Webinars
Upcoming
Government and Regulatory Issues Update
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
1:00 – 2:00 pm EST
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – HFPA TexTalk – Government and Regulatory Issues Update
Robert Leo will provide a special report of the government and regulatory issues affecting our home textiles industry. You won’t want to miss this important update.
About the Speaker: Robert (Bob) Leo is a partner in the New York office of Meeks, Sheppard, Leo & Pillsbury LLP. Bob Leo has served as Counsel for HFPA, its Board of Directors and its members for over 25 years. The firm’s practice focuses on U.S. and international law and regulations affecting exports and imports. Prior to joining the firm, Bob was Vice President and Counsel for the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), a national trade association representing U.S. companies before Congress and the Executive Branch. He has served on AAEI’s Board of Governors and as a member of the AAEI Industry Leadership Council. Bob is a cleared advisor to the U.S. government on customs and trade facilitation issues and has served in that capacity for over 20 years. He was re-appointed in 2022 by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Customs and Trade Facilitation (ITAC 13). Robert is also a select member of the New York District Export Council, which helps promote U.S. exports.
He served as Chair of the New York State Bar Associations International and was Program Co-Chair for the Seasonal Meetings in Madrid and Shanghai. He is currently Co-Chair of the Trade Committee.
He graduated from the State University of New York at Albany and received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. While in law school Robert was Managing Editor of the Brooklyn Journal of International Law and served as an intern for then Chief Judge Edward D. Re of the U.S. Court of International Trade.
PAST EVENT
Textiles Today and Tomorrow
Thursday, February 8, 2024
12:00-1:00 p.m. ET
Thursday, February 8, 2024 – HFPA TexTalk – Textiles Today and Tomorrow.
2023 is in our rear view mirror but it is also a year removed from the pandemic and there are lessons to be learned of where the textile industry, retail, and consumers are heading. In this webinar, Joe Derochowski with Circana reviews Home Industry and Textiles trends and insights from 2023 and provides a perspective and outlook for 2024 and 2025.
Joe Derochowski, Vice President, Home Industry Advisor with Circana, works closely with home and home improvement manufacturers and retailers, sharing his knowledge of behavioral trends across many categories and his unique perspective on what consumers do and why they do it. Driven by this insight and his passion for the home and home improvement industries, for more than 30 years Derochowski has helped manufacturers and retailers identify growth opportunities, both strategic and tactical, related to planning, product innovation, marketing, and merchandising. He connects the dots between the consumer and the marketplace to help companies understand today’s trends and anticipate future demands.
Derochowski is a recognized thought leader who frequently speaks at industry conferences and is regularly quoted as an industry expert by media such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, CNBC, and HomePage News. Prior to Circana, his wide-ranging career included roles at General Motors Parts, AT&T, Procter & Gamble, and Nielsen. He has also served on the board of directors for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Derochowski holds a bachelor’s degree from Kettering University and an MBA from Michigan State University.
PAST EVENT
Mapping Consumer Loyalty in Home Fashion Products
Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023
12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Speaker: Paul Bragan
Wakefield Research
Wednesday, August 23 – Mapping Consumer Loyalty in Home Fashion Products.
Paul Bragan, Senior Partner at Wakefield Research, presents results from their recent survey to understand consumer sentiment right now – and how it is impacting brand and product loyalty towards the furnishings and accessories consumers purchase for their homes. The research will explore themes such as:
- What are the key purchase drivers or barriers that motivate consumers right now?
- What do producers in this space need to know as they head into Q4?
Paul will takes participants through Wakefield’s survey results to understand what is most important to buyers in the current market when they shop for bedding, bath and table linens, accessories, and other items for their homes.
One of the country’s leading research experts in the field of understanding respondent priorities and unmet needs, Paul Bragan is Wakefield’s Senior Partner and brings more than a decade of research experience with some of the country’s most recognizable brands – from Microsoft to MasterCard and from Procter & Gamble to Pfizer. His research is regularly featured in top-tier national and global media – both online and print.
Paul has developed unique methodologies for understanding key decision-drivers and for testing new product concepts among Gen-X, Millennials, and Boomers to discover what’s resonating at both the functional and emotional levels.
