Webinars - 2021 Conference

You dread looking for your next hire. You do your best to interview and select the best candidate for the position. Then you hope the person who showed up at the interview is the same one that shows up at work, only to be disappointed once again. You’re dealing with a complex employment market and you can’t seem to attract the talent you need or hold on to the talent you have, limiting your ability to grow and thrive. The good news is that it’s not you or them. It is the framework in which you and your team perform. The better news is that with the right tools, laser focus, and the proper rules of engagement your team will transform into a high-performance, self-directed team everyone wants to be part of!

In this presentation, sustainability consultant Josh Prigge will show what companies can accomplish with sustainability and where to start. Discover how you can create a comprehensive approach that is built into your business strategy, from employee engagement to consumer buy-in. Learn why taking a sustainable approach is good for business and how it can deliver value for your operation.

During this panel we will hear from industry-leading manufacturers and distributors who discuss how the channel has reacted to the stressors of the last 18 months and provide insights into where the supply chain might be headed as we move into 2022.

This presentation will introduce a new way of thinking about how companies approach understanding their customers. This mindset is applicable to companies of any size—from startups to established corporations. Per Genov, once we realize that consumers are real people with real behaviors, emotions, motivations and goals, we will recognize that customer research has to have a common business objective and a coordinated set of methods across the organization. Using highlights from a Zappos case study, attendees will take away strategies to understand the person, not the “shopper” or the “user” and discover how to eliminate organizational silos when it comes to customer understanding. Attendees will also learn how to use results to inform their business as a whole and hear why company culture matters.

In this presentation, learn how pros’ buying habits changed during the pandemic (based on real-time data) and how this information can help you make strategic decisions for your business. During this presentation we will touch on all the pressing questions facing the home improvement industry in the wake of the last 18 months. How retailers are responding to changing consumer demands? How has the pandemic impacted pro buying habits? What does the next 18 months look like for the industry?

What is diversity, equity and inclusion and how can companies succeed in these areas? Why are these issues moving toward the forefront of businesses and why should we join the movement? During this panel, experts draw from their experiences in the industry and explain why this movement is so important, what best practices they employed in their own companies and the benefits that come with instilling these principles.

The pandemic has sped up the rate of change to almost lighting speed. Companies are now three times more likely to conduct 80 percent of their business digitally. And consumers? They want to change their homes to accommodate the new “normal,” with the kitchen and bath being the top two choices for home improvements. In this presentation, National Kitchen and Bath Association CEO Bill Darcy will discuss these shifts and how they will dramatically impact the kitchen and bath industry—and your business—over the next several years.

This presentation will help you avoid firsthand mistakes as Jake Wilson, director of marketing and e-commerce at Wilco, discusses the company’s journey from a few dozen to thousands of online orders. From building the website to order-pulling operations and handling the curveballs you get serving customers through a computer versus over the counter, follow all the excitement and chaos rapid online growth creates. This presentation reviews what Wilson wishes he knew years ago as he shares the successes and failures he came across in an effort to better his business.

Independent retailers are known for their ability to pivot quickly to serve their customers. On this panel, hear from current and former NHPA Young Retailer of the Year honorees who have led their operations through a demanding time. They will talk about how their businesses evolved over the last 18 months to better serve customer needs and how they see the lessons they learned during the pandemic impacting retail well into the future.

The NHPA Top Gun Awards recognize retailers who are pillars of innovation, commitment and passion for the independent home improvement channel. The retailers honored in this program have helped grow their operations through strategic leadership with consideration for their communities and their teams. In this panel discussion, learn how these retailers plan for continued growth and are paving the way for future leaders.

Encouraging creativity and collaboration, supporting wellness and giving back to the community are essential to creating a thriving work culture where employees feel motivated to contribute to a company’s growth and success because they are proud to work there. As a 100% employee-owned business, Malco Products’ core company values and business performance are driven by its greatest asset: its people. Rich Benninghoff, president and CEO of Malco Products, will discuss the company’s “Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good” campaign and how investing in the company’s interior workspaces and process equipment, external appearance and the local community helps improve employee morale and performance, while encouraging them to take pride in their work and workplace.