By Reginald Tucker While a big part of the upcoming 2022 Mohawk Momentum Roadshows will certainly focus on new products and innovations, it’s not the only draw for attendees. Mohawk is also planning to conduct several informative and timely educational sessions that delve into pertinent subjects and themes.
“At Mohawk, one of the things that we’re really excited about—and what we really take pride in—is doing a good job of offering education,” said Angela Duke, senior director of residential marketing, Mohawk. “With the postponement of the 2021 Edge Summit, we tried to pivot and really look at learning opportunities that we could bring to the Roadshows.”
In developing the session themes, Mohawk polled roughly 3,000 retailer partners to gain a better understanding of the issues they are facing every day and to learn how Mohawk might be able to provide guidance and educational assistance. What started out as a list of about 20 potential subjects, Mohawk— based on retailer feedback—narrowed the options down to the top three.
“We wanted to know what the retailers needed to learn and, more specifically, what they’re looking to get from Mohawk,” Duke explained. “The three subjects we identified were the ones that really stood out.”
The three, hour-long classes, which will take place once per day during the Roadshows in Philadelphia, Chicago, Huntington Beach and Atlanta, are as follows:
Updates to Edge program. Mohawk research shows approximately 67% of flooring purchases start online. Therefore, it is critical that retailers learn how to optimize their digital presence and drive better leads to fuel ongoing growth in line with the shopping habits of consumers today. Via a panel-discussion format, attendees will also learn all the exciting new updates to Edge in 2022 and how Mohawk plans to turn up the dial on things that matter most to the retailer’s business.
“Without having Summit this year, we wanted to create an opportunity to get some one-on-one time with retailers,” Duke explained. “The retailers are going to be able to talk to other people in the showroom at the Customer Success Area, but this specific class is really about unlocking greater potential for those retailers and how the Edge go-to-market strategy will help them succeed in their business. So, it’s just a little bit of a deeper dive to help them learn about what we’re doing inside of Edge.”
Finding (and retaining) quality employees. One of the most challenging parts of running a small business is finding and keeping employees. During this session, attendees will learn from leading industry experts how fellow retailers have found success in dealing with these issues and how to plan accordingly. “This one is especially relevant to our current situation and economy,” Duke noted. “Tips for retaining good employees is really in demand right now, so that one really hit home for many retailers.”
Flooring is fashionable. Studies show the consumer places high priority on how a flooring purchase will make her home look and feel. To that end, selling inspiration and style requires a different approach than selling product features. This session will discuss how to successfully position flooring as a fashion accessory for the home.
According to Mohawk, the educational sessions will be arranged in a manner that allows retailers to maximize their time on the show floor without worrying that they will miss out on the educational opportunities. How it works: When retailers register online to attend the specific Roadshow in their area, they are invited to register for the educational classes at the same time. Meanwhile, since the showroom visits are “appointment-only,” retailers can book their classes without schedule conflicts.
“Retailers can work closely with our showroom team to make sure they’re lining up appointments to do their tours,” Duke said. “At the same time, when they register, we’ll be able to capture when they want to take their education classes as well. So, hopefully, the way it lines up is they’ll be able to come in, take a class and then go to the showroom—or vice versa.”
Whatever classes retailers decide on, Mohawk is encouraging retailer attendees to make their respective reservations as soon as possible. Nearly 25% of the seats for the educational classes were claimed within the first week registration opened, according to Mohawk.
Mohawk adds Atlanta to 2022 Roadshow schedule
Dalton—Mohawk has added Atlanta to the list of stops on its 2022 Momentum Roadshow. The latest pitstop, the fifth in the series, is scheduled to take place Feb. 22-23 at the Mohawk Flooring Center in Calhoun, Ga.
The updated 2022 Mohawk Momentum Roadshow schedule is as follows:
- Philadelphia: Jan. 5-6, Marriott Philadelphia Downtown
- Chicago: Jan. 12-13, Sheraton Grand Hotel
- Huntington Beach, Calif.: Jan. 24-25, Waterfront Beach Resort
- Las Vegas: Feb. 1-3, Surfaces-Mandalay Bay Convention Center
- Calhoun, Ga.: Feb. 22-23, Mohawk Flooring Center