Blog: Reinvented Bedding Conference right for a new business climate

Here’s a business challenge for you. You want to do something that you’ve done for years, something that you really like, something that is good for your business, but you can’t. Circumstances just don’t allow you to do what came naturally and easily to you for so long.

So what do you do? Complain about how the world has changed and hope that the world will go back to how it was? Or do you look for opportunities in the new business landscape?

That business challenge now faces us in the mattress industry. We can’t do things we used to do so easily, like call on retailers and get together at markets without any fears of COVID-19. And we can’t all gather in Florida for the Furniture Today Bedding Conference, originally set for May but then rescheduled for August.

We wish we could still do all of those things. I wish I could have carefree business lunches with bedding colleagues, enjoying a Cobb salad (or maybe a burger and fries) while learning something new about our constantly changing industry. And I wish that bedding retailers didn’t have to worry about keeping their customers safe with stringent new safety protocols.

And I wish that we could host the Bedding Conference this year at the Omni Orlando Resort in Championsgate, Fla. That is one of the highlights of my work on the bedding beat. It’s an

invigorating, intense and informative three days in Mattressville.

But COVID-19 has reshaped the business world.

At Furniture Today, we have shifted the Bedding Conference to an online format. For three days (Aug. 18-20), we will feature industry leaders and business experts in presentations in the mornings and afternoons. There will be a chance to gather together (virtually) for a brainstorming session and an awards gala.

As you read this, our planning for the Bedding Conference is in high gear. We’ve got some fun surprises in store for you. You will see me in some new roles. You will also see me doing what I love: Learning from industry leaders and sharing their insights with our audience. And you will see bedding leaders who you may not have seen in recent months as we have all been sheltering in place.

We are reinventing the Bedding Conference as we convert it into a digital event. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But it’s also a lot of fun.

How many times do we get to reinvent a business? Think about that. The rhythms and schedules of our industry have been deeply ingrained over many years. We go to markets, gather at special events and hit the road almost every week, all the time nurturing the strong and special relationships that characterize the bedding industry. We do business over lunch almost every day. At markets, we do business over breakfast, lunch and dinner and, later, at the bar.

But now we must make changes. The online world has become a major element in all of our businesses. Zoom calls and conference calls are as common as a bowl of cereal in the mornings. Working remotely now means just another day in the (home) office.

Our whole team at Furniture Today is excited about the opportunity to reimagine the Bedding Conference. We invite you to join us for our all-new Bedding Conference. You can register at BeddingCon.com.