Jun 25, 2014

AmericasMart Promotes Business Education at July Market

A keystone in delivering the ultimate buyer experience, AmericasMart® Atlanta offers business-focused learning opportunities in its Education Center programming at The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market® (Showrooms: Tuesday, July 8 – Tuesday, July 15, 2014; Temporaries: Thursday, July 10 – Monday, July 14, 2014).

Buyers benefit from specialized, retail-specific programming on topics such “Six Ways to Sell Gift Cards – Proven Strategies that Work” presented by the Georgia Retail Association and Florida Retail Federation, and “Retail by Design: A Blueprint to Store Event Success” and “Retail by Design: A Blueprint to Buying to Merchandise”presented by AmericasMart advisory board member Melissa Haberstroh, president of Burlap Horse LP. AmericasMart and burton+BURTON host a lively breakfast discussion about merchandising for a hospital gift shops at the “Breakfast with The Burtons” special event.

Haberstroh also caters to the other side of the Market experience with a seminar geared toward exhibitors: “How to Think Like a Retailer – And Sell Them Better.”

Exhibitors and buyers alike benefit from a series of four seminars by social media expert Tucker Berta. Berta shares tips for launching a social media campaign in her seminar“Your Social Debut: Introduction to the Basics of Social Media Marketing for Business.” She coaches more advanced users in “Stepping Up Social: Strategies for Social Media Marketing for Business.” Both seminars are offered twice during the Market.

AmericasMart continues its partnership with the Oriental Rug Retailers of America, Inc. (ORRA) at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market® (Wednesday, July 9 – Saturday, July 12, 2014) with a series of seminars for current rug retailers and buyers interested in exploring the product opportunities.

Rug expert Phil Menedian, director of education for ORRA Programming, moderates a discussion of numerous pieces in “Knot to be Missed,” reviews current appraisal techniques in “Enhancing Your Rug Appraising,” and leads a tour of AmericasMart’s four-floor rug marketplace in “Walking the Marketplace.”

Rug buyers also have the opportunity to sit for the CRA Examination, moderated by Menendian and ORRA Education Committee members. The exam will be in two parts: written and identification. Examinees will be tested on historical and technical knowledge of hand-knotted rugs as well as proper identification of 35 Oriental rugs by sight.

A full list of The Education Center Events includes:

WEDNESDAY JULY 9

3 p.m.

How to Think Like a Retailer – And Sell Them Better

Melissa Haberstroh

Building 1, Floor 10

THURSDAY, JULY 10

1 p.m.

Your Social Debut: Introduction to the Basics of Social Media Marketing for Business

Tucker Berta

Building 1, Floor 10

1:30 p.m.

Knot to Be Missed

Phil Menedian

Building 1, Floor 4

3 p.m.

Stepping Up Social: Strategies for Social Media Marketing for Business

Tucker Berta

Building 1, Floor 10

3 p.m.

Enhancing Your Rug Appraising

Phil Menedian

Building 1, Floor 4

FRIDAY, JULY 11

8:30 a.m.

Breakfast with The Burtons

AmericasMart and burton+BURTON

Building 1, Floor 10

9:30 a.m.

CRA Examination

Phil Menedian

Building 1, Floor 4

1 p.m.

Six Ways to Sell Gift Cards- Proven Strategies that Work

Georgia Retail Association and Florida Retail Federation

Building 1, Floor 10

2:30 p.m.

Walking the Marketplace

Phil Menedian

Building 1, Floor 4

4 p.m.

Retail by Design: A Blueprint to Store Event Success

Melissa Haberstroh

Building 1, Floor 10

SATURDAY, JULY 12

2 p.m.

Your Social Debut: Introduction to the Basics of Social Media Marketing for Business

Tucker Berta

Building 1, Floor 10

3 p.m.

Stepping Up Social: Strategies for Social Media Marketing for Business

Tucker Berta

Building 1, Floor 10

ABOUT AMERICASMART

AmericasMart Atlanta is the nation’s only global wholesale marketplace housing the world’s single-largest collection of home, gift, area rug and apparel merchandise. The largest of AmericasMart’s 14 annual Markets and shows, The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market and The Atlanta International Area Rug Market in January and July are the ignition switch for global retailing with buyers from every U.S. state and more than 90 countries discovering product in more than 1,400 showrooms and more than 2,500 temporary exhibiting companies. ICON HONORS, the home and gift industry’s most celebrated recognition program, is produced and staged annually by AmericasMart.

Located in downtown Atlanta, the AmericasMart complex contains more than seven million square feet of space. It’s a huge global stage on which manufacturers, designers and sales representatives unveil new lines, launch new designs and introduce new categories – all for the benefit of buyers seeking all that is fresh and first in the home, rug, gift and apparel arenas. For more information, please visitwww.AmericasMart.com. Follow us @AmericasMartATL or @AtlantaApparel.