ISPA’s 2009 Industry Conference, held in Bonita Springs, Fla., was a big hit with all 220-plus attendees—manufacturers, suppliers and retailers!
It was the first time the conference was open to retailers, and they added an exciting new dynamic to the event.
ISPA Chair Don Wright—the association’s first supplier chair—presided over the conference, acknowledging the tough times and calling on everyone to tap into “The power of us—what we can do collectively with the opportunities these challenging times present.”
Sustainability and responsible mattress disposal, understanding and targeting today’s “grounded” consumer, the shift from selling product at to selling “the experience,” and using social media—“The world’s largest focus group,” said Eric Qualman, author of Socialnomics —were among the most talked-about topics and top agenda items for the business sessions. Attendees also participated in networking roundtables on key issues for ISPA, offering their ideas and perspective on priorities for the association.
Reactions to the conference have been overwhelmingly positive, prompting attendees to say that the educational sessions were among the best they had experienced anywhere in years—fresh, interesting, thought-provoking.
