Germantown, Tenn.
– MEGA Group USA, a national home-furnishings buying group for independent furniture,
mattress, appliance and electronics retailers, will hold its 27th annual fall
convention Aug. 22-26 at the Downtown Marriott in Louisville, Ky.
Celebrity chef,
author and entrepreneur Paula Deen will host a special reception at the show on
Tues., Aug. 24, at 5:30 p.m. Deen, who also appears regularly on the Food
Network, recently partnered with MEGA Group and Serta to introduce an exclusive
mattress collection for member dealers, dubbed Paula Deen Home by Serta.
The convention’s keynote
speaker will be Bob Negen, founder of Mackinaw Kite Co., whose philosophy of “make
it fun, get it done” helped him grow the business from $17,000 in sales to over
$3 million in 20 years.
“We are excited to
hold our fall convention in the great city of Louisville,” said MEGA Group president
Rick Bellows. “Louisville is centrally located for the majority of our
membership and has so much to offer. We have a lot planned for our members
during the convention including hearing from Paula Deen and Bob Negen, product
displays, breakout meetings, coaching sessions, a buying show plus so much
more.”
The buying group
anticipates attendance by hundreds of dealers in retail categories including
appliances, electronics, furniture, outdoor power and mattress.
In a statement,
MEGA member Max Boren, principal of Smitty’s Tire & Appliance in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, said, “I have attended MEGA Group USA’s national conventions for
the past several years. Not only is it a great learning and educational
experience, but it is a lot of fun and provides the perfect opportunity to
network and idea share with others in the industry.”
MEGA Group,
located here, has 1,500 retail members and 2,500 storefronts throughout the U.S.
The group provides independent dealers with such business services as vendor
programs, custom advertising and marketing, store merchandising, and IT support
aimed at driving floor traffic, improving sales and profits, and enhancing
operating efficiencies. For more information, visit
.
