AHFA - American Home Furnishings Alliance

Happy Labor Day from AHFA! 🇺🇸

Today, we celebrate the hard work, dedication and contributions of workers across the home furnishings industry and throughout our nation.

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Labor Day!

That’s a wrap on AHFA’s 2026 Marketing/PR Conference! 📸

Thank you to the marketing, public relations and communications professionals who joined us at The Conference Center at Guilford Technical Community College in Colfax, North Carolina, for two days of fresh ideas, practical strategies and valuable industry connections.

A special thank you to our outstanding speakers and panelists for sharing their expertise, our sponsors for their support and all of the attendees who helped make this year’s conference a success.

From brand strategy and consumer trends to AI, crisis communications, the creator economy and more, there was plenty to learn — and plenty of opportunities to connect with industry peers along the way.

Take a look through some of our favorite moments from the 2026 Marketing/PR Conference. We hope to see everyone again next year!

💰 $9 trillion in spending power. Is your marketing reaching them?

Consumers age 50 and older represent an enormous — and often overlooked — opportunity for home furnishings brands.

Kelly Peterson, partnership director at ROAR Forward, will share new insights into the “Longevity Nation” and explore why marketers should rethink how they engage this powerful and evolving consumer market at AHFA’s 2026 Marketing/PR Conference.

Learn more and register today: https://app.glueup.com/event/2026-marketing-pr-conference-163497/

Don’t miss Kelly and an outstanding lineup of marketing and communications experts at this year’s conference!

📅 August 26–27, 2026
📍 Colfax, North Carolina

📊 Is your marketing data driving better decisions — or just creating more noise?

Cameron Cook-Sellers, vice president of brand marketing and communications at Ho**er Furnishings, will present “Building Data-Driven Marketing Systems with Precision and Purpose.” Drawing on nearly 15 years in senior marketing roles, Cook-Sellers will explore how a more intentional, data-driven approach can help marketers sharpen their strategies and make smarter decisions.

Learn more and register today: https://app.glueup.com/event/2026-marketing-pr-conference-163497

Whether it's a product issue, supply chain disruption or reputational challenge, this practical session will equip attendees with strategies to navigate today's communications landscape.

📅 August 26–27, 2026
📍 Colfax, North Carolina

Twice the insights. One afternoon. 📈

AHFA's expanded Solution Partners Spotlight webinar series kicks off on Tuesday, August 11, with two live sessions designed to help home furnishings businesses tackle today's biggest challenges.

🕚 11 a.m. ET | Cypress Benefit Solutions
Learn strategies for designing competitive employee benefits programs that help attract and retain talent while managing healthcare costs and regulatory compliance.

Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/5ZjVFRa1RyqwlGR4L8DgUg #/registration

🕑 2 p.m. ET | Lectra
Discover how Industry 4.0 technologies are helping furniture manufacturers improve efficiency, streamline production and remain competitive.

Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/OUIUzlCJQrmAdypfdeWs6Q #/registration

Join one session or both and gain practical insights from trusted industry experts. We look forward to seeing you online! 💻

🚨 Is your company prepared for a public relations crisis? When a crisis strikes, preparation can make all the difference.

Jim Furrer, senior vice president at Steinreich Communications Group, Inc., will lead the new 'PR Lab' at AHFA's 2026 Marketing/PR Conference. It will be interactive session focused on building a communications strategy that helps organizations respond with clarity, confidence and credibility.

Learn more and register today: https://app.glueup.com/event/2026-marketing-pr-conference-163497/

Whether it's a product issue, supply chain disruption or reputational challenge, this practical session will equip attendees with strategies to navigate today's communications landscape.

📅 August 26–27, 2026
📍 Colfax, North Carolina

🏡 Five generations. One rapidly changing marketplace.

How are AI, affordability challenges and shifting consumer values reshaping the housing market — and what does it all mean for home furnishings marketers?

Sara Gutterman, co-founder and CEO of Green Builder Media, will take the stage at AHFA's 2026 Marketing/PR Conference to explore the demographic and cultural forces redefining today's consumers and what they mean for marketing in 2027 and beyond.

Learn more and register today: https://app.glueup.com/event/2026-marketing-pr-conference-163497/

If your marketing strategy is built on yesterday's assumptions, this is a session you won't want to miss.

📅 August 26–27
📍 Colfax, North Carolina