Someone read my mind...

Last October 2021 at High Point Market I was speaking with Richard S. , who was working on behalf of Bob George . Richard was responsible for running Bob's performance groups at the time and I proposed a crazy idea that perhaps we both could convince Bob to start up a technology innovation focused event for the benefit of all of the various combined perfomance groups Bob & Richard oversaw.

Fast foward to nearly a year later and I got to experience a Furniture Today inaugural innovation technology focused event for the furniture industry with a ketnote address by my well respected, well followed industry friend of almost two decades, Leslie Carothers (I would have driven to hear that alone). Additionally it included nearly two full days of discussions, panels, learning labs, technology sponsors / exibitors, industry awards, food and not to mention; plenty of opportunities for debate, networking and fun.

It's as if Bill McLoughlin somehow read my mind last October and then expanded on what I was thinking. I had thought this would be a half day or perhaps a full day event at most. Bill and the Team at Furniture Today obviously thought much bigger and made it almost 2 full days instead.

While the event far exceeded any expectations for this type of event I had envisioned last year, it became clear that it's primary focus on the metaverse as it relates to the furniture industry was a bit narrow. Fortunately none of the speakers or sponsors had an exclusive focus on the metaverse and were ready and eager to expand discussions outside of it as well.

Forgive me if I leave anyone out, but the sponsors included the likes of; Coohom , JuniperMarket , Live Furnish , 3D Cloud , Outward, Inc. , PACKAGE.AI , and Sunrise Technologies with an honorable mention to iShopMeta .

Would I attend this event next year if it was simply an update on the metaverse and how it has impacted the furniture industry? No, and I doubt any of the attendees this year would either. The real promise of this event moving forward is not what it was, but what it could become. The key to the future of this event is it's primary title "The Innovation Event". Which I take to mean; an event focused on innovation principles, best practices and technologies to support them.

In addition to learning labs sponsored by tech companies, it should include workshops to help attendees lay out their own roadmap / playbook to help them bring innovation back to their companies. I won't give away anything I may have overheard and steal thunder from the Team at Furniture Today , but it does seem they have something much bigger planned for the event next year and if they do, I will be there, that's for certain.