Manufacturers bring something extra to the Convention experience during product training sessions, in past years including rubber chickens and bubble machines. You never know what’s going to capture your imagination or tickle your funny bone during product training at Convention 2024.
Specialized training schedule has something for every independent
By Janet Weyandt, YSN
Officially, the BrandSource 2024 Convention begins with a Welcome Reception at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25. But earlier that day, manufacturer product trainings offer some of the most valuable hours of the event.
Between noon and 6 p.m., manufacturers and suppliers from across the industry will hold specialized trainings for attendees to learn about the newest products and ideas. The biggest challenge for this portion of the Convention might be deciding which sessions to attend: Over the six hours, there are 33 product trainings to choose from.
Get Your Hands Dirty
Some of the sessions are technical. For instance, Whirlpool is holding back-to-back trainings related to laundry, cooking, refrigeration and dish innovation.
Likewise, LG is holding trainings diving into the details of many of its products. The same goes for JennAir, GE, England Furniture and more.
New Ideas to Take Home
But it’s not all technical information. Other manufacturers are holding product trainings that are more like education sessions, giving spectators the chance to take home some new ideas and concepts that can make a big difference in their businesses.
- At 1 p.m., for instance, Tempur Sealy’s session on private-label collections will stress the importance of the under-$1,000 price point.
- Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) will hold a session at 3 p.m. called “Closing the Deal — How to Convert Shoppers into Buyers,” which promises strategies to help member dealers beat their competition.
- At 5 p.m., England Furniture will hold a session instructing furniture dealers on “How to Succeed with Special Order Upholstery.”
And There’s More
Some of the product training sessions are being in held in conjunction with ServiceSource, to provide hands-on information for servicing dealers.
Those include:
- American VULKAN Corporation: LOKRING Theory and Application with R600a
- Procter & Gamble: Troubleshooting Dishwashers and Laundry Performance – Is It Something Other Than the Machine?
Additional sessions offer insights from vendors and suppliers that can play a huge role in members’ success:
- At noon, home furnishings company Surya is offering a session about how to use accessories to add incremental sales.
- At 1 p.m., Octillion’s session on winning new customers with streaming and digital media breaches the divide between technical training and digital advancements.
- At 3 p.m., AVB’s Justin Bowen will lead a training session on furniture website merchandising.
- At 4 p.m. and again at 5 p.m., New Leaf will get into the details of implementing an extended service policy and why it’s important.
That’s Just the Beginning
After the product training sessions conclude at 6 p.m., the sports-themed All-Star Welcome Reception kicks off at 7 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to wear their favorite team or athlete’s gear to ramp up the fun. The learning continues on Monday with a full lineup of education sessions, leading into the frenzied fun of Stampede and then the special Women in Business Bunco Night.
Beginning Tuesday at 10 a.m., the EXPO floor opens with a full lineup of giveaways, special events and unmissable opportunities to meet with vendors.
For the full Convention agenda, click here.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
