101 S. Hamilton St. Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line) Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Corporate Phone: 336.822.8888
Universal Furniture International, Inc.
Add to MyMarketUniversal Furniture creates quality furnishings for the whole home with a focus on function and lifestyle. The company’s casegood, upholstery, accent and accessory designs are developed under the brand names Universal Furniture, Miranda Kerr Home, and Coastal Living, and sold through retailers and interior designers throughout North America and around the world. Founded in 1968, Universal Furniture is a brand of Samson Holdings, one of the world’s largest vertically integrated furniture manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.universalfurniture.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest @UniversalFurn.
Designing for Showhouses
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Showhouses can serve as a launching pad for designers to showcase their talent and gain recognition within the industry. This panel will delve into the practical considerations faced by designers, including budget constraints, time limitations, and the need to strike a balance between functionality and aesthetics. Join us for an engaging discussion that brings together a diverse group of interior designers from various backgrounds, localities, and showhouses to share their valuable experiences.
Speakers: Kesha Franklin, Rydhima Brar, Andrew Suvalsky, Everick Brown, Kristin Bartone, Byron Cordero
Behind The Scenes: Creating Your Brand, Your Voice, Your Image
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Unlock Your Brand's Essence: Empowering Panel on Amplifying Your Voice and Image! Join visionary experts in this captivating discussion, crafting a brand that reflects you and makes an unforgettable impact, igniting a transformative journey of self-expression and design brilliance.
Speakers: Antonio DeLoatch, DuVal Reynolds, Jessica Robb, Tina Ramchandani, Venjhamin Reyes
How to Set Flat Rates to Earn More with Less Stress
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Tired of losing hours each week creating and adjusting hourly invoices? Ready to trade tracking time for earning what you deserve all the time? Then join designer business coach, Melissa Galt for this masterclass in how to set flat rates with defined deliverables, so your profit is protected and your client has confidence and clarity. The added bonus is you’ll know your cash flow at all times and your client can manage their interior investment with ease.
Speakers: Melissa Galt
The Value Proposition of Market: Cultivating, and Stewarding Diverse Market Relationships
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Panelists will share their experiences, strategies, and best practices for cultivating and nurturing relationships that resonate across a variety of market segments. They will offer practical insight on how they have adapted their market schedule to align with the goals set for their business. You won't want to miss this masterclass on leveraging every moment the largest international home furniture market has to offer, from planned heavy hitter events, to chance encounters.
Speakers: Ashley Ross, Arianne Bellizaire, Kathy Kuo, Joanna Saltz
Diversifying Your Revenue Stream
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Join us for an insightful discussion between three prominent designers about the ways they diversify their revenue streams in our industry today. From affiliate marketing to investing in real estate, our panel has years of combined experience expanding their sources of income in a variety of successful ways. Session followed by a champagne toast in the Designers Lounge to celebrate the launch of the Designer Alliance.
Speakers: Sara Malek Barney, Lucy Penfield, Lisa Brown, LuAnn Nigara
RUE MAGAZINE Presents: The Brains Behind Cupcakes & Cashmere
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
The OG of fashion and style blogging--Emily Schuman--launched Cupcakes and Cashmere in 2008 and grew it into a must-read, aspirational lifestyle brand that has millions of visitors to her blog and social media platforms. Joined by her husband Geoffrey Fuller, the brand has expanded into robust e-commerce platforms, bestselling books, licensed product lines and a new luxury candle brand called Lavune. In this rare chat, RUE’s Editorial Director Kelli Lamb talks to the dynamic duo to understand how they built this from blog to bona-fide brand and how they pivot in an ever-changing media landscape. Discover their tricks, tips and insight that you can apply to your own business.
