Educational Seminars Las Vegas Market

Las Vegas, NV, June 28, 2006--Seminars on the latest in design trends and colors, in addition to innovative business approaches, will highlight the Las Vegas Market, to be held July 24 – July 28, 2006. Special events, including a free live performance by country music great Tracy Lawrence at the Fremont Street Experience, are set for every evening of the market. Educational Events offered by World Market Center at the Las Vegas Convention Center World Market Center is sponsoring seminars delving into the most recent design trends and use of colors in the home furnishings industry, all of which are free to attendees of Las Vegas Market. These special featured attractions will take place July 25 and July 26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. •“Colorwatch Seminar” hosted by Margaret Walch, director of the Color Association, focuses on the industry’s most current color trends. Walch, a leading authority on the use of color, is a co-author of The Color Compendium and Living Colors: The Definitive Guide to Color Palettes Through The Ages. She has spoken to Fortune 500 companies and national groups such as Nike, Mohawk Industries, and the American Society of Interior Designers. Sponsored by World Market Center and Vance Publishing, this seminar will take place Tuesday, July 25 from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, room S226. •“Hot Trends and Timeless Traditions: What’s Selling, who’s buying and where are they shopping?” features Mary Liz Curtin, a speaker and industry consultant specializing in the gift and home furnishings industries, as she focuses on customers and their purchase preferences today. The seminar, sponsored by Withit Inc. and eBay, explores recent trends, newest colors and hottest products. Curtin will highlight what’s in, what’s out and what to expect next year on Tuesday, July 25 from 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, room S226. •“Trend watch Live!” hosted by renowned home trend analyst Michelle Lamb, takes her popular Trendwatch column in Accessory Merchandising magazine from the page to the stage. A popular speaker at past markets, Lamb returns to share her home fashion insight, gained from traveling to trade shows worldwide. Find out which colors, motifs and moods will impact tomorrow's décor styles based on the latest looks from a global perspective on Wednesday, July 26 from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, room S226. •“Working with Italian Manufacturers” features International Business Consultant Massimiliano De Simoni offering insights regarding importing from Italy. Attendees will learn about developing relationships with Italian manufacturers, including where to find them and how to work with them. This session also presents an outstanding opportunity to meet representatives of up-and-coming Italian furniture lines. Stop by and meet Massimiliano De Simoni Tuesday, July 25 from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Las Vegas Convention Center, room S228. Seminar Highlights presented by WHFA in the Retailer Resource Center at World Market Center The Western Home Furnishings Association (WHFA) – the largest affiliate of the National Home Furnishings Association – will present the Academy Training Series, a four-part program created for the design community, which during the July 2006 market is spotlighting ways to better brand company images and increase customer awareness. Seminar topics in the series include: •Think Like a Brand, Act Like a Retailer ~ How To Make Your Store More Important Than Anything You Sell •How To Make Your Store Name the Brand Name •The "Nip/Tuck" Marketing Seminar •Inside Marketing Your Store 101 Speakers include Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender of Kizer and Bender; Leo Levinson of Prescott/Levinson Advertising; Steve Hurwitz of JRM Sales & Management, Inc.; and Willie Davis of R&A Marketing.