JOIN the ICFA ... Under the Umbrella

Last week I spent two days in Las Vegas at the Winter ICFA Board of Directors Meeting. It was a wonderful two day meeting focusing on Membership & Organizational Branding and Marketing. The board consists of manufacturers/importers, retailers, sales representatives, suppliers, industry designers and media associate members all striving to improve the casual furniture industry by adding value propositions.

The International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA), was established in 2008, it is a trade association whose goal is to create a community of professionals dedicated to the success of all its members in today’s global marketplace. Prior to the formation of the ICFA, the organization was the Summer and Casual Furniture Manufacturers Association (SCFMA) founded in 1959. The SCFMA recognized the need to expand membership to create a more inclusive organization, better positioned to serve the casual furnishings industry. In 2008, the Casual Furniture Retailers Association (CFR) supported the integration of its members into the ICFA.

The mission of the ICFA is to create the desire for quality outdoor furnishings through industry partnerships. As a member of the ICFA you are provided the tools to help you stay at the leading edge of this competitive market place.

The benefits of this organization are vast and growing. Some of the benefits include networking opportunities with industry peers, discounts on key products and services, such as Federal Express Shipping Program and the Evergreen Line Container Shipping Program, Credit Card Program, Health Care Program, Discounts on Exhibiition Space, Participation in the Design Excellence Awards, Participation in the Apollo Awards, Public Relations support and the new and improved website. Information and insight regarding trends in consumer markets and access to ideas and programs to better promote your business.

Becoming a member of the ICFA will be beneficial to you and your business. In fact next week the ICFA is sponsoring a WEBINAR:

What Works Online: How to Market Your Store on the Web

The International Casual Furnishings Association  Tuesday, February 23rd at 2:00PM EST (11:00AM PST)

Hear about best practices in Web design; tactics to drive traffic to your web site; and how to measure if it is working.

Join us under the umbrella and become a member of the ICFA. 
Click on the link to join: http://www.icfanet.org/join.aspx

For more information or testimonials write a comment or send me an email: mblake@outdoorinteriors.com

These are my outside views…Marcia Blake