BrandSource Members Gear Up for Annual Summit in the Sun

The countdown to BrandSource’s first Summit & Expo of 2017 has officially begun as members eagerly await the 3-day event, beginning on March 5th at the Orlando Marriott World Center in Orlando, Florida. The itinerary is packed with a whole host of educational seminars, informative lectures, booth exhibits, and product training sessions designed to keep members informed about the latest industry technologies and the most advanced sales techniques. Members are also invited to a variety of fun social activities such as the 5K Light the Night Glow Run with all proceeds supporting Disabled American Veterans and the Annual Butch DuBose Charity Golf Tournament. Since BrandSource prides itself on offering its members the tools to improve their businesses and increase their revenues, the Summit’s primary focus has always been education. For this reason, a multitude of helpful seminars are included on the itinerary this year. With such titles as “Creating a High Performance Culture” by Joe Higgins, “Winning Moments That Matter” by Andrew Leonard from Google, Inc., and “Driving Business Innovation and Improvement” by Jeff Caldwell, there is no shortage of interesting topics to inspire members. The lineup of guest speakers on March 7^th is particular notable in that it will feature addresses by BrandSource CEO Jim Ristow, as well as a keynote from legendary football coach Steve Spurrier. Spurrier, who led the University of Florida Gators to a national championship in 1996, is scheduled to give a speech entitled “Doing Things That Have Never Been Done Before.” The former Heisman Trophy winner and seven-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year is a welcomed addition to BrandSource’s impressive array of prominent guest speakers. Along with its impressive lineup of seminars and guest lecturers, BrandSource also offers an exciting combination of booth exhibits and training sessions. Both are designed to further educate members about new products and to offer helpful tips on how to transform their businesses using updated ideas and strategies. Throughout the Summit, there are individual manufacturer product training sessions offered by Electrolux, GE, LG, and Whirlpool as well as vendor/dealer roundtable discussions. This year members will be greeted by many new vendors well- MasterBrand Cabinets is new to the group and can help dealers get into the cabinet business. Another is Duro/NXR which sells professionals ranges at unbelievable prices. Members should also stop by the Franke booth where they can check out high-end faucets and fixtures- a great addition to any appliance show room. We’re also excited for members to check out the SleepSource Mattress Gallery presented by Serta. Lastly be sure to check out Snap to Frame, a unique new photo tool to help you create incredible gallery walls for your store and your home. AVB TV will be at the Summit located in the Diamond Suite Sunday through Tuesday at noon to work with members on personalized store videos.  As soon as the Expo opens the AVB TV crew will be located on the show floor in the AVB TV Studio and will be available to record individual custom store videos during show hours.  Members can collaborate with one of our talented hosts – Abby Wathen and Sonya Davis who will appear on camera with members. Our Women in Business group will be hosting a meeting where attendees will hear from Speaker, Katee Van Horn, VP of Global Engagement & Inclusion for GoDaddy. Katee will educate the group on 2017 goal setting and staying motivated to have your “best year yet.” Our Young Professionals group will be hosting a meeting as well where they will hear from Daniel Abramson on “Selling Smart by Understanding the Four Personality Types” helping them effectively communicate with peers, managers, and their consumers. Lastly it wouldn’t be the Summit without the always-anticipated Stampede where vendors offer their most exclusive deep discounted specials to members for a limited time only. In addition to the stampede we are also hosting a “Hot Show” which is focused on furniture deals at unbelievable prices. You must be there to buy so don’t miss this year’s specials! The impending Summit in Orlando celebrates what is shaping up to be another great year for BrandSource and its ever-thriving membership. It is our belief that the best days of our family of independent dealers truly lie ahead. About AVB Associated Volume Buyers (AVB) is a member-owned merchandising group with more than $17 billion in annual retail sales, nearly 4,500 independent members and over 8,000 stores in the North America. AVB has many active strategic alliances and Divisions, which include:  BrandSource, Canada’s Mega Group, TRIB the industry’s premier rent-to-own group, ProSource the largest consumer electronics group in the US, and the newly formed home furnishings buying group HFA Buying Source, managed exclusively for HFA. As the largest unified merchandising group by number of members and volume in North America, AVB has the ability to negotiate strong programs with manufacturers and service providers in order keep its independent retailer members relevant and competitive in the consumer marketplace. Please visit www.brandsource.com or joinbrandsource.com for more information. Media Contact: Jennifer Baldwin BrandSource 714/984-6644 Jennifer.Baldwin@BrandSource.com