Paul Bragan has led over 100 qualitative research sessions worldwide – from focus groups to in-home interviews. He has moderated focus groups and in-depth interviews for over 15 years. He has designed and executed quantitative studies in over 80 countries.
Before Wakefield, Paul was Director of Research at Ntercept, Vice President at Penn Schoen, and EVP at Kelton. Paul received much of his training at DC polling firms like PSB and Luntz Research – where he developed expertise in a wide range of survey tactics including segmentation, enhanced qualitative techniques, loyalty research, concept testing, tracking, message architecture, and customer expansion research. Paul is a graduate of Georgetown University.
PAST EVENT
Unraveling Opportunities: Home Textiles Industry Update on NYC's Commercial Real Estate Market
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
12:00 – 1:00 PM ET
Panelists Charles Gaenslen, CEO at Loftex Home-USA and Jeff Kambak, CEO, US Operations at Trident Group, host a discussion with Evan Margolin, Vice Chairman, JLL and Michael Rudder, Principal of Rudder Property Group. Join as they explore the trends and nuances of the NYC real estate market for the home textiles industry. The panelists will discuss current market conditions and dynamics including lease vs. own, residential conversion of office properties, and the showroom marketplace; 295 Fifth Avenue and the transformation of the former Textile Building; and the impact of work-from-home on the home textiles industry. Don’t miss the important insights from these industry experts!
Evan Margolin is a vice chairman in the New York office of JLL, a global commercial real estate services firm. Evan has spent his entire 20+ year career as a tenant representative negotiating on behalf of users of space, not landlords. In 2019, Evan was selected by the HFPA as the recommended broker to the showrooms at 295 Fifth Avenue that were being forced to move due to the sale and redevelopment of the Textile Building. He and his team negotiated leasing transactions on behalf of dozens of showrooms in neighboring buildings. The vast majority were able to reduce their occupancy expense and are now enjoying brand-new showrooms where the build-out was funded by their new landlord. Evan is an active member of YMWREA (Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association), REBNY (The Real Estate Board of New York) and The State University of New York at Albany’s Alumni Association.
Michael Rudder is the Principal of Rudder Property Group, a commercial real estate services firm specializing in the sale of office condominiums in the New York metropolitan area. Michael has been involved in acquiring, converting, marketing, and selling over two million square feet of office condominiums. Prior to establishing Rudder Property Group in 2010, he served as the director of office leasing and sales at Time Equities for more than eight years. Michael is the Chairman of the REBNY Sales Brokers Committee and is a founding member of the St. Jude’s Real Estate Committee.
Speaker: Evan Margolin
JLL
Speaker: Michael Rudder
Rudder Property Group
PAST EVENT
The new Consumer Demand for a “Healthier Home”; and the opportunity for the Home Textiles Industry
Weds., May 31, 2023
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
This webinar features Dr. John McKeon, founder and CEO of Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) and principal at the iAIR Institute (Indoor Air Innovation and Research). McKeon is a medical doctor and an expert speaker on indoor air quality and health-conscious indoor environment optimization. ASL is an international Standards and Certification company and was founded by Dr. McKeon.
The conversation also includes input from Adam Short, VP sales at Renegade Brands, who will discuss the importance of effective washing and laundering of products, clothing and textiles.
Speakers: Dr. John McKeon, Allergy Standards and Adam Short, Renegade Brands
PAST EVENT
The Changing Reality of the Licensing Business
Thursday, June 23, 2022
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET
The recent Licensing Expo in Las Vegas — the first IRL Expo in three years — offered a window on a host of trends within the entertainment, consumer brands, art/design, sports and other sectors, including the implications of Web 3.0. We’ll also discuss how the ongoing disruption to the supply chain, and how that particularly affects the licensing sector.
Speaker: Marty Brochstein
PAST EVENT
International Shipping Climate: 2021 and beyond
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
HFPA hosted a discussion examining the widespread effects of the global container shortage, skyrocketing costs, and ongoing freight and transportation issues. Experts from TEU Global, a 3PL company, the National Retail Federation, and HFPA member company Avanti Linens analyzed the ongoing issue and what remedies are in the pipelines.
