Manchester, N.H.—CCA Global Partners Retail Group’s conneXtion conference is set for Jan. 14-17 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Dallas. Carpet One Floor & Home, Flooring America, Flooring Canada, The Floor Trader and International Design Guild members will take part in an exciting lineup of events, including a keynote from real estate magnate and ABC’s “Shark Tank” Barbara Corcoran. Plus, members will have a chance to explore new ways to help drive more retail traffic to their showrooms, a full day of education sessions and a closing night event with R&B/funk band Kool & The Gang.
ConneXtion’s agenda also includes a Women of CCA event, NEX40 event, marketing and merchandising innovations, increased networking opportunities and a full trade show floor showcasing CCA’s exclusive Retail 2.0 showroom—all designed to energize and invigorate cooperative members as they head into 2024.
“Members will notice that this convention is built around initiatives to impact their businesses immediately,” said John Gilbert, president of Carpet One Floor & Home. “We’re focusing heavily on ways to drive more traffic through accelerating smart marketing initiatives, a full day of hands-on education sessions, incorporating more peer-led panels and expanding our member-to-member networking for invaluable connections with other owners. We’ve also infused our agenda with speakers, activities and entertainment designed to inspire, engage and motivate members to kick start the new year.”
ConneXtion highlights include:
Keynote speaker Barbara Corcoran: Attendees at conneXtion will get wisdom, advice and inspiration from special guest Barbara Corcoran, founder of The Corcoran Group, as well as Shark and executive producer on ABC’s wildly successful business series, “Shark Tank” (where she’s invested in over 100 businesses). She is also the author of “Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 into a Billion Dollar Business!” and host of top business podcast “Business Unusual with Barbara Corcoran.”
Full-day education sessions: Based on member feedback, the upcoming conneXtion is expanding its educational offerings with a full day dedicated to education sessions. Classes on expansion, succession, installation, marketing, digital, operations, training and trends will be offered.
Women of CCA event: The conference opens on Sunday, Jan. 14, with an exclusive Women of CCA special event. Set against the stained-glass windows and vaulted ceilings of historic architectural gem Ashton Depot in Ft. Worth, the evening includes networking, cocktails, dinner and a talk from guest speaker Pam Minick, former rodeo champ and TV host.
Networking with NEX40: The NEX40 group comes together for a night of music, drinks and networking with fellow young professionals across CCA Retail Groups. NEX40 has been organizing trips, events and workshops for under-40 professionals since 2016, and the group will announce new opportunities planned for 2024 and 2025.
Looking ahead with Connor Lokar: ITR Economics’ senior forecaster Connor Lokar returns to conneXtion to share insights and market indicators for 2024 to help business owners look ahead.
Closing event with Kool & The Gang: The 2024 conneXtion features a closing event with renowned funk, R&B and soul legends Kool & The Gang. The vibe includes all black and silver attire, an expansive dance floor, food and drink and the exclusive chance for an in-real-life sing-along to “Celebration” and “Ladies’ Night” with the band that made those songs (and many more) party staples.
“Our agenda was crafted to maximize every opportunity for our members to leverage the powerful new showroom retrofits they are undergoing with Retail 2.0,” said Keith Spano, president of Flooring America, Flooring Canada, The Floor Trader, International Design Guild, and NISI. “There is something for everyone at conneXtion and members look forward to connecting with friends and gaining valuable knowledge to help keep them positioned ahead of their competition in a challenging retail landscape. We will also spend time together diving deep into our proprietary digital marketing tools, hear from industry experts, learn ways our members can diversify and streamline their business and see exclusive new products. Kicking off the new year with our members is always inspiring, and we can’t wait to see everyone in Dallas this January.”