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PACIFIC NORTHWEST STAGING EXPO - HUGE SUCCESS!

WOW! What a great event! We were thrilled to be able to host the First Annual Pacific Northwest Staging Expo here in the Portland area. This event was put on by StagersLIST in conjunction with our hosts Mastercraft Furniture. We had approximately 145 attendees who enjoyed great food, and AWESOME vendors. The response has been fantastic from everyone who attended, and we can’t wait to do it again next year.

The event was kicked off by our Vendor Fair along with a catered reception. Our first speaker was Christine Rae, Staging Expert/Trainer and Author of “Home Staging for Dummies”. Christine spoke on “Trends in your Marketplace”. She brought insightful information including how the current real estate market is influenced internationally, nationally, and regionally. She discussed the impact that “Green Living” is having on our industry, as well as important trends in color, the design-build industry, and many specifics related to home staging now and in the future.

I had the pleasure of sharing “Inventory and Warehouse Management” and how important it is to get organized early when building your inventory – or you’ll have a hard time catching up with yourself! (Northwest Staging & Redesign)

Shell Brodnax provided detailed information about the Real Estate Staging Association’s (RESA) involvement in bringing our industry to the forefront, not only for stagers, but for real estate agents, title companies, lenders, etc. as we are all in the real estate business. RESA is providing the much needed collaborative force for all of us as we seek to join hands together to build home staging throughout the country and the world.

Kym Hough followed with a POWERFUL presentation (as only she can do!) on Marketing and gave us some fantastic statistics about many things including photos and their impact on a sale. This is useful to show the value of staging to our clients. She packs a punch with her knowledge of marketing and effectively communicating with our clients.

Terrylynn Fisher was our last speaker who demystified the Realtor! We were encouraged to consider ourselves more than service providers and to effectively build a team-relationship with our agent clients. She eloquently shared the behind-the-scenes operations of REAs and how we can help support them to help their success and ours as well.

Mastercraft Furniture was the star as they showcased their custom furniture, showroom and factory. Marty Olson and Jeff Hallen went beyond the call of duty as hosts for our event as they worked to prepare for the barrage of professional stagers and designers! They were such a delight to work with, and I would strongly encourage anyone interested in purchasing custom fabricated upholstered furniture to look for Mastercraft. Great prices and excellent products.

Our vendors were inundated with questions and orders for their staging products and services. Everyone has shared positive feedback and can’t wait to be involved next year. A couple of them are going to follow us to the New York and DC Expos in November.

StagersLIST.com
Certified Staging Professional Training organization (CSP)
Real Estate Staging Association (RESA)
Lamps Plus
Devine Color Paint
Staged By Design
True Décor
Next Stage Furniture
Picture Source
Real Deals Home Décor
People’s Furniture Rental
Mead Smith Attorneys at Law
Bellissima Décor
The Plant Atrium

We look forward to hearing from EVERYONE who attended. In addition to this blog, please go on www.StagersLIST.com and click on the EXPO banner and give your comments. We’d love to hear your feedback and suggestions about next year’s event.

Posted by Mary DeBella on 09/17/2008 10:26 AM

Comments (14)

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staging expo, mary debella, christine rae, kym hough, terrylynn fisher, shell brodnax, stagerslistcom, portland, expo, mastercraft furniture

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14 Comments on PACIFIC NORTHWEST STAGING EXPO - HUGE SUCCESS!

SEP

2008

Mary you did such a great job and worked very hard to make this expo the success that it was and we truly thank you and appreciate you! And next year, I will get my behind there!

Mary - what a great blog! Couldn't have done it without you. Loved your topic too it was great having a local expert give a presentation and think we should do that at every stop. Unless you want to come on the bus with us and give your great presentation to the rest of the country? :)

Thanks again Mary and a big hello and thank you to everyone who came to the event. The emails we have been receiving all week are fantastic! Kym

Next Year???? I say NEXT MONTH....or at least NEXT QUARTER!!!! I was blown away by the amount and quality of information that the speakers so generously shared!!! I learned so much in one afternoon and was so excited to deepen my knowledge of the Home Staging Industry. The depth and breadth of business knowledge and staging skills of both the speakers and attendees was truly remarkable. Thank you: Mary DeBella for organizing the event; Christine Rae for highlighting so many important trends that we stagers need to be aware of; Kym Hough for your powerful marketing expertise and knowledge; and Terrylynn Fisher for helping me better understand how to collaborate and partner with my agents. I look forward to the next event!!!