Speaker: Jonathan Gold
Vice President, Supply Chain and Customs Policy for the National Retail Federation
Speaker: Paul DeLuca
Vice President Business Development
Speaker: Azeem Subhani
President and CEO, TEU Global, Piscataway, NJ
Speaker: Jeff Kaufman
Home Fashion Products Association (HFPA) Past President and President/COO of Avanti Linens
PAST EVENT
Can (or Should) an Employer Create a Mandatory Vaccination Policy
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
With COVID-19 vaccines already being administered, many businesses feel a heightened sense of urgency in determining whether to (and how to) adopt a vaccination policy, including a mandatory one. Recently, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released guidance that addresses this question and other common employer COVID-19 vaccine related questions. In this town hall, Joel Greenwald and Zev Singer will guide you through the following questions and then take questions from the audience:
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Is a mandatory vaccination policy permissible?
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What are the risks and challenges with vaccination policies?
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Can businesses keep non-vaccinated employees out of the workplace?
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Can employees uncomfortable with an un-vaccinated workplace stay home?
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Can we require proof of vaccination from employees?
Speaker: Joel Greenwald and Zev Singer
Greenwald Doherty, LLC
Speaker: Zev Singer
Greenwald Doherty, LLC
PAST EVENT
Sustainability in the Textile Industry
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
2:00 PM- 3:00 PM ET
This webinar will examine the materials and processes used in the manufacture of textiles. We look at drivers of sustainability and sustainability considerations as they pertain to different materials used and the different component steps of the manufacturing process. There will be a particular focus on synthetics and sustainability trends in the industry as a whole.
Speaker: Michael Taylor
Vice President, Public Affairs
Kellen
Interested in learning more about virtual showrooms and how to leverage digital to drive your wholesale business?
Join us for this exciting opportunity to learn best practices in virtual selling from JOOR, the world’s leading digital wholesale platform. JOOR Vice President of Sales, Loree Lash-Valencia will share insights on how virtual showrooms have evolved and how brands are harnessing the power of JOOR’s platform to grow their business; followed by a Q&A session with HFPA President, Jeff Kaufman, Avanti Linens.
Panelists:
Loree Lash-Valencia, Vice President of Sales, JOOR
Jeff Kaufman, Avanti Linens, HFPA President
PAST EVENT
Retail 2021 - What to Expect
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
10:00 AM ET
As we enter 2021, there will be significant challenges and opportunities for the retail sector. A continuing coronavirus pandemic will continue to change retail operations, including the supply chain. A new administration and Congress will need to address the ongoing coronavirus fight and economic recovery. Hear from Jonathan Gold, National Retail Federation’s Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy, about the latest retail trends and retail priorities for the new Congress and administration.
Speaker:
Jon Gold, Vice President, Supply Chain & Customs Policy, National Retail Federation
PAST EVENT
Step on the G.A.S. (Gratification, Agency, and Stability): Consumer Behavior in the New Normal featuring Michael Solomon
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
11:00 am ET
The Pandemic will change our world for years after the virus disappears. We’ll have to rethink and modify our purchase decisions, large and small. Some disruptions in consumer/marketer relationships that already were looming will come faster and more decisively. How do we define brand value? How should companies talk to customers? How do people function in an emerging gig economy where every encounter might be fatal? How do we redefine what it means to go to work or to socialize?
The virus poked the bear, and now marketers need to respond to life in The New Normal.
The changes that started well before the Pandemic reflect the transition in our society from a modernist to a postmodern culture. Postmodern consumers don’t always follow the rules that marketers decree. That’s because we don’t buy products because of what they do… we buy them because of what they mean. Today’s consumers define themselves by the brands they choose. Their idiosyncratic choices create a pastiche of meaning that gets updated 24/7. Marketers no longer drive the train, even though they can still ride it.
This means that the firm categories we love to use to understand our world – and our customers – are no longer valid. In particular, the traditional labels we use to segment consumers have stopped working. Today’s consumers are like chameleons, who change color constantly. They no longer sit passively in the tidy cages we put them in. The convenient dichotomies we rely upon, such as Male vs. Female, Young vs. Old, I vs. We, Consumer vs. Producer, Offline vs. Online, and many others, no longer mean very much.
In the New Normal, we’ll see these cages open even faster as people are exposed both to new possibilities and to new constraints on their daily lives. Many of us for example will rediscover the value of community, and others will rethink the value of commuting to work everyday. In this presentation, we’ll explore some of these comfortable cages, and show why marketers need to ignore them in order to prosper.
