HFA Resource Center

High Point Furniture Market

The Resource Center on the first floor of Plaza Suites, space 1-527, has been designed to offer retailers more at High Point Market. Learn how to grow your business, partner with the leading vendors and experts in the industry, and connect with other furniture retailers.

The long-term success of every retail business depends on one thing: its people. Preparing the next generation of leaders isn’t just about filling open positions — it’s about creating a pipeline of talent ready to adapt, innovate, and sustain growth for years to come.

Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion with experienced retailers and industry partners who have successfully navigated leadership transitions and talent development in their organizations.

You’ll gain actionable insights on identifying emerging leaders, creating advancement opportunities, and building a culture that supports leadership at every level.

By the end of this session, you’ll be able to:

• Recognize the key elements of successful leadership development and succession planning strategy in retail.
• Identify methods to recruit, train, and retain top talent for long-term growth.
• Apply practical approaches to mentoring and developing high-potential employees.
• Build systems to ensure leadership continuity while reducing risk in times of transition.

Stepping into greater responsibility within a family business comes with unique opportunities—and its own set of challenges. From managing generational expectations to balancing innovation with tradition, the path to leadership isn’t always straightforward.

In this one hour webinar featuring seasoned industry vendors and retailers who have successfully navigated leadership transitions within their own family businesses. They’ll share real-world lessons, practical strategies, and personal insights to help you lead with confidence while honoring your company’s legacy.

What You’ll Learn:

• Identify common challenges and opportunities when taking on leadership roles in a family business
  
• Build credibility and earn respect among both family and non-family employees
• Balance tradition with innovation to drive long-term business growth
  
• Foster stronger communication across generations to reduce conflict and strengthen collaboration
  
• Prepare for leadership transitions that ensure continuity and sustainability
  

This session is designed for current and future leaders in family-owned retail operations who want to make thoughtful, lasting contributions to their business—without losing sight of what makes it special.

Furniture damage and customer returns don’t just cut into profits, they can also weaken customer satisfaction and long-term loyalty.

In this one-hour webinar, you’ll discover practical strategies to reduce damage and minimize returns through better warehouse handling, deluxing, delivery processes, and staff training. You’ll see why damage prevention isn’t just about cost savings—it’s about creating a smooth, reliable customer experience that leads to repeat business and stronger brand loyalty.

What You’ll Learn:

• Pinpoint the most common sources of damage in warehouse, deluxing, and delivery—and proven ways to prevent them
  
• Understand how effective staff training safeguards merchandise and improves operational efficiency
  
• See how damage and returns directly affect customer satisfaction, loyalty, and repeat business
  
• Apply best practices that reduce returns, protect margins, and elevate the overall customer experience

Retail SEO is evolving fast. With AI-driven search and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) reshaping how consumers discover products, retailers must adapt to stay visible and competitive.

Join us for this live Q&A-style webinar where industry experts will explore the shift from traditional SEO to AI-enhanced strategies. You’ll walk away with practical guidance on how to optimize for both search engines and answer engines—and how to align SEO with your broader digital marketing efforts for maximum impact.

What You’ll Learn:

• Understand the current state of SEO for retailers and how it’s changing in the AI era.
  
• Define AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and how it differs from traditional SEO.
  
• Adapt your content and technical SEO for AI-driven search interfaces.
  
• Integrate SEO with digital marketing campaigns (social, email, content, PPC).
  
• Apply a holistic approach to visibility that aligns with the customer journey across channels.

In today’s crowded advertising landscape, every dollar counts—and standing out has never been harder. Are your media channels truly delivering ROI, or are you blending into the “sea of sameness”?

Join us for an engaging, one-hour webinar designed exclusively for furniture retailers. We’ll share strategies to refine your media mix, allocate your budget more effectively, and craft messaging that connects with what really motivates your customers.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to evaluate and balance your media mix for the best ROI
• Smart ways to set and adjust your ad budget
• Key insights into consumer motivations and buying behavior
• Strategies to break away from lookalike competitors

Whether you’re a small retailer fine-tuning your budget or a larger operation looking to sharpen strategy, this webinar will equip you with the clarity and confidence you need.

Retail SEO is evolving fast. With AI-driven search and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) reshaping how consumers discover products, retailers must adapt to stay visible and competitive.

