WithIt header
June 2010
In This Issue
Calling All WithIt Members
Conference Early Registration Deadline JULY 1st
AmericasMart Atlanta Seminar
Las Vegas Market Events Announced
Country Living Green House Tour
2010 Scholarship Winners Announced
Conference Hotel Reservation Deadline JULY 18
WITHIT SCHEDULE
OF EVENTS

Atlanta/SE Region
Friday, July 16th
9:00-10:00 am
AmericasMart Atlanta
Building 1, 10th Floor
Room 1003

"3 Simple Ways to Keep Your Clients Hot, Happy and Buying!" presented by Melissa Galt
RSVP: Heather Brown


Las Vegas/West Region
Monday, August 2nd
3pm - 4:30pm, Bldg B 16th floor, Club 16 (1 hr presentation with reception following)

WithIt Presents:  "Meet the Minds in Luxury Residential Interiors"
What's successful now in luxury residential interior design, challenges & responsibilities, and what's coming next.
RSVP: www.withit.org

Monday, August 2nd 5pm-till
Phillips Collection A202

NETWORK MIXER
Sponsored by Phillips Collection

Tuesday, August 3rd 2:30-5:30pm

WithIt & Van Cleef & Arpels Present  
Luxury Champagne Tour: CityCenter Art & Architecture

TOUR SCHEDULE:
2:30pm Meet in WMCLV lobby, board luxury coach.
3pm Arrive CityCenter, escorted to Van Cleef & Arpels, champagne & hors d'oeuvres.
3:30-5pm Tour, guided by CityCenter representatives.
5pm Board luxury coach for return to WMCLV, or stay for reception at CityCenter.


Sponsored by WMCLV, WithIt, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Free to registered market attendees.
RSVP:
www.withit.org

WithIt Professional Conference

Tuesday-Thursday August 17-19th
Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel
Charlotte, NC
Register!
 
WOW Awards Dinner
Wednesday, August 18th
6:30pm-9:00pm
 
For more information and to www.withit.org.

 
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
 
 Kathy Coupland
Vanderveer Imports, LLC
Raleigh, NC

Kris Coupland
Vanderveer Imports, LLC
Raleigh, NC

Tracy Ann Lawther
Stoney Creek Furniture
Canada

Rose Anna Leahy
Protect-A-Bed
Haverford, PA

Mikala Moller
Orian Rugs
Anderson, SC

Sarah Youngblood
Youngblood Interiors
Alpharetta, GA


WITHIT SPONSORS
220 Elm
Adesso, Inc.
AF Lighting
American Home Furnishings Alliance
American Leather
AmericasMart, Atlanta
BDI
BioH®/Cargill
Broyhill Furniture Industries
Circle Furniture
Country Living Magazine
CRYSTALLIZED® - Swarovski Elements
Cohen Tauber Spievack & Wagner, P.C.
Cutters Productions
Dallas Market Center
DeLeo Textiles
Dovetail Alliance Inc.
Ekornes
Emdee International
Four Hands
Frinier LLC
Furniture Brands International
FurnitureDealer.net
Furniture/Today magazine
Gefen Productions
HB2 Resources
Hickory Chair
Home Furnishings Business
Hometex/Dreamfit
Human Touch
Info Retail
Jeff Cook
Jena Hall
Hickory Chair
IHFC
Judy George Int'l
Leggett & Platt, Inc.
Lexington Home Brands
Loeffler Ketchum Mountjoy
Melissa Galt Inc.
Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., High Point
Natuzzi Americas, Inc.
Palliser
P.D. Design Studio Ltd.
Planned Furniture Promotions, Inc.
PROFITsystems, Inc.
Rowe Fine Furniture
Safavieh Home Furnishings
Sligh Furniture Company
Smith Leonard PLLC
South of Seventh Avenue
Stanley Furniture Company, Inc.
Starmount Home Furnishings/Nautica
Sunbrella
Sustainable Furnishings Council
The Media Matters, Inc.
Thomasville Home Furnishings of NJ
Tomlinson Erwin-Lambeth Directional Carter
Ultrasuede
ViewIt Technologies
WhipSmart Creative, Inc.
World Market Center Las Vegas
Wray Ward
Wright of Thomasville

QUICK LINKS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FOUNDATION
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Bridge headerCalling Each and Every WithIt Member...
You're Invited


What if you could...
  • Use your WithIt membership to get you where you want to go.
  • Meet like-minded locals. Align with your peers.
  • Shape strategy. Feed into the management process. Apply your personal sense of purpose.
Well in actuality, these opportunities exist everyday. Here the door is always open. In fact, there is no door. There is no ceiling. There is no one on a higher floor. You are the person in power. All that's left to do is to claim it.

1st Annual Meeting, Wed.Aug.17, 4:30pm
Renaissance Charlotte Suites, Charlotte NC

WithIt's first universal annual meeting is scheduled just prior to opening our conference.

This meeting is the only place in the world where you'll find home and furnishings' most amazing female talents. All in one room.

We'll start with the business part. Hear about inner workings. Member benefits. The 3-year plan based on your wishes. Ask questions. Have your say. Tell us what you'd like WithIt to do for your life and your business. Then. . .

