By Joseph Haecker
It’s trade show season again. The industry is alive with activity as manufacturers, retailers, and designers travel from Las Vegas to Atlanta, High Point, and every other major market in between. Showrooms are buzzing with energy, hoping that "this time, this location" sales and attendance will be better.
But amidst all this excitement, one glaring issue remains: manufacturers are stuck in a loop of trying—and failing—to sell furniture.
At every event, the same scenario plays out: a mom-and-pop retailer walks into a showroom and is greeted by a rep who leads them through a collection of furniture and decor.
The goal?
To get them to place an order. And sure, they might order some stock items to display in their stores. But this approach by manufacturers misses the bigger picture—and it’s why so many retailers struggle to thrive after market season ends.
The Problem: Selling to the Wrong Audience
Let’s get one thing clear: most trade shows are “industry-only” events. The attendees are NOT consumers. They’re retailers, mom-and-pop shop owners, specifiers, and designers. These are the people who will buy your products to sell to someone else. Yet, manufacturers approach these events as though they’re selling directly to the end user.
This approach is fundamentally flawed.
Most small retailers and designers don’t have the training or expertise to merchandise, design store layouts, or create showroom movement that drives consumer behavior. In many cases, they’re not even familiar enough with the products they’re buying to explain their value to their customers.
What they need isn’t a sales pitch—it’s an education.
The Missing Link: Teaching, Not Selling
Manufacturers should be experts of their own products and category. They know their inventory inside and out—or at least, they should. But instead of focusing on the unique qualities of their products and how to help their retailers, specifiers and designers sell them, manufacturers stick to the same tired script: features, pricing, and order quantities.
Here’s what manufacturers should be doing instead:
Teach the “why” behind the product: Explain what makes it unique. Is it the materials, the craftsmanship, or the sourcing process?
Offer actionable insights: Share best practices for merchandising, signage, and creating movement within a store.
Provide market intelligence: What are the sales trends for this type of product? What performs well in specific regions?
Train retailers on storytelling: Help them connect your products to their customers' lifestyles and aspirations.
When manufacturers shift their focus from “selling” to “teaching,” they empower their buyers to succeed—and that success comes back to benefit everyone in the supply chain.
A Personal Experience
How do I know this?
My career began as a lighting designer for hotels and casinos. If you've been to Vegas, there is a 100% chance that you have seen my designs. When we would have design firms in our factories, two things happened nearly every single time:
It clients would say things like: Oh! I didn't know that's how that was made.
They learned about it process and capabilities. They discovered something new that made them a better specifier.
They would say: Hmm. Could you give me a quote on these other items or projects. Why? Because they saw our capabilities, and it triggered a reminder in their heads that we were capable.
Why does this matter? I learned first-hand that education matters.
A Second Scenario
A few years ago, I attended a panel discussion at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles. The topic was “What is Luxury?” The room was filled with interior designers, specifiers, and retailers eager to learn "What is Luxury", so they could tell their customers who often ask: "Why should I pay this higher price, when I can get the same looking piece for less elsewhere?". But for the next 45 minutes, the panelists talked about one thing: how they aggressively sue competitors who knock off their designs.
What we didn’t hear was anything about the materials, craftsmanship, or processes that made their products luxurious. We didn’t learn how to identify or communicate quality. In short, the panelists missed the opportunity to educate their audience on what truly set their products apart.
And this isn’t an isolated incident—it’s a systemic issue.
Why Do Manufacturers Miss the Mark, So Badly?
So why do manufacturers fail so miserably at trade shows? Here’s my take:
They don’t understand their products: Many manufacturers source products from overseas or chase trends, so they’re often disconnected from what makes their inventory unique.
They haven’t adapted to wholesale dynamics: Manufacturers that started as direct-to-consumer businesses often carry those same habits into the wholesale space, failing to adjust their messaging for a B2B audience.
They don’t know their audience: Instead of asking retailers and designers what THEY need to succeed, manufacturers assume they’re all the same and focus solely on selling.
They follow the herd: Too many manufacturers operate out of fear—fear of missing out (FOMO) on trends, fear of standing out, and fear of taking risks. This leads to a sea of lookalike products and uninspired presentations.
Reimagining Trade Shows
Trade shows have become stagnant. Instead of being hubs for innovation and education, they’ve devolved into repetitive cycles of “trends” that are often nothing more than knockoffs. Programs like the Design Influencers Conference even perpetuate this by sending influencers to identify “trends” that are already saturating the market.
A few years ago, a director of sales for a major brand angrily scolded me saying: "These events are for buying and selling products!" Two things:
He's no longer with that company.
He couldn't be more wrong.
But let's imagine for a second that a trade show functioned more like a World Congress...Picture this:
New product showcases that highlight truly innovative designs and technologies. Free of the crowded showroom experience. Clean simple takeaways.
Educational panels featuring experts in consumer behavior, merchandising, and business strategy. Where retailers, specifiers and designers could return home to become better business owners.
Workshops for manufacturers on topics like omni-channel marketing, sourcing, and inventory management. Where manufacturers sent their sales reps to learn from experts from Mike, Amazon and major brands with billions in funding, analytics and data.
Hands-on training for retailers and designers on how to create compelling store layouts, tell product stories, and build customer loyalty.
Instead of leaving with a purchase orders, fake "Trend Spotting" and some business cards, attendees would leave with the knowledge and tools to transform their businesses back at home.
A Call to Action
Here’s the truth: the trade show model hasn’t evolved in over 100 years. Companies like ANDMORE, the Dallas Market Center, and others are clinging to outdated frameworks that no longer serve the industry. But change doesn’t have to come from the top.
All it takes is one manufacturer willing to step up and do things differently. A single brand with the courage to prioritize education over sales could spark a revolution in the industry.
So, if you’re a manufacturer who’s tired of spinning your wheels—if you’re ready to stop following the herd and start leading the charge—let’s talk. The future of the home goods industry doesn’t have to look like the past. Together, we can create a new model that benefits everyone, from manufacturers to retailers to the end consumer.
The only question is: are you ready to lead the way?
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