Building on the success of its highly popular “Mattress University” sessions for independent bedding retailers, Nationwide Marketing Group is launching its first-ever “Furniture Forum” at the next Virtual PrimeTime, which runs March 16-18.

The 60-minute live session, which will be held Wednesday, March 17, at 10 a.m. CT, will bring together Nationwide’s independent furniture retailers in a roundtable setting, where they’ll have the opportunity to discuss the success and challenges that they are facing within their industry. Specific conversation starters will include:

• Supply chain issues
• Personnel challenges
• COVID-19
• The consumer shopping experience
• And more

“Furniture Forum” will take place during Virtual PrimeTime in a dedicated video call with breakout rooms, each hosted by an NMG moderator. That moderator will take notes during the discussion, which will be compiled with notes from the other breakout rooms and distributed to the entire membership following the event.

“Furniture Forum” is free to attend, but interested participants must register for Virtual PrimeTime first. Signups for Furniture Forum will begin Wednesday, February 24, via an invitation emailed to retailers who have registered for Virtual PrimeTime. Space for the event will be limited, so dealers are encouraged to sign up as soon as they receive their invitation.

Bedding retailers will also enjoy the return of “Mattress University” at Virtual PrimeTime in March. The 90-minute session will be split into three 30-minute discussions around critical business topics, including:

• The consumer’s shopping journey through digital marketing and websites. NMG’s Jennifer Danko will discuss what you need to be doing to maximize your website and digital presence, providing key action items that you need to embrace right now to be successful.
• The consumer’s shopping journey inside your brick- and-mortar store. Bob Muenkel, a long-time industry veteran, will discuss the consumer’s in-store shopping experience and how to win at retail.
• Product that has changed over the years: Technology is everywhere, including the bedding industry.NMG’s Director of Bedding Chad Fischer will walk through all the different products that have evolved to bring the most state-of-the-art technology into the bedding world.

Free and open to all Virtual PrimeTime attendees, “Mattress University” will be held on Tuesday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m. CT.

Registration for Virtual PrimeTime closes March 12. To learn more, visit www.nationwideprimetime.com.