A Surprise. And It's Pretty

That's all I can say. Or I'll blow the surprise. But every attending member will get one. Followed by. . .

The Great Meet & Greet

A huge group of peers is a huge advantage. How'd you like to personally meet every single member of our powerful base. Face to face.

Here's your chance. We'll devote the last half of our meeting to something like "speed meeting," the Great Meet & Greet. You'll walk out of that room with a business card, smile, and welcome from every single WithIt member in attendance.

Through these people and this network, you have the power to bring more female talent into the leadership of home and furnishings. To grow your leadership skills. To improve your business.

Through the structure and support of this organization, you have the power to make a difference in the world. Personally. Locally. Universally.

WithIt is a gift. And it is a gift that some give but never choose to receive.

Come receive your gift. Come claim your power.

I remain, Your friend in WithIt,

Stephanie Lowder
2010 WithIt President
Rare Bird Creative
MARKETING
2010 ProfConf

Early Registration Deadline
July 1st!
WithIt's Professional Conference is the best value for Leadership Training! Don't miss the opportunities.

Early Registration prices:
Members - $175   Non-members - $350
After July 1:
Members - $225  Non-members - $425
  • Networking: Industry Leaders and individuals from service, manufacturing and retail companies attend this conference every year. Social events and group discussions are a great way to grow your network!
  • Learn from Industry Experts: Prominent experts from both inside and outside of the home furnishings industry lead our sessions, you will be gaining knowledge from an extraordinary group of individuals.
  • Customized Conference: The WithIt conference gives you the chance to focus on the leadership topics and issues that are important to you and your company. Whether your company wants to improve their managerial skills, communication or business strategy, the 2010 Professional Conference will help you take it to the next level.
  • Relevant Business Topics: The WithIt conference will cover leadership topics that can apply in almost any business setting! Whether your company is business-to-business, business-to-consumer or both, topics in leadership, social media, communication and strategy will apply to your everyday interactions.
  • Share the Knowledge: After you attend and learn at the 2010 WithIt Conference, you can teach all that you learn to your co-workers! Not only will you benefit from this conference, your whole team will!
You can still sign up for mentors and pre-conference workshops even if you have already signed up for the conference. Don't forget to sign up for your round table selections!

Register Today!

ATLANTA/SOUTHEAST REGION PRESENTS
Melissa Galt
Melissa Galt
3 Super Simple Ways to Keep Your Clients Hot, Happy and Buying!
Presented by Relationship Marketing Specialist Melissa Galt

Friday, July 16th
9:00-10:00 am
AmericasMart Building 1, 10th Floor, Room 1003

Learn how to tap the power of blogging, article marketing, and ezines to share you and your company's expertise, services, products and personality. These proven tactics will boost your visibility (SEO) and credibility by providing simple syndication opportunities to drive your messaging and your value both deep and wide. These tested low cost and time effective tools feed easily off one another, saving you time while boosting profit opportunities.

Sponsored by AmericasMart, Atlanta.

To RSVP or learn more about the Atlanta/Southeast Region, contact Heather Brown.

LAS VEGAS/WEST REGION PRESENTS
Las Vegas Market Events
Monday, August 2

3pm - 4:30pm, Bldg B 16th floor, Club 16 (1 hr presentation with reception following)
WithIt Presents: "Meet the Minds in Luxury Residential Interiors"
What's successful now in luxury residential interior design, challenges & responsibilities, and what's coming next.

PANEL:
Kay Lang, president & ceo of Kay Lang + Associates, Los Angeles CA., internationally recognized designer for 5-star luxury residential properties worldwide, City Center's Mandarin Oriental luxury residences, Ritz Carlton Residential properties.
Jennifer Matthews, national publisher, LUXE Interiors + Design Magazine, showcasing fine architecture and design for the affluent reader, with 12 editions nationwide and a combined distribution of over 400,000.
Lee Lundquist, designer at Robb & Stucky Interiors, Las Vegas. Robb & Stucky is the largest high-end interior design firm in the U.S., a nationally recognized and award-winning interior design and premier home furnishings retailer.
Leigh Mitchell, luxury residential resort consultant, VP of marketing at Dahlgren Duck & Associates, a supplier of turnkey luxury home packages to destinations worldwide.

Sponsored by World Market Center Las Vegas and WithIt
Free to registered market attendees, RSVP required at www.withit.org

Monday, August 2
5pm-till, Phillips Collection A202
NETWORK MIXER: It Takes A Community
Come join the Phillips Collection and five industry associations - WithIt, the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC), Young Home Furnishings Professionals (YHFP), the Accessories Resource Team (A.R.T.); and the American Society of Furniture Designers (ASFD) - for conversation, wine, hors d'oeuvres. In this Age of Access, everything is interconnected and nothing beats networking face to face. Industry excellence and influence multiplied. Enjoy.
 
Sponsored by Phillips Collection and WithIt, SFC, YHFP, A.R.T., ASFD.

