Last year, OFDA opened its conference with three Sunday afternoon workshops that provided in-depth interactive presentations on leadership, sales and understanding emerging workplace trends. 

These hands-on, practical sessions were among the most highly rated features of that event, and OFDA will continue this format this year with a new set of topics to highlight dealer and small business best practices in the areas of closed-loop marketing and leadership in change management. An additional workshop will be announced soon.

• Paul Barr, OFDA board director and principal of Premier Office Solutions, a Herman Miller dealer in Hatboro, PA, will join with Gil Cargill, a highly acclaimed sales and marketing management consultant with whom he is working, for the first workshop which will outline their experiences in implementing “closed-loop” marketing in Paul’s dealership.
• Valerie Atkin will present the second OFDA workshop on change management which they have entitled “Nothing Endures but Change.” This workshop will focus on a process of personal development that will help you ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to sharpening the skills needed to succeed in today’s fast-changing furniture dealership world. The session will share knowledge and best practices on how to lead the way, be it pursuing a new vertical market, changing the comp plan, re-skilling your senior salespeople or any of the myriad changes a thriving dealership must address competently.
  “Nothing endures but change.”   ...Heraclitus, 500 BC
  Heraclitus knew what many try and ignore, change is the only constant.  Equally true whether we are talking about personal or organizational change.  Becoming more skilled in this crucial area will help you better model AND lead change.  This workshop will focus on a process of personal development that will help you ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to sharpening the skills needed to succeed in today’s new furniture dealership world.  You will also gain knowledge on how to lead the way, be it pursuing a new vertical market, changing the comp plan, re-skilling your senior salespeople or any of the myriad changes a thriving dealership must address competently. You will leave with skills, tools, AND the confidence to maximize the change opportunities your business will encounter.

OFDA Breakout Sessions Extended to 90-Minutes
In addition to our Sunday workshops and Monday keynote speaker, OFDA will offer three more general session programs, topics to be announced soon. Based on input from members like you, this year OFDA is increasing the length of all breakout sessions from 60-75 minutes in prior years to 90 minutes this year.
The goal is to encourage more dialog among speakers, panelists and conference participants. Informal networking breaks also will be lengthened to permit more one-on-one informal interaction with industry business partners, presenters and dealer peers between educational sessions—one of the key benefits of attending our industry-wide conference.

Twelve breakout sessions covering industry and general business best practices will help conference participants transform their thinking in four key management areas:
• Strategic Planning and Leadership
• Sales/New Business Development and Marketing
• Operations and Technology Implementation
• Organization Development and Succession Planning

As such, there will be valuable educational content and networking opportunities for dealer and service company principals, as well as sales, marketing and operations managers who wish to remain ahead of their peers in finding new opportunities and understanding emerging best practices. A number of specific breakout sessions have been confirmed, with specific presenters and moderators identified and dealer, installer and other panelists now being invited to participate. 

Here are highlights of the breakout session topics currently planned:
• Creating a Sustainable Business Model/Entry into New Lines of Business
• Leveraging Technology to Transform Business Processes and Boost Profits
• Dealer Benchmarking: Applying 2011 OFDA Survey Results to Drive Improved Profitability
• Practical LinkedIn Training for Novice and Experienced Users
• Low-Cost/High-Impact Marketing/Branding Using Social Media and Local Media Outreach
• Collaborative Operations Streamlining for Dealers and Installers
• Strategic Talent Management for Long-Term Business Success
• Customer Loyalty Management – More Critical than Ever
• Successful Exit and Business Transition Strategies

Please reserve September 25-27 (join us earlier if you enjoy golf or other recreation) on your calendar now.  Registration at special early-bird rates is open now or visit www.ofdanet.org/conference for more information.