Join us for this live Q&A-style webinar where industry experts will explore the shift from traditional SEO to AI-enhanced strategies. You’ll walk away with practical guidance on how to optimize for both search engines and answer engines—and how to align SEO with your broader digital marketing efforts for maximum impact.

What You’ll Learn:

• Understand the current state of SEO for retailers and how it’s changing in the AI era.
  
• Define AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and how it differs from traditional SEO.
  
• Adapt your content and technical SEO for AI-driven search interfaces.
  
• Integrate SEO with digital marketing campaigns (social, email, content, PPC).
  
• Apply a holistic approach to visibility that aligns with the customer journey across channels.

Promoting a high-performing employee often feels like the natural next step—but is strong performance alone a true sign of leadership potential?

Join us for a thought-provoking and practical webinar that explores the critical difference between high performance and leadership readiness. This 60-minute session is designed for retail owners, managers, and HR professionals who want to make more strategic, informed promotion decisions—and avoid common missteps that can derail team morale and business growth.

Our expert panel will share actionable strategies and real-world insights to help you build a leadership pipeline that supports long-term success, team alignment, and organizational growth.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to distinguish between high performance and true leadership potential
• Key traits and behaviors that signal leadership readiness
• The risks of promoting without proper preparation
• Best practices for developing internal leadership pipelines
• How to support new leaders to ensure long-term success

In today’s retail landscape, data isn’t just numbers—it’s your competitive edge. Join our webinar where industry experts reveal how to turn raw data into actionable insights that drive smarter decision-making across every corner of your business.

Whether you’re looking to boost sales, fine-tune your inventory, or enhance your customer experience, this session will give you the tools and strategies to make your data work for you.

What You’ll Learn:

• Maximize Data Collection: Learn how to integrate data into your daily operations to increase sales and improve customer satisfaction.
  
• Optimize Inventory Management: Use data to better manage stock levels, reduce waste, and meet evolving customer demand.
  
• Enhance Customer Experience: Leverage customer feedback to uncover operational gaps and elevate service delivery.
  
• Grow Sales with Insight: Decode sales reports to spotlight bestsellers and refine underperforming areas.
  

Take the guesswork out of retail—start making data-backed decisions that deliver real results.

In today’s fast-paced and unpredictable business environment, the ability to make tough, timely, and effective decisions is what sets exceptional leaders apart.

Hear directly from experienced leaders and industry experts in this engaging panel discussion tailored for the home furnishings sector. This session will offer real-world insights and actionable strategies to help you strengthen your decision-making skills—especially when the pressure is on.

Whether you’re leading a team, managing operations, or navigating strategic uncertainty, this webinar will give you the mindset, methods, and tools needed to lead with clarity and confidence.

What You’ll Learn:

• Identify key traits of effective decision-makers—and how to develop them in yourself and your team
• Avoid common decision-making traps with proven strategies
• Apply decision-making frameworks that balance speed, accuracy, and long-term impact
• Use collaboration, data, and intuition to make informed, confident choices
• Build resilience when navigating high-stakes or uncertain business scenarios

Panelists:

Christian Nichles, D.ED, founder, 1 Gen Solutions 

Christian Nichles, D.Ed., is a leadership expert and founder of 1 Gen Solutions. With 30 years of experience, he helps leaders navigate generational diversity, build strong cultures, and retain talent. Creator of the Generational Acuity™ Framework, Christian equips leaders with actionable tools to drive meaningful change and personal growth in today’s evolving workplace.

Peter Theran, President, Boston Interiors

Peter Theran is President of Boston Interiors, a Top 100 national furniture retailer serving New England with seven stores known for expertly crafted furnishings and personalized design service. A recognized leadership expert, Peter brings decades of global experience in omni-channel strategy, retail growth, and brand development,guiding Boston Interiors to deliver exceptional customer experiences and drive sustainable business success.

Rene’ Johnston, Owner & Founder, Employee Engagement Solutions

Rene’ Johnston is the founder of Employee Engagement Solutions, helping organizations improve culture, retention, and profitability through stronger leadership and engaged teams. A former VP of Training for Profitability Consulting Group, Rene’ brings deep experience in retail and beyond. She’s a TEDx speaker, columnist, author, and consultant. Rene’ holds a Master’s in Adult Education and Human Resource Development.