revisions. Photo-based swapping distorts color, and AI imagery can’t deliver accurate, assortment-wide visuals. This session challenges assumptions and defines what independent retailers should demand to visualize customization effectively.

9:00 am – 10:00 am

Science in Design: How Environments Affect Mind and Body

Mike Peterson, Science in Design

Science now documents the impact our environments have on our minds and bodies. Studies at Johns Hopkins, the Penn Center for Neurasthenics, and similar institutions prove that the design of spaces, such as retail environments, is never neutral. The presentation will provide retailers with information to create pleasing, reassuring, and calming retail spaces.

10:30 am – 11:30 am

The End of the Static Showroom: AI, Visualization, and the Adaptive Store

Harrison Montgomery, Prism Interactive

Static showrooms can’t keep up with modern buyers. This seminar introduces the concept of the adaptive showroom—a space that responds to customer behavior, preferences, and intent in real time. From AI-driven visual configuration to personalized walkthroughs and dynamic merchandising, we’ll explore how furniture retailers can turn limited floor space into infinite choice, without increasing inventory or complexity.

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Do You Have the Social Hook to Win Customers

Darrell Dahlberg, Orbit Interactive

Social media has evolved from simple algorithms to a complex system capable of turning anyone into an overnight sensation with the right post, hook, setup, and story. There’s a winning formula to social media success, and it’s not as complicated as it seems. Join us at this seminar as we break down the formula and help transform your store or business into a social media star.

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Removing Friction from the Furniture Buying Experience

Vicki Turjan, Versatile Credit

In an industry built on comfort, the purchase journey should never create anxiety. Yet many shoppers enter the showroom worried about approval, complexity, and uncertainty. To win in 2026, retailers must stop treating payment approval as a back-end step and instead use it as a front-end experience that builds trust and momentum. This session explores how transparency, choice, and seamless processes transform browsing into buying—boosting conversion, confidence, and long-term loyalty.

3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Beyond Facebook: What Actually Drives Furniture Sales in 2026

Fredy Wright, Conquest Digital Solutions

Boosting posts and running Facebook ads feels productive, but for most furniture retailers, it’s not enough to drive consistent showroom traffic or sales in 2026. This session breaks down the real role social media plays in the marketing funnel, where it falls short, and how top-performing retailers combine social, CTV, and mobile to drive measurable showroom lift. If Facebook is your primary strategy, this will change how you think about it and how you grow.