Strong Educational Component on Tap for URA Las Vegas Show

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Uniform Retailers Association - Coverage of the 2009 Trade Show

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Strong Educational Component on Tap for URA Las Vegas Show

Written by Jackie Rosselli

Monday, 05 October 2009 10:01

With the clever, "You can Bet on a Full House," as its tag line, retailers and manufacturers from across North American will head to Las Vegas later this month for the annual Uniform Retailers Association (URA) trade show, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel, October 26-28.

The nascent event – the show is a mere three years old – has fast developed a solid reputation in the white goods community as the place to find all the strategies, products, supplies and services a business needs to realize its potential – just by walking the trade show floor. Indeed, the industry's major manufacturers, from Jockey Scrubs to White Swan to Landau, Prestige and Barco, will be on hand in the exhibit hall.

Yet to label this as simply a trade show is short-sighted. The event has a strong educational component, as well as networking opportunities, and several spectacular social gatherings and giveaways certain to leave attendees talking for some time to come. What happens in Vegas will certainly not stay in Vegas with this URA show.

Larry Johnson

Happy, Motivated Employees

Most do not feel particularly fortunate when the alarm clock goes off Monday mornings. In fact, new research suggests an astonishing 71 percent of people under the age of 30 are unhappy with their current work situation, and want to look for a new job.

But the goal of URA's kickoff speaker, Larry Johnson, is to show people how to like their jobs today, so they can achieve great things tomorrow. In a program entitled, "Thank Goodness it's Monday," aptly scheduled for Monday, October 26, Larry delivers fresh insights and practical how to's for leading change, retaining customers, and developing effective work relationships.

This fast-paced, content-packed, humor-laced session shows participants how to reduce employee turn-over, increase productivity and enhance employee morale. The program is based on the premise that happy, turned-on employees provide the best service to customers.

Continuing the theme is Stephen Shapiro. With over 20 years of innovation experience, Shapiro established and led a 20,000 person innovation practice at Accenture and authored four books on innovation.

Shapiro will be leading the morning's group in a hand of Innovation Personality Poker®, a fast-paced, highly interactive game that helps employees (and individuals) understand how they contribute to – and detract from – the innovation process. This is a personality test specifically designed for innovation and gives yet another valuable tool to enhance both professional and personal lives.

All participants trade 52 specially designed poker cards with each other. The objective is to get a perfect hand that reveals your preferred innovation style and how you can best contribute to the success of your organization. This is the only form of poker where you are guaranteed to come out a winner every time.

Those in attendance will discover how to get the right people in the right roles, how others see you, and common mistake made when selling to others. "Personality Poker® is a fun and engaging approach to both personal assessment and understanding team dynamics.

Both workshops are sponsored by Landau.

Monday's business portion concludes with a panel presentation sponsored by White Swan. The manufacturer brings together top experts from across the medical industry to discuss infection control issues and the impact on healthcare uniforms.

Zap the Gap and Lunch & Learn
Meagan Johnson

The workforce and marketplace are changing. One of the key factors to being successful is having fresh, new approaches to the multigenerational workforce. You'll learn precisely this after Tuesday's "ZAP THE GAP - Managing, training and maintaining your sanity with the New Millennium Generation," sponsored by Barco Uniforms.

Discover what you are doing wrong with your new millennium generation employees and what you can do to make your multi-generational team "just right." Speaker Meagan Johnson's presentation teaches audience members how to approach all the generations in new and productive ways. With a deep understanding of the importance of a cohesive, multi-generational workforce, Meagan helps executives and professionals tap into each generation's motivational requirements so that the members of each generation can realize their greatest potential.

After visiting the exhibits on Wednesday morning, full registrants have the opportunity to "lunch and learn," as the event is known. In the time it takes to finish a meal, participants will be armed with a number of tips which they can immediately use on their return home. Retail design expert Linda Cahan offers practical and practically free ways to enhance your company and make all aspects of your business more successful. From store set-up to the psychology of color, you'll walk out of this seminar with a new understanding of layout, color and your work environment.

Appearing courtesy of Prestige Medical, Linda Cahan is an internationally known retail authority specializing in visual merchandising and store design. Her 37 years in retail design includes extensive experience with large and small retailers and with all types of merchandise.

After lunch, David Johnson leads a question and answer session on The Uniform Solution, a premier inventory control program for uniform stores. Wednesday concludes with networking and roundtables discussions, where retailers can speak informally about issues affecting the healthcare marketplace.

From Golf to VooDoo, Fun for All

It has been said that more business is conducted on the golf course then in the boardroom, and if you're a believer in that credo you'll want to be part of URA's golf outing on Sunday, October 25. Attendees can reserve tee times at the Badlands Golf Course at a reduced rate.

On Monday, the opportunity exists to mingle with exhibitors, sponsors and colleagues at a kickoff welcome reception, complete with complimentary refreshments and snacks. From there, URA hosts a fashion show highlighting the industry's latest products. The group will also hand out its 2009 Retailer Champion Awards, which honors the manufacturer of the year, best sales rep, best customer service department and best delivery.

Later that evening, White Swan and Jockey Scrubs are co-sponsoring what will undoubtedly be a night to remember.

Spirits, Spells and Scrubs will be held at the VooDoo Lounge, perched on the 50th and 51st floors, above the Rio All-Suite Hotel. Retailers will experience gourmet dining with a spellbinding view to match. Alive with mystical sights, sounds and flavors, VooDoo is certain to cast its spell over attendees.

White Swan is also giving retailers a chance to win a trip for two to New Orleans. Trip includes airfare, accommodations for two nights, and a "haunted history" tour of choice. More on the tours can be found at www.hauntedhistorytours.com.

To be eligible, retailers must fill out an entry form at the White Swan booth on Tuesday, October 27, and must wear the shirt given to them at the VooDoo. The winner will be announced Wednesday.

There's still time to register, but hurry – on-line pre-registration ends October 14. If you've not registered, you may do so by visiting www.UniformRetailers.org.