the
In
The International Housewares Association (IHA) began
holding year-round educational programs for specialty
retailers via webinars and confidential online consulting
this summer.
The educational offerings began with a business webinar
on Wednesday, June 22. Presented by IHA’s Gourmet
Home Specialty Retailer University, the no-charge program
focused on “Successful Social Media Strategy,” led by Ed
Taylor, founder of Internet Marketing Group and author
of “Proven Strategies to Increase Website Sales, Leads &
Opt-ins.”
Additionally, a new confidential consulting program will
be available 24/7 to specialty retailers via the Knowledge
Center on IHA’s Web site kicking off this month. Specialty
and independent retailers will be able to submit a question
via e-mail and receive an answer within two to three days.
The inaugural Experts on Call are:
Linda Cahan, author and contributing editor, Gifts &
Decorative Accessories, who will answer questions
relating to creating a store image that will attract, sell
and retain customers from store or window design to
visual merchandising to color palettes.
Catherine Yen, business financial consultant, who will
answer questions about the business of running a retail
operation.
Ed Taylor, Internet marketing consultant and author.
From Web sites to e-commerce to social media, Taylor will
help retailers strategize a profit approach to this necessary
and valuable technology.
For more information on the Gourmet Home Specialty
Retailer University and Experts on Call consulting, visit
www.housewares.org.
Takeya Honored with International Design
Excellence Award
Takeya USA announced today that its Modern water bottle garnered a
2011 Bronze International Design Excellence Award from the Industrial
Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Fast Company magazine.
The Modern is made of a durable glass that is dishwasher-
safe and of course BPA-free. It sports an elegant, silicone
jacket for protection. The Modern water bottle helps to
reduce waste created by disposable drink bottles while
providing consumers a healthier way to hydrate.
The Industrial Designers Society of America is the world’s oldest,
largest, member-driven society for product design, industrial
design, interaction design, human factors, ergonomics, design
research, design management, universal design and related
design fields. IDSA organizes the prestigious International
Design Excellence Award (IDEA) competition annually; hosts
the International Design Conference and five regional conferences each year; and publishes Innovation, a quarterly on
design, and designBytes, a weekly e-newsletter highlighting the
latest headlines in the design world. IDSA’s charitable arm, the
Design Foundation, supports the dissemination of undergraduate
scholarships annually to further industrial design education.
The Society has an international presence with local chapters in
27 different locations, all providing opportunities to meet other
designers, learn and get inspired. There are 16 special interest
groups representing diverse topics from Design for the Majority
to Materials and Processes, Ecodesign to Young Professionals.
IDSA has roots that reach all the way back to 1938, before the
age of plastics and at least 30 years before the age of electronics.
Takeya (pronounced tah-KAY-ya) USA, a subsidiary of Takeya
Japan, is a manufacturer of innovative food and beverage
containers. Building upon 50 years of design expertise, the
company enriches consumers’ lives by using modern ideas, a
rich palette of colors, food-safe materials, unique functionality
and high-quality craftsmanship. Takeya provides real solutions
that save the American consumer money, are eco-friendly and
promote a healthy lifestyle. More information is available at
www.takeyausa.com.
