The 6th Annual IAHSP Convention held this week in Bellevue, WA was a HUGE success! We had so many Stagers join us representing over 27 states and 4 Canadian provinces - and we had the best time! The International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) provides this annual event and is the only association that has this history of providing continuing education and excellence for its membership.
Of course the learning was TOP NOTCH - and we heard from ASP & ASPM Stagers that are earning big dollars in their busineses. I posted a blog-log on the ASP Forum for ASPs to read and will just give a synopsis of the event here.
We kicked of the week of fun (not just one day!) with a leadership luncheon where those that have contributed to the Convention and to our IAHSP Chapters as leaders were honored by Barb Schwarz, The Creator of Home Staging.
The next day, we had our official registration for the Convention where from 10 AM - 6 PM we had a steady stream of attendees come to get their goodies, and sign up for their Meet the Pro tables. Wednesday was also our excellent VENDOR EXPO - and we have some AMAZING new services and products that we will be able to provide to our clients. We are thrilled to be partnering up with even more national companies that realize the power of numbers we provide in our network of Stagers. Wednesday evening, Barb hosted all the ASP Masters that were in attendance and had a private reception in her suite. The sharing of just "one good thing" that has happened this year for each of us - resulted in brand new ideas and great marketing tips! And the convention had not even officially started yet!
Thursday - the Official Kick-off for the 2008 IAHSP Convention began with a wonderful session with Barb Schwarz. As the pioneer for this industry she again demonstrated her integrity and knowledge as she shared why only 20% of the Stagers get 80% of the business. Thursday at lunch we heard from a guest speaker who shared about one of our brand new services that ASPs have been asking for 2 years to provide. We finally have it and are the only ones that offer this for our members!
Thursday afternoon we had an Expert ASPM Panel - sharing business tips and wisdom as we were interviewed by Barb Schwarz. Some of the names you will recognize from this site included: Cindy Lin, ASPM, Jennie Norris, ASPM, Mary DeBella, ASPM, Sandy Donogh, ASPM, Jan Whitlow, ASPM, Melanie Warren, ASPM, Victoria Hunter, ASPM, Dana Pederson, ASPM, and Trish Kim, ASPM, Just with this Expert Panel of Stagers that have earned the highest designation in the staging industry, we had California, Washington, Oregon, Washington, DC, Florida covered!
That evening was our social networking time - and many of the ASPs stayed up each night into the wee hours getting to know each other better and bonding - which is one of the best parts of an event like this - the "meeting after the meeting." That cannot be accomplished in only a one-day forum, and that is why the IAHSP Convention is so unique and beneficial!
The amount of learning just kept coming as Friday all day was our Meet the Pros session where 22 Pros from the Staging world presented individual topics to our attendees - who rotated every 30 minutes throughout the day to a different Pro's table. Each attendee was able to hear from 10 pros - and all said the session was fabulous and such a great part of what we do at our Convention. Of course, Barb patterned this after the National Speaker's Association of which she is one of only about 400 Certified Speaking Professionals in the World.
Saturday - we had meaty break-out sessions presented to our attendees from successful Stagers that earn a six-figure income (or seven in some cases!) from their Staging busiensses. Jennie Norris, ASPM, IAHSP from the Sacramento area kicked off the morning with a session on "How to Thrive in a Changing Market" and addressed how we can strategically thrive (not survive) the changing economy, real estate market, media issues, and other stagers that are in the market. She identified 5 new market niches for Stagers that we can specialize in with clients. The audience rose to their feet when she was done in excitement and appreciation for what had been shared.
Next up was Cindy Lin, ASPM, IAHSP from the SF Bay Area - who shared her detailed info on how to use the interent to market a business at little or no expense. It was a very interesting session that left many attendees excited to get home and do more to expose their businesses online, and they showed their appreciation for her session with an ovation after she was done too.
Next up was Jason Maxwell, ASP, IAHSP - from Dallas, who has one of the largest Staging businesses in the US. Using a model he received from a fellow ASP (as we do believe in sharing with each other) he adapted it for his own business plan, and has a current volume of business that is about $1.5 Million annually - with plans for huge growth. He shared about business management and the roles we have to play as business owners to allow us to grow. His session was both informative and entertaining.
Next was our lunch and we learned about the plans for our annual Worldwide Staging Service Week (WWSSW) where we give back to our communities as ASPs and help a charity or non-profit organization with a staging need. We watched a video of last year's projects and were touched by the segment featuring the various cities and communities our dedicated members helped with their time and talent.