Bridge headerTuesday, August 3
2:30-5:30pm
WithIt & Van Cleef & Arpels Present  
Luxury Champagne Tour: CityCenter Art & Architecture

CityCenter, opened December 2009, is a 67-acre urban community and an astonishing world destination filled with fine art and spectacular architecture. Properties showcase design by an incomparable group of architects, including Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, RV Architecture led by Rafael Vinoly, Helmut Jahn, Studio Daniel Libeskind, Rockwell Group, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Foster + Partners, and Gensler. CityCenter Fine Art Collection, the first major collection of contemporary art in Las Vegas to be integrated into public space, features work by 15 internationally renowned artists including Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Nancy Rubins, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Frank Stella, Henry Moore, and Richard Long.

LV City CenterTOUR SCHEDULE:
2:30pm Meet in World Market Center Las Vegas lobby (check www.withit.org for final meeting location), board luxury coach.
3pm Arrive CityCenter, escorted to Van Cleef & Arpels, champagne & hors d'oeuvres.
3:30-5pm Tour, guided by CityCenter representatives.
5pm Board luxury coach for return to World Market Center Las Vegas, or stay for reception at CityCenter.

Sponsored by World Market Center Las Vegas, WithIt, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Free to registered market attendees, RSVP required at
www.withit.org

To learn more about Las Vegas/West region, contact Kassie Smith.
 
REGIONAL EVENTS
Northeast Chapter Goes Green
CL HouseWithIt's Northeast Region hosted an exclusive tour of the Country Living 2010 House of the Year for members and guests, including New York ASID board members. Mark Jupiter, co-founder of New World Home, the manufacturer of the modular house, gave the group of 10 an insider's tour of the Platinum LEED-certified home.
 
"It was amazing to see new building technology, and its attention to water conservation, recycled wood products, and emissions and energy reductions," said WithIt Northeast Regional Vice President Jana Platina Phipps. "The way this modular new construction builds out, you could live in a green home in four months. It's a well-designed, innovative and charming space."
 
Robert Allen's Germaine Murray, Paula Sema and LeShay Tucker.
Bridge header
Betty Lyn Eller, project manager for Country Living and dedicated WithIt member, spoke about the interiors and participating vendors' sustainable practices and products, including Benjamin Moore's low-VOC paints; Lee Industries' soy upholstery cushions and recycled metal springs; chairs covered in luxury Sensuede, a recycled polyester fabric; re-purposed antiques; and wallpaper from Brimfield.  
 
The collaboration between New World Home and Country Living addresses a huge segment of homebuyers interested in a more classic style of modular home, a far departure from the contemporary architecture one usually sees in the genre, according to Eller.
 
WithIt would like to thank Country Living, New World Home and Betty Lyn Eller for the tour.
 
Bridge header

Tour attendees, left to right: Pedro Lima, Ann McInnis, Germaine Murray, Susan Anthony, LeShay Tucker, Paula Sema, Deborah Klein, Scott Ageloff, Mark Jupiter and Betty Lyn Eller.



CLTo see a video of the one-day construction, click here.







 
To learn more about the Metro NY/Northeast Region, contact Jana Platina Phipps.
FUNDRAISING
2010 Scholarship Winners Announced
WithIt has awarded two Jena and Stephen R. Hall Scholarships to students pursuing degrees in fields related to design and home industries.
 
Sarah Callaham
Scholarship winner
Sarah K. Callaham, an Appalachian State University student pursuing degrees in architectural technology/design and interior design, and Amarinh Kongmanivong, an interior design student attending Randolph Community College, are the 2010 recipients. Each earns $2,500, which is to be applied toward tuition expenses.
 
"WithIt is pleased to award this year's ambitious recipients, one of whom is just beginning her college experience while the other is a career-change professional who is following her passion for design after a multi-year military career," said WithIt's Scholarship Foundation Vice President Cameron Cook, Public Relations Manager for Four Hands.
 
Amarinh Kongmanivong
Bridge header
Scholarships are presented annually in July to college students enrolled full-time in fields of study that will lead to careers in the home and furnishing industries, including decorative accessory design, architectural design, forestry, furniture design, textile design, graphic design, interior architecture, sustainable design or other majors related to the home and furnishings industries.
 
WithIt accepts donations to its scholarship funds year-round.
 
"The donations go directly to our foundation and are used for scholarships and student activities only," Cook said. "As tough as the recession has been, we are looking to the future and growth of our industry. Young people will create the next generation of successes. Your generosity is needed and appreciated."
 
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation.
If you are a university interested in our scholarship program, contact WithIt.
 
HOUSEKEEPING
  2010 ProfConf
Deadline for Education Conference Hotel Rate
July 18 is the deadline for securing a room at the host hotel for WithIt's 2010 educational conference. Contact the Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel, Charlotte, NC, at 800.266.9432. When making reservations, identify yourself as with the WithIt leadership conference to receive the room discount, which is $119 a night.
 
Have a story idea for an upcoming e-newsletter edition? Submit your ideas to Julie Smith Vincenti, Vice President-Media.

WithIt, Inc.
PO Box 35362
Greensboro, NC 27425
www.withit.org


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