Sounds like an amazing afternoon. So sorry to have missed it - decided it was just too far to drive from Vancouver for a half day. Happy to hear it was such a roaring success.

Dana. THANKS you are precious and a tremendous asset to the industry. They are lucky to have you there in Seattle.

Leah, we are too...it actually was much longer than half a day and there were several who drove from up north. Hopefully next time you'll get to come. Stay over and have dinner with some of us. Guess a few went on a wine tour the next day. Sounds like fun.

SEP

2008

It was a wonderful expo and as previous posts pointed out, the information we received was so valuable -- it was time and $$ well spent! Thank you Mary for all your hard work coordinating this informative and fun event -- I sincerely appreciate your efforts on behalf of the staging industry!

To Dana, Gail And Mary, Who I know, and to Christine, Shell Terrylynn and Kim, who I would like to know better I now can thankfully say the following.

I love to stage, I love to do bids and consults, I love to buy and crow over my warehouse. I loath paperwork, scheduling labor, bookkeeping and marketing! But know that it has to be part of my business too. After 3 years it has been a long hard road with little light at the end of the tunnel and not enough light shed along the way. The 4 hours I spent in a furniture factory in one afternoon gave me more insight and hope that there are professionals, working in this business every day, as I do, who understand where this business has to go to become a bona fide part of every real estate transaction.

I thank you all for all your efforts to organize this opportunity to share, with all of us dedicated to our businesses, with the hope of some structure and standards at a local and national level. Bravo

Thanks again for a thoroughly enjoyable event, made all the more special by the fact that I won this most amazing leather chair which just so happens to look fabulous in my bedroom:)

BTW, I think you ladies involved in the staging expo are onto something big. This is exactly what this industry needs as part of it's growth. More power to all of you involved!

Sincere best wishes

Andy Capelluto

Chris-

Thanks for your assistance with event also - your graphic and web help were invaluable! Big KUDOS to you too!

Kym- Can't wait for next year's event - save me a space on that bus!

Dana - You are my ROCK! You are always there to help a girlfriend out no matter what the circumstances! Thanks for coming so far to lend a hand. Love u!

Leah- Next time, you'll have to come early and share in some local scenery - we'll be sure to plan some of that in for ALL our out of town visitors!

Margaret - I"m so glad you were able to join us from Salem. We all need each other to spread the word and build this fantastic business.

Susan - Wow. You have a gift with words. Yes, the daily grind can get to all of us sometimes, and we all need to be reminded of the bigger picture and that there are others like ourselves who are seeking the same goal. You too inspisre me.

Andy - How exciting for you to be the winner of that beautiful leather chair! We too are glad to have another professional as yourself join us in the efforts to bring credibility and visibility to our industry. Please plan on joining us next year.

Go Northwest Stagers!

SEP

2008

Mary, you said it beautifully. What a wonderful event, great people and a wonderful part of the country. We were blessed and it was a terrific day in awareness, growth and move forward for the staging industry. THANKS for your part, we couldn't have done it without you.

SEP

2008

Mary -- thanks for your part in putting the Expo together. It was so well attended and I just wish we'd had more time to visit with everyone. The talks were invaluable and even though I've heard your talk before on inventory & storage, I found it had more great new ideas so that is appreciated. Thanks again!

SEP

2008

Mary, I saw this Expo information on the RESA website and I thought it would be fun but could not make it. I will look for an even such as this closer to Arizona. I have to tell you I am so trilled to hear and see some many stagers taking on more than staging residential homes. It is great to see this industry evolving into much more... Great work. Keep it up...

Maureen - Thanks for your comments. Next year we will certainly make more time for the speakers, networking, vendors and shopping! Who knows it may turn into a two-day event!

Dee - I'm sorry you weren't able to join us, but feel free to come on up next year. Or better yet - plan one in your area! I'm sure Kym and Terrylynn will help put one on! It is so fantastic to be tearing down walls that have been inhibiting our growth and to see the evolution of this profession. There are so many possibilities for us out there, and I'm honored to be participating with true innovators.

SEP

2008

Oh... it sounds like I missed a fantastic event full of valuable information! I will definitely be at the next expo!! Please let me know if I don't have to wait a whole year and the expo becomes more frequent. :)

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