Saturday afternoon, Dan Skoglund from Chicago - spoke on Marketing Your Business and provided key scripts and tips on catering all marketing materials towards the features and benefits of the target audience, and also discussed how to work with new market niches that have opened up due to the economy. Saturday afternoon Barb spoke again - and wrapped up the Convention as only she can -with wisdom, inspiration, and motivation that is based in her 36 years of serving this industry.
Saturday night we had a Masquerade Ball with great costumes worn by most - and the special awards for the Convention were given out. The 2008 IAHSP Spirit Award was given to Melanie Warren, ASPM, IAHSP, from Seattle, WA for her dedication to our association and her spirit of giving. Next the 2008 ASP Rising Star Award was given to Michelle Morris, ASPM, IAHSP - from Washington, DC - who has built a huge business in less than a year in a market where others are struggling. We are so proud of her!
The 2008 IAHSP Chapter Excellence Award was actually given to 7 of our 100 chapters that were nominated for their excellent work in continuing to build the reputation and quality of Staging in their various markets. Finally, the 8th Annual Barb Schwarz Staging Excellence Award - the first of its kind - was presented to Trish Kim, ASPM, IAHSP from Washington, DC - who was very deserving and has not only set the pace with her excellent Staging quality, but also is a valued leader in her region, a mentor for other Stagers, and a wonderful person.
We are so proud of all the award winners and congratulate them for their achievements!
The IAHSP Convention is the only one of its kind - and for six years now, Barb Schwarz has invested her time and company dollars to provide a forum for continuing education and excellence for Stagers across North America. It takes a huge amount of planning and dedication to coordinate and we are fortunate to be part of a group that believes in investing time and dollars to ensure we stay on top of the market trends, services and techniques that continue to lead the industry.
What I loved about the convention was being able to get around all the business owners from around the country and hearing first-hand what is working, and being able to answer questions that would help those that were in need. Being able to ask someone that is actually a practicing Stager about what works is reallly important for our success - and knowing what trends are happening around the country requires first-hand knowledge of a particular region - which we are able to achieve with our wide attendance and membership. Not all markets are soft and struggling, and so we were able to hear from those in a strong market, and also encourage those in the softer areas and give them specific ideas and strategies for success.
Being together for several days was so great - as it allowed us to really get in depth with success topics and learn what we need to do to build strong Staging businesses. We had many creative topics shared - including color predctions for 2009, window treatment ideas, and Staging techniques in addition to all the marketing and business management information.
I am excited to put many of the marketing ideas to work in my personal business, as well as incoporate the new vendor partners that we have access to - with my clients! I know they are going to be thrilled with what we can now offer them - that will help set them apart from their competition even more!
Photos of this event will be loaded up here shortly - you have to see some of the costumes from Saturday night . . . plus just witness the camarderie and friendships that were forged at this wonderful event!
Those of you that were unable to attend - set a goal to come next year! You can't afford to miss it - as it is a unique forum - and specifically focused on helping YOU grow! The investment in attending is paid back many times over with the information that is received - and those that attend can attest to this fact! We will find out in a couple of months where next year's IAHSP Convention will be held! I look forward to seeing you all there in 2009!!!
- Jennie
Jennie,
All I can say is WOW!, WOW!, WOW!!! Convention was a blast and was full of a wealth of information! I couldn't believe how much the industry is changing and how excited that we are to be at the forefront of the latest in home staging technology and education. I gained so much not only from the 4 days of scheduled events, but from the camaraderie of meeting other professional home stagers from around the country and Canada! As always it is so inspirational to hear Barb Schwarz speak! This is definitely the convention not to be missed, and I am sorry for those who were not able to attend this year, I feel they missed out on so much that could have helped them thrive in this industry. I will be sure to attend next year and for the rest of my staging career as I know it will only get better every year that goes by! This is an ever changing industry and in order to keep up with the latest in professional home staging, I suggest for any home stager that wants to succeed and stay on top of our industry, it is a must do! See you all again next year!
It was a GREAT CONVENTION, It was great to see all my Staging friends there. I can't wait to see where it will be next year. It was amazing all the talented people I was able to talk to and get ideas from. I can't wait to see all my friends and meet some new ones next year.
Hi Jennie, :)
Where do I begin with the IAHSP Convention? I cannot emphasize to you and to others in the active rain community how thrilled and delighted I am that my Mother and I made the effort to go to Convention this year! It was an entirely informational, enlightening and unforgettable experience! We learned so much, had so much fun and were able to meet some truly wonderful fellow stagers, that I'm sure now will be our long time friends! We left inspired, stimulated and educated! Thank you for sharing so much wisdom and experience Jennie! See you next year!