Speakers: Kelli Lamb, Emily Schuman, Geoffrey Fuller
Tell the Truth: What Real Designers Do to Win at Business
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
How do you collect coveted referrals from clients? What tips help take clients’ minds from money-driven to design-loving? Pearl Collective will lead a lively and real-life discussion with interior design pros, Cheryl Luckett and Tina Ramchandani, on these and many other hot-button topics. We’ll also look at the newly-released results from the 2023 Interior Design Business Survey to find how others are rising to the top and how you can put some of these smart ideas into practice in your firm.
Speakers: Gail Doby, Erin Weir, Cheryl Luckett, Tina Ramchandani
Streamline Your Purchasing Processes
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Purchasing is one of the most important aspects of running a successful firm. Learn processes, tips, and tricks from the experts on how to budget for and streamline your purchasing process and optimize your relationships with vendors to keep your projects running smoothly and your clients satisfied. Understanding the full cost of purchasing (ie your time commitment); How much time to budget for purchasing and procurement; Why the best price isn’t necessarily the lowest cost for you.
Speakers: Rick Campos, Kate Lester, Peter Mitchell, Bria Hammel
Designing for the Elite: Prep Your Business to Serve High-End Clients
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Ready to take your interior design business to new heights and attract dream clients? Join Sandra Funk's game-changing workshop on scaling your interior design business and watch your success soar. She will guide you through proven strategies and techniques to effectively scale your business and cater to the needs of high-end clients. Discover how to price your projects for maximum profitability in the luxury market; master the art of creating an exceptional client experience; and scale your business while doing what you absolutely love.
Speakers: Sandra Funk
The New Interior Design Services Pricing Model
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
The design industry is constantly evolving and so should the pricing models of interior designers! In this detailed and actionable presentation, you will learn brand new ways to: 1) Price your services for guaranteed profit and project pleasure, 2) Develop specific types of design services that your clients can choose a la carte to fit their needs, 3) Detail the deliverables of your services for project functionality and client satisfaction. You will leave this presentation armed with all of the methods to start pricing your services profitably, easily, and fairly for all involved while charging your value, in a brand-new and effective way!
Speakers: John McClain
The Six S's of Success to Get Published: a Six-step Blueprint to Help Get You Published
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Attendees will gain valuable insights into each stage of the publishing process, from crafting a captivating visual story of their design project to submitting their work. If you're an interior designer, architect, builder or just starting your business, I'd like to help you incorporate my successful workflow into your existing process. For some, rethinking your procedure will be a paradigm shift in how you approach marketing your brand and design projects.
Speakers: Tori Sikkema
Unveiling the Future: The Power of 3D Renderings for Project Profitability and Client Satisfaction
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Discover how interior design renderings drive greater project profitability by streamlining decision-making, reducing costly changes, and fostering seamless communication among project stakeholders. Delve into real-life case studies, where renderings have enhanced budgeting accuracy and accelerated project timelines, resulting in substantial cost savings for clients and design firms alike.
Speakers: Camia Brown, Fernando Duque, LuAnn Nigara, Kelly O’Neil
Marketing for Designers: Tips and Advice from the Home Industry's Top Agencies
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Designers know that building a successful brand relies on three things: defining a strong message, an investment in consistent marketing across multiple channels, and a PR plan to activate it. Join an interactive panel discussion from top marketing professionals specialized in the home industry as they weigh in on 2024 industry trends and marketing best practices, where to invest your marketing dollars first, and how they’re supporting clients with innovative campaigns. Gain actionable tips and advice while getting to know agency owners with a mission to support interior designers and home brands in growing their business.
Speakers: Ericka Saurit, Franziska Neuman, Jennifer Smiga, Molly Schoneveld, Michelle Peranteau, Tori Sikkema
AI and Metaverse Activations: New Pathways To Profit For Interior Designers, Retailers and Manufacturers
Educational Universal Furniture International, Inc., 101 S. Hamilton St. Neighborhood: Commerce Concourse Shuttle Stop: 15 (Red Line)
Artificial intelligence and metaverse activations are the next frontier in digital marketing revenue opportunities for interior designers and home related manufacturers and retailers. Learn how these two technologies can be used together - in ethical ways - to move your business powerfully forward and pave new pathways to profit and publicity in 2023 and beyond.