Speaker:
Michael R. Solomon, Ph.D.
Consumer Behavior Expert and Speaker
Our expert for this topic is Andrew A. Kimler, Esq., partner at Vishnick McGovern Milizio LLP. Andrew heads the Employment Law, Commercial Litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Practices and is a key member of the LGBTQ Representation Practice. He regularly writes and lectures on employment law matters.
Andrew will lead a conversation around the following topics:
- What organizations should consider when reopening.
- How to make employees feel comfortable, and what special accommodations employees may be entitled to.
- What can employees do if they feel they aren’t properly protected.
- Can employees be required to wear face masks or other PPE?
- Can employees who refuse to return to work be terminated?
- Can employers send employees home or demand they stay home?
- How to navigate going back to work with childcare challenges.
- Can business owners who reopened but aren’t profitable still file for unemployment? Can they re-close and file for unemployment?
- Is there business rent relief for closed businesses? Can landlords demand past rent for the time closed?Returning to Work During a Pandemic: What You Need to Know
Speaker:
Andrew A. Kimler, Esq.,
Partner at Vishnick McGovern Milizio LLP
PAST EVENT
HFPA Virtual Market Week Discussion with Home Textiles Today
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
2-3 p.m. (EST)
Friday, July 24, 2020
10-11 a.m (EST)
HFPA and HTT are hosting two virtual meetings this week to educate the manufacturing community about the new platform, and provide information about the various product presentation and marketing options. Please note you do not have to attend both. The sessions are open to everyone.
To view the slide deck from the presentation, click here.
Thank you to all that joined us on for our virtual event!
Speaker:
Niel Sauders
Managing Director and Retail Analyst at GlobalData Retail
Thank you to all that joined us on for our virtual event!
Thank you to all that joined us on for our virtual event!
Thank you to all who joined HFPA’s first virtual program (we had 60 attendees!). We welcome you to join us for our next #PowerChat about COVID-19’s impact on the industry via Zoom on Tuesday, May 5th at 10AM (ET). Please think about the positive solution(s) or innovation(s) that your company has instilled during the pandemic, and be ready to share with others on the call! HFPA is here to continue to support the conversation in our community and industry, especially during these times.
PAST EVENT
NEW COVID-19 Interactive Zoominar: Industry Landscape | Challenges and Innovative Ideas
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
10AM (ET)
HFPA is here to support conversation in our community and industry, and we welcome you to join us for this valuable meeting for one hour on Tuesday, April 14th at 10AM (ET). Please think about one positive solution or innovation that you are willing to share that may help others on the call through this pandemic that has impacted us all. HFPA’s legal counsel, Robert Leo, will join us for any questions you may have. The access password is b7+93&N?
On Thursday, January 23rd, HFPA legal counsel Robert Leo will discuss the status of the trade war with China, including updates on the List 4A provisions and List 4B, and how members can mitigate the effects of the additional tariffs. To sign up for this webinar click the button below! please note that instructions on how to access the webinar will be sent a few days prior to the event.
PAST EVENT
International Trade in 2019: Are You Prepared?
January 2019
In January, HFPA conducted a webinar entitled, “International Trade, Are You Prepared?” HFPA and ADFC Counsel, Robert Leo, discussed the important trade issues facing HFPA members. Bob also provided the latest news on, and answered questions about, the Administration’s negotiations and continued retaliation v. China, Congress and the USMCA (the new NAFTA) and related issues. For more info and a copy of the presentation, contact Robert Leo.
PAST EVENT
5 Best Practices for Succeeding on Amazon
January 2019
Orca Pacific is a full-service Amazon agency located in Seattle specializing in maximizing clients’ sales on Amazon by developing and implementing a holistic marketing and advertising strategy and also offers full account management services. John L. Ghiorso, CEO of Orca Pacific, will focus on 5 best practices for succeeding on Amazon: Using the Amazon “Flywheel” to your advantage, Optimize Content for Search and Conversion, A Full-Funnel Approach to Amazon Marketing, Vendor Central vs. Seller Central vs. Hybrid Approach and Digging into Analytics-Always be Testing and Learning. Whether you’re an Amazon expert or in the early stages of selling on this platform, you are sure to pick up valuable information that will make you smarter about how to best approach the business. The webinar is open to all members of your organization.
