2018 Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo returns to Pasadena March 27-29
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CCCE 2018 will kick off with a keynote presentation by Whitney Pyle, COO of Advanced Cabinet Systems in Marion, Indiana. She will address "The Business Case for Diversity."
PASADENA --  Profitability through Innovation is the theme of the Closets Track, one of three education tracks, for next month’s Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo as it returns to Pasadena at the Pasadena Convention Center. The annual event, which features a full-day conference, plant tour and exposition, is dedicated to home remodeling professionals specializing in building kitchen cabinets, closets, and other home storage designs.  
“This year’s event is aimed at helping cabinet and closet industry professionals make the most out of what should be a great year for business, “ said Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Organized Storage magazine, part of the Woodworking Network which also produces the Cabinets & Closets Expo and Conference.  "Attendees will come away with new ideas and inspiration.  Our schedule will allow plenty of time for networking and Pasadena is a great place to get together.” 
CCCE will kick off with a keynote presentation by Whitney Pyle, COO  of Advanced Cabinet Systems in Marion, Indiana, who is also an FDMC 40 under 40 winner.  Her presentation, The Business Case for Diversity, will discuss how diversity is quite possibly the best source of innovation and creativity in our industry. “The construction and woodworking industries as a whole lack diversity. Together, we will unpack the reasons why, we’ll discuss why it’s important to change it, what we can do to change it, and we’ll also discuss what steps to take to ensure all people become integrated and engaged in our organizations and our industry,” said Pyle.
 
Keith Morgan, founder of Bespoke,  will address "Selling directly to the luxury consumer."
 
 
Keith Morgan will be the morning keynote on March 28.  Morgan's presentation, Selling directly to the luxury consumer, will be is one of three keynotes planned for each morning of the Cabinets & Closets Expo & Conference in Pasadena, March 27-29.  Morgan is the founder of  Bespoke, an internationally-known woodworking company that specializes in the luxury market.  Morgan will reveal aspects of his "playbook" on how to understand and work with wealthy clientele.
 
Three education tracks are planned for March 27:  Closets-- Profitability Through Innovation; Cabinets -- Upgrade Your Business Now; and Lean -- Total Lean Immersion!  Click here for full agenda.
The Closets track will feature presentations by top designers and industry professionals and cover topics ranging from the art and business of design to lighting to the pros and cons of outsourcing. One of the highlights of the Closets track is the New Product Innovation session during which a panel of entrepreneurs will discuss how to expand business opportunities and develop ideas for new products. Panelists include Jack Z. DeLorean, AttiClosets, DeLorean, LLC; Lee Goldsticker, Lazy Lee;  and Michaelle Bradford, Editor,  Closets & Organized Storage magazine
The Cabinets track kicks off with the FDMC Pricing Survey, “What to Charge,” by editor Will Sampson.  His presentation is followed by sessions that will address cabinet design trends, expanding into commercial markets and how automation can help solve the skills gap.  The Cabinets track concludes with the Cabinet Manufacturers Association’s “What’s your problem” panel.
Lean guru, Brad Cairns, returns to CCCE 2018 with an all-day track devoted to lean, titled "Total Lean Immersion."  Cairns delivered his presentation, "Kick-Ass Lean: What the heck is this LEAN thing everyone is talking about?" at CCCE 2017 in front of a packed audience in Schaumburg, IL.  
The three-day event also features free morning keynotes and other complimentary education sessions.  
“This year’s CCCE offers something for everyone," said Laurel Didier, publisher of Closets & Organized Storage magazine, part of the Woodworking Network which also produces the Cabinets & Closets Expo and Conference.  "Attendees will come away with new ideas and inspiration.  Our schedule will allow plenty of time for networking and Pasadena is a great place to get together.” 
“One of the highlights of the event will be our tour of Semihandmade.  Tour attendees will get a chance to see this rising star in action and hear from company founder, John McDonald.” McDonald was the keynote speaker at CCCE 2016.
Just 15 minutes from the Pasadena Convention Center, Semihandmade's 20,000 sq. ft. manufacturing and assembly facility in Duarte is a testimony to the company's rapid growth.   The company has made the Inc 500 list of fasting-growing privately owned U.S. companies. Launched in 2011 by Founder, John McDonald, Semihandmade has developed a unique niche in offering one-of-a-kind doors for IKEA kitchens, bathrooms, closets and media cabinets.
The CCCE 2018 tour will stop at Semihandmade's Duarte facility first, followed by a stop at its future 25,000 sq. ft. headquarters in nearby Monrovia, which will still be under construction.
The Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP) will once again offer designer certification during the conference allowing designers a chance to see the latest home storage products on the market and get certified in the same day.
The Top Shelf Design Awards will also be celebrated at an awards reception the evening of March 28. 
CCCE 2018 is owned and managed by the Woodworking Network whose assets include FDMC, Closets & Organized Storage, RED BOOK, WoodworkingNetwork.com, the Daily Brief, Wood Pro Expo and  WMS, the national event for Canada's wood products industry.
The 2018 Cabinets & Closets Conference is produced in partnership with the Association of Closets and Storage Professionals (ACSP) and the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA).
To register and for more information go to: www.cabinetsandclosetsexpo.

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Harry Urban

Harry Urban is the retired publisher of the Woodworking Network. Urban spent more than 30 years working in business-to-business publishing, trade shows, and conferences. He has travelled extensively throughout North America and overseas visiting and reporting on major manufacturing facilities and trade shows. In retirement, he's still following the woodworking industry, but he plans to do a lot more fishing.