Jun 29, 2008

Competitive Business Tools during expert-led Seminars at Summer Show

SEATTLE – Pacific Market Center announces a dynamic group of speakers providing buyers with ideas on everything that is buzzing in the industry during Seattle Market Week – Summer Gift and Home Accessories Show on Aug. 13-19. The west coast’s premier week-long buying event will conduct complimentary seminars designed to provide fresh ideas for competitive business strategies throughout the year. Featured speakers include:
Laura Leist, author, productivity consultant, columnist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and founder of Eliminate Chaos – Wednesday, August 13th
Thompson Lange, co-owner and buyer for Homescapes Carmel – Thursday, August 14th
Mary Liz Curtin, speaker, consultant and writer for various publications including Floral Management Magazine,Giftware News and Greetings, Etc. – Friday, August 15th
Kelley Moore, lifestyle and entertaining expert, her work appears regularly in Seattle Magazine, Northwest Home,KING-TV and KONG-TV – Monday, August 18th
Dan McComb and Lara Eve Feltin, co-founders of Biznik – Tuesday, August 19th

Limited seating is available to attend the seminars and advance registration is requested. Held in the Second Floor Learning Forum, each one hour session begins promptly at 9 a.m. Complimentary coffee, pastries and networking half an hour before the seminars begin. Committed to making buyers’ experience as productive and memorable as possible, PacificMarket Center will be making some of the seminars available via pod cast following the event.

“We are excited to announce our line-up of speakers for this year’s summer show,” said Lisa Goodman, marketing director of Pacific Market Center. “Attendees are in for a positive experience where they can interact with industry experts who are focused on helping them grow their business with fresh ideas and new insight into savvy retail, marketing and overall business strategies.”

Information about the speakers:
Wednesday, August 13th, Laura Leist – Laura Leist, owner of Eliminate Chaos LLC., provides professional organizing services to corporations, small businesses and individuals as well as helps achieve computer literacy. Author of theOrganizing and Customizing with Microsoft Outlook series and Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home & Life, Leist’s work has been featured on various radio and television programs including KOMO-TV’s Northwest Afternoon,KING-TV’s Evening Magazine and Seattle Live. During her seminar, titled, “Eliminate Chaos In the Office: Simple Strategies for Electronic and Paper Information” co-sponsored by Bettencourt. Leist will share simple strategies for managing paper and electronic information that can be implemented in any office to establish a more productive space.

Thursday, August 14th, Thompson Lange – Thompson Lange is the co-owner and buyer for Homescapes Carmel, an award-wining specialty store located in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. that features a collection of home furnishings from around the world. In the past five years, Homescapes Carmel has been voted “Best Furniture Store” in the Monterey County Weekly’s Reader’s Poll, named “Retail Business of the Year” by the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, honored with three Retail Excellence Awards in the categories of visual merchandising, promotion and Web site design, and was named the “Best Furniture Store, Western Region” by the Accessories Retail Team. In addition to serving as co-owner and buyer, Thompson is a contributing writer and retail advisory board member for various local and national publications. In his interactive seminar titled, “Invention and Reinvention: Keeping it Fresh to Compete in a Changing World,” Thompson will discuss the dos and don’ts of a competitive business, highlighting how he has grown fro his successes and failures.

Friday, August 15th, Mary Liz Curtin – Mary Liz Curtin is writer, speaker and consultant who specializes in the gift and home industries. Curtin’s work is featured in a monthly column for Giftware News titled “The Penny Pinching Retailer,” a column forFloral Management Magazine titled, “The Visual Impact” and in “Rep Rap” for Greetings, Etc. In addition, Curtin is the co-owner of Leon & Lulu, a furniture, gift and accessories store located in Clawson, Mich. In her seminar, co-sponsored by Jenny Hammons NW, titled, “Extreme Makeover, Retail Edition,” Curtin will provide an informative and amusing look at her first year of business at Leon & Lulu. Guests will learn how Leon & Lulu is building its brand, publicizing the store and setting itself apart from the competition.

Monday, August 18th, Kelley Moore – Kelley Moore is a lifestyle and entertaining expert with a simple mission to inspire people to connect and build relationships through their environment. Moore’s work as a lifestyle expert has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and she has appeared on such national programs as the Ellen Degeneres Show, the Tyra Banks Show and the Today Show. In addition, Moore is the author of Cube Chic, a regular columnist for Seattle Magazine andNorthwest Home and appears bi-weekly on KING 5 News on KONG-TV. In her seminar titled, “Engage Your Customers: Keep Them Coming Back for More,” Moore will provide tips for engaging and building long term relationships with customers and share ideas for creative in-store events or gift ideas for customer follow-up.

Tuesday, August 19th, Dan McComb and Lara Eve Feltin – Co-founders of Biznik, Dan McComb and Lara Eve Feltin operate an award-wining business networking community for people who share an affinity for business. Managing the technology and editorial side, McComb began his career as an independent web developer and has experience in building Web sites for Seattle based non-profit organizations. Operating as the business and advertising sales manager, Feltin began her career freelancing in design and digital media and has experience working for an established networking group. In their seminar titled, “Online Business Networking: Fad of the Future?,” McComb and Feltin will discuss how to take advantage of online networking communities to promote businessÇ locate prospectsÇ build buzz surrounding products and servicesÇ and successfully alter customer impulses. In collaboration with Seattle Gift Show, Pacific Market Center presents Seattle Market Week. Representing every major product category, the mart offers access to thousands of national and international trend-setting product lines that help buyers stay one-step ahead of the ever-changing consumer markets. Pacific Market Center is the most extensive and cutting-edge source for home, lifestyle and gift in the Pacific Northwest. Sophisticated showrooms feature product lines from 65 distinct categories of buying including: Home Decor, Garden & Outdoor Living, Dining & Housewares, Linens &Textiles, Gourmet Foods, Gift, Lighting, Pet, Seasonal and Holiday, Aromatherapy & Personal Care, Juvenile and Art/Handmade. Visitors can enjoy all the fun, culture, shopping, and dining of Seattle that makes it a vibrantly unique city. The Summer Gift & Home Accessories Show will take place at Pacific Market Center from August 13-19 2008 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Tuesday with late night buying available on Friday until 8 p.m. The show closes at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19. For more information about the show please visit www.pacificmarketcenter.com or call (800) 433-1014.

About Pacific Market Center
Pacific Market Center is the leading permanent wholesale market on the west coast, featuring the latest in home furnishings, accessories and gift products. The industry destination for buyers in the Western United States, Canada and beyond, PacificMarket Center offers permanent showrooms on five floors featuring thousands of product lines for a wide selection of merchandise to help buyers keep up with every trend affecting their consumers. Pacific Market Center draws thousands of buyers from more than 30 channels of distribution including high-end department stores, corporate, specialty retailers, home furnishings, kitchenware, events, gourmet food, hospitality, garden/outdoor living, salons & spas, wineries, Internet, and regional chain outlets. Located in Seattle’s Design District, Pacific Market Center is open to the trade only. For more information, visit www.pacificmarketcenter.com. Pacific Market Center is owned and managed by The Benaroya Companies.