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ClosetCon 2017 Recap

If you couldn’t attend ClosetCon this year – you missed a great show. Attendee and exhibitor numbers were the biggest since the recession.

Keynote speaker Chris Stevens – one of the founders of the Keurig energized the crowd and discussed how we could become great entrepreneurs.  No matter how big or small your company is – his message resonated with everyone.

The ribbon was cut and the show floor was packed for two days.

Here are a few pics from my booth –

The items that got the most attention was the drying rack, step stool, our new Vertiko wall system, our multifunctional bed that opens over the couch without removing any of the pillows and our new bi-folding door hardware that also slides giving full access to the cabinet.

Richelieu sponsored the red carpet Top Shelf Awards Party – attendees had a great time posing for the paparazzi.

One of the best parts of attending ClosetCon is laughing and partying with great friends.  Pics taken by the best selfie taker I know – Patrick Layne – follow him on Instagram @PatrickLayne

If you would like more info about any of the new products Richelieu had on display please send me an email or leave a comment below.

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The ACSP Is Hard At Work For YOU!

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Most of you know that I have am the current President of The Association of Closet & Storage Professionals and been on the board for the last 10 years.

If I’m being honest with you it’s not always rainbows and unicorns – there was a stretch when it was actually a little painful –

BUT – The ACSP is BACK!!

We are having fun again, people are getting involved, and new members are joining.

Our monthly webinar series is catching on –  The April webinar “Mistakes Your Designers Are Making That Are Costing You Money” had 63 people register.

The Closet Conference was busier than it’s been in years with almost two full days of educational content.  Expo attendance was up, there were over 25 first time exhibitors and more machines on display than ever before.

If that wasn’t enough good news – The ACSP is getting ready to roll out a brand new website – I know it’s been a long time coming…

I can’t wait for you to see it!

It will have a responsive design and be SEO friendly – (computer speak for work on your iPad and rank at the top on Google) 🙂

With this redesign we aren’t just targeting our members we are planning to speak to homeowners. There will be a blog and a member profile page so that you can upload photos and target potential customers. We want to drive traffic to YOUR site and promote YOU!

Other features include:

  • Lead sharing
  • Find a pro
  • Message board
  • Access to past webinars and the list goes on…

The new site is scheduled for the beginning of June and is going to make a HUGE impact for the ACSP, our members and our industry.

We also started discussions with Woodworking Network for next year’s Closet Conference on April 11th – 13th in Schaumburg, IL.

For the FIRST time ever we are planning to test and certify your designers at the conference. Your designers will be able to attend the Closet Conference, walk the show floor and take the ACSP Certification Test all in the same day!!

Can you think of a better way to standout in your market than having all of your designers being ACSP Certified??

I am very excited for the coming year and the future of the ACSP. I hope you will join us because it’s going to be some ride!!!

To become a member or get involved email me at RichDeMarco@optonline.net

Stay tuned for more to come…

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Closet Conference 2016 Was A Huge Success

Leaving the office is never easy – the build up the week before is like trying to squeeze a pullout hamper into an overloaded closet…

But boy is it worth it!!

Can you think of a better way to recharge and get ready for the busy time of year?

People were catching up all night long. New friends and old –

The Closet Conference and Expo is my favorite show – it’s the only show that has two days of educational sessions geared specifically for our industry.

The Conference kicked off with John McDonald from Semihandmade. He told his story of how he came up with the idea for building doors for IKEA cabinetry, the hurdles that he had to overcome and what his plan is for future growth. It was a very interesting business model.

Lisa Adams presented on Tuesday and Wednesday – her first session was Designing High End Closets, her second session was the concept of the Million Dollar Closet. The way that she markets her company is unbelievable. She has created a personal brand that allows her to charge $30,000 for a 10 x 10 walk in closet!! Most of the audience fell of their chairs when they heard that… She cut the ribbon to the expo and posed for plenty of selfies… 🙂

Denise Butchko and Wendy Scott presented ideas to create High End Closets on a Budget. This session was so good that the Q & A ran for an extra 30 minutes – Attendees learned tricks like applying painted wood mouldings to MDF panels or how to create a jewelry cabinet. Everyone left with new design ideas.

Richelieu and Hafele showed off their new hardware, Erik Huberman discussed Marketing Your Closet Business and The Osborne Ideation Breakfast is always a great time to share ideas and learn about each other’s business.

The show floor opened up Wednesday morning and attendees rushed in to see the newest hardware, look under the hood of the latest machinery (literally), and demo the different design software on the market.

Everyone that attended seemed happy to be there and more importantly everyone got something out of it. If you couldn’t attend this year, be sure to mark your calendar for next year – April 11th – 13th in Schaumburg.

The ACSP has plans next year to test designers on Thursday so that your sales team could leave as Certified Designers… Wouldn’t that be a great way to standout in your market??

Your turn – what did you think of Pasadena? What was your favorite part of the show?

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