THE WSA SHOW SEMINARS

·         Step-by-Step Orientation for Buyers New to The WSA Show—WSA Retail Relations Team

In this free session, buyers will learn the ins and outs of navigating WSA and discover the tools available to help them find what they're looking for while making the show a fun and profitable business experience.

·         How to Run a Successful Store, Part 1—Mercedes Gonzalez, Global Purchasing Companies

This session is for new retailers and those looking for inspiration, and will include information on selecting the best location; deciding what, where and how much to buy; using retail math; and applying tried-and-true advertising and promotions ideas.

·         How to Run a Successful Store, Part 2—Mercedes Gonzalez, Global Purchasing Companies

Part 2 of the Retail 101 series is essential to all business owners with new or established stores. Key topics covered are growth strategies, merchandising, sales team hiring and training and loss prevention.

·         Pantone Color Trends for Spring/Summer ’10 and Beyond—Leatrice Eiseman, Pantone Inc.

Leatrice Eiseman, color expert at premier color trend company Pantone Inc., will share the color palettes, shades and themes for spring/summer '10 and fall/winter '10/'11.

·         Spring/Summer ’10: The Los Angeles Perspective—Fran Sude, Design Options

Los Angeles–based color forecasting consultant Fran Sude will explain the west coast influence of apparel color, print and silhouettes on footwear and accessories for the junior, missy, young men’s and kids’ markets.

·         Fashion Trends for Spring/Summer ’10—Ellen Campuzano, fashionFACTSfolio

Back by popular demand, this seminar will provide a comprehensive trend overview to point retailers in the direction of what their customers will be buying for the spring/summer ’10 season.

·         CPSIA: Positioning Your Brand to Stay Ahead of the New Product Safety Law—Nate Herman, AAFA; Kevin Burke, AAFA; Matt Priest, FDRA; Virginia Nesbitt, Maguire Woods; Andrew Farhat, Intertek Consumer Goods

This free, in-depth seminar will inform attendees of what to expect and how to prepare for the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which will usher in a whole new set of rules and requirements on product safety that goes into effect on August 14, 2009.

·         The Ins and Outs of Visual Merchandising: What's Hot, What's Not—Sharon Leicham, merchandisingHUB.com

This seminar will tour the hottest trends in visual merchandising and teach retailers how to adapt them to their stores.

·         Getting Started Selling On the Internet—Chris Finken, OrangeSoda Inc.

This seminar will highlight simple steps business owners can start taking to prepare for an online presence and will cover what to do to get started and how to find a niche online.

·         Your Inventory Heart—Paul Erickson, RMSA Retail Solutions

Starting with the basics, this seminar will share alternative concepts, techniques and formulas to improve cash flow, gross margin and sales. Retailers will learn strategies they can begin implementing immediately.

MATERIALS AT WSA WORKSHOPS

·         Selecting the Right Supplier: Certification and Regulations—Karla S. Magruder, Fabrikology International

Trying to understand the minefield of regulations and certifications in the market is a daunting task. This workshop will cover the importance of regulations and how they will affect your business.

·         Green 2.0: Concept of Doing Business Right Rather than Doing Something Green as a Trend—Karla S. Magruder, Fabrikology International
We all learned the basics: reduce, reuse, recycle, but now where do we go? Green 2.0 will share how the market has progressed and how to maintain “green” products and materials in today’s economy.

·         Speed to Market, Part 2: How to Manage Your Supply Chain to Get Product to Market Faster—Mercedes Gonzalez, Global Purchasing Companies

A continuation of the February 2009 workshop, Part 2 will cover the importance of efficiently managing the supply chain to move product seamlessly along to market.

·         Fashion 101 for New Designers: How to Crash into the Business—Mercedes Gonzalez, Global Purchasing Companies

Fashion 101 is geared toward helping new designers learn the basics of the fashion industry and avoid the problems that wipe out new lines before they can get started.