EDISON, NJ - The 2013 Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo rolls into Edison, Feb. 26-March 1.

The "Total Storage Event," features two days of educational conferences, two days of product displays and demonstrations, a pair of special tours to area showrooms and woodworking factories, plus several exclusive free presentations on show days at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center.

The Conference Programs
For those attendees arriving in Edison Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 26), the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP) is hosting an Executive Forum & Mixer It features a trio of presentations on hiring and firing personnel, mentoring and preparing a business for sale. An hour-long reception break with appetizers and cash bar is the Mixer of the Forums. (See full schedule below.)

The Total Storage Solutions event officially kicks off Wednesday, Feb. 27 with the Cabinets & Closets Conference at the Sheraton Hotel. The day-long event opens with a general session featuring keynoter Robert Reiss, host of the nationally syndicated “CEO Show with Robert Reiss.” Afterwards the program divides into separate tracks: one tailored for closets firms, the other for custom cabinet professionals. The conference will be capped off by a cabinet/closet industry awards reception featuring presentation of the 2013 Top Shelf, Design Portfolio and ACSP Pioneer awards.

The Cabinets & Closets Expo opens at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 and Friday, March 1 at the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center, also in Edison and 1.5 miles from the Sheraton Hotel. It will feature product displays from more than 80 leading suppliers to the cabinet and closet markets, plus free how-to demonstrations throughout the two-day expo. Special features include a pair of "Food for Thought" breakfasts hosted by Osborne Wood Products, special appearances by Corbin Clay, the "wood beetle furniture star," (photo) at Eveready Hardware's booth each day and an exclusive presentation of new consumer remodeling research by Houzz.com set for 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Just added is a Sneak Peek of LIGNA Hannover, the world's largest woodworking trade show.

Cabinet & Closet Showroom & Factory Tours
The event concludes Friday, March 1 with a pair of optional round-trip bus tours. The first, all-day event, visits the factory and showroom of Transform, the New York City showrooms of  Hafele and Closet Factory, plus a stop at the 911 Memorial. An alternate four-hour afternoon tour will visit Canary Closets and Cabinetry and Artisan Custom Interiors, a high-tech custom cabinet operation.

Sheraton Edison Hotel Room Block Sold Out
Rooms are no longer available for the $129 group rate at the Sheraton Edison Hotel Raritan Center, site of the Cabinets & Closets Conference programs. The hotel has limited room availability at higher rates.

Event organizers have created a map idenitfying other hotels near both the Sheraton Edison Hotel and the New Jersey Convention & Exposition Center. Click here to view the map.

Learn more and register at CabinetsandClosetsExpo.com.

2013 CABINETS & CLOSETS CONFERENCE & EXPO SCHEDULE

TUESDAY, FEB. 26 – SHERATON EDISON HOTEL

EARLY-BIRD CLOSETS EXECUTIVE

FORUM & MIXER

4:00 P.M. How to Fire and Not End Up In Court

5:00 P.M. SCORE: Adding Membership into Your Success Strategy

5:30 P.M. Reception Break

6:30 P.M. Case Study #2: Preparing Your Business For Sale

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 27 – SHERATON EDISON HOTEL

CABINETS & CLOSETS CONFERENCE GENERAL SESSION
8:00 A.M. Welcome

8:20 A.M. Keynote Presentation: The Transformative CEO … A New Category of Leadership, presented by Robert Reiss, The CEO Show with Robert Reiss

9:40 A.M. State of the Custom Cabinet & Closets Industry, presented by Laurel Didier, Group Publisher, Woodworking Network

CABINETS CONFERENCE TRACK
10:30 A.M. Tips for Selling & Marketing Custom Cabinets

NOON Peer2Peer Networking Lunch

1:15 P.M. Moving from Residential to Commercial Woodworking Projects

2:00 P.M. Automating a Custom Wood Production Shop

3:00 P.M. Costing & Estimating Custom Projects

4:30 P.M. Open Forum: What’s Your Problem?

CLOSETS CONFERENCE TRACK
10:30 A.M. Enhancing Your Digital Marketing Capability

NOON Peer2Peer Networking Lunch

1:15 P.M. Our Product is Closets, Our Power Is People

3:20 P.M. Sales and Marketing or Is it Marketing and Sales?

ALL-INDUSTRY NETWORKING RECEPTION
6:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
Includes presentation of the winners of the 20th Annual Custom Woodworking Business Design Portfolio Awards, 7th Annual Closets Top Shelf Awards and 2013 ACSP Pioneer Award.

THURSDAY, FEB. 28 - NEW JERSEY CONVENTION CENTER

9:00 A.M.
Registration Counters Open

9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
"Food for Thought Breakfasts" hosted by Osborne Wood Products (Space is limited; RSVP required)

10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Cabinets & Closets Expo Hall Open

11:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Hafele America Product Demonstration at Expo Demo Stage (free to all)

2:00 A.M. - 2:30 A.M. 'Before' & 'After' Shots: Why They Work, presented by Denise Butchko, Butchko & Associates (free to all)

4:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
'What Your Clients Want,' exclusive presentation of new home remodelining and design reserach presented by Annie Nozawa of Houzz.com (free to all)

Plus,
Meet Corbin Clay, the "pine beetle furniture star" at Eveready's booth, sponsored by Festool

FRIDAY, MARCH 1- NEW JERSEY CONVENTION CENTER

8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Showroom Tour to Transforms' manufacturing plant and showroom, New York City showrooms of Hafele America and Closet Factory, and a visit ot the 9/11 Memorial - sponsored by Hafele America (ticketed event)

9:00 A.M.
Registration Counters Open

9:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M.
"Food for Thought Breakfasts" hosted by Osbrone Wood Products (Space is limited; RSVP required)

10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Cabinets & Closets Expo Hall Open

11:00 A.M. - 11:30 P.M. Sneak Peek: LIGNA Hannover 2013, presented by Katherine Leon Childress, Hannover Fairs USA (Free to all)

1:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. Manufacturing Plant Tour to Canary Closets and Cabinetry and Artisan Custom Interiors - sponsored by Stiles Machinery Inc. (ticketed event)

Plus,
Meet Corbin Clay, the "pine beetle furniture star" at Eveready's booth, sponsored by Festool