Speakers: Leslie Carothers
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE EXPANDS SPECIAL ORDER UPHOLSTERY PROGRAM FOR RETAILERS AMID SUCCESSFUL YEAR
After a successful year of furniture sales, marketing programs and collection extensions, Universal Furniture is expanding its year-old UChoose special order upholstery program with contemporary styles, named Modern UChoose. The program will offer two seat depth options as well.
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE BROADENS ITS MODERN COLLECTION WITH RECORD NUMBER OF WARM, CASUAL AND LUXURIOUS DESIGNS
This fall, Universal Furniture's Modern Collection embraces a fusion of luxurious, yet casual, design elements in its largest introduction ever. Drawing inspiration from global styles and incorporating materials reminiscent of upscale hotels, the new additions feel grounded and approachable.
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE AND STANTON RUG COMPANY LAUNCH RETAILER RUG PROGRAM
Universal Furniture and Stanton Rug Company are partnering on a rug program for retailers that features Stanton’s new line of in-stock, pre-sized area rugs. Launching at High Point Market this October, the program will be available to all Universal Furniture’s retail partners.
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE UNVEILS EXTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR OCTOBER 2023 MARKET
Universal Furniture, creator of stylish yet functional home furnishings for the whole home has announced its schedule of Learning Center events to take place during October Furniture Market. Scheduled from Friday, October 13, through Tuesday, October 17.
UNIVERSAL DEBUTS NEWLY UPDATED FORMS WITH A HINT OF THE PAST
Classics come modern with Universal Furniture’s Newstalgia collection, debuting at this fall’s High Point Furniture Market. With updated styles for today that have origins in yesteryear, Newstalgia brings timeless silhouettes up to date with clean architectural elements and fresh finishes.
ERINN V. x UNIVERSAL FURNITURE COMPLETE LINE DEBUTS AT FALL MARKET
Los Angeles based interior and product designer Erinn Valencich and Universal Furniture offered an amuse-bouche of their bold and progressive collaboration at High Point Market in the spring. This fall, they’ll be serving the main course.
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE TO HOST HALF UNITED AT FALL MARKET
Universal Furniture will host nonprofit HALF UNITED at its showroom and Learning Center during High Point Market this fall. HALF UNITED is a North Carolina-based brand that fights hunger and poverty through the sale of home goods and apparel made by artisans in Haiti, Peru, Mexico and other countrie
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE ANNOUNCES OCTOBER 2022 MARKET EVENTS
Universal Furniture’s in-person learning events ramp up to speed this fall, featuring industry heavy hitters like Traditional Home’s Krissa Rossbund, product and interior designer Erinn Valencich, interior design coach Gail Doby, and interior design business coach and author Melissa Galt.
ERINN V. x UNIVERSAL FURNITURE ENGAGES IN BOLD, MODERN RISKS FOR A STUNNING PAYOFF
Described as bold and progressive, the collaboration between Los Angeles based interior and product designer Erinn Valencich and Universal Furniture debuts this spring to deliver a fashion forward furnishings collection with modern European, Japanese and California influences
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE DEBUTS FABRIC DESIGNED BY LOCAL ART INGENUE
Universal Furniture is pleased to announce a special addition to their Spring Market showroom—the Bahia Honda Accent Chair upholstered in a custom Kandinsky-inspired fabric created by high school junior Isabella Rocque. The chair will be part of a silent auction at the Universal showroom.
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE UNVEILS UPDATED DESIGNER’S LOUNGE
Universal Furniture is pleased to announce a completely re-imagined Designer’s Lounge, just in time for Spring Market. Open Friday, April 1 from noon – 6 p.m. and April 2-5 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Universal’s Designer Lounge is sponsored by RUE Magazine and features Crypton Home Fabric + Regina Andrew