24th Annual Christmas Decor Conference • Nashville, TN • July 8 - 10
WELCOME Christmas Decor to the 24th Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee
Welcome to Nashville! We are glad you are here and are looking forward to another great opportunity to spend time with you. We hope you came prepared to network, learn and have fun! This year’s venue, the Gaylord Opryland, is as good as it gets. There’s plenty to do here on the property, but you are also close to great shopping, recreation and more. Hopefully, you are planning on staying a few extra days to enjoy what Nashville has to offer. As for the conference, this year we chose the theme “Renewed Focus” which gives a snapshot of our continuing focus and commitment on the Christmas Decor franchise network. We enjoy being able to bring additional value, new concepts, and dynamic ideas to assist you on your journey. As always, we cannot wait to spend time with you at the conference. If you have any questions or need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. Brandon Stephens President
FRANCHISE Referral Program
Refer a Friend or Colleague Get $3,000 And A FREE Conference! We all benefit from adding franchises to the Christmas Decor network! Increased buying power, a larger ‘footprint’, and a stronger brand have an impact on everyone! The annual conference is a great time for new prospects to join! Our annual Discovery Day—held at conference—gives these prospects the opportunity to experience the energy and excitement of the business, and network with existing franchisees. All we ask is that a prospect contacts us at our office, and works through a few simple steps to get ‘qualified’. Then, they can attend a limited number of conference events as a guest. WE WILL EVEN COVER ONE NIGHT OF THEIR HOTEL! If they decide to join prior to or at conference, they can attend all functions as a CERTIFIED FRANCHISE. If you know someone who would benefit from adding Christmas Decor to their business, please let us know by calling 1.800.687.9551 or have them fill out the Request for Consideration form on the Christmas Decor website. * PLEASE: BE SURE THEY LET US KNOW YOU REFERRED THEM! If they join the network YOU GET $3,000 and a FREE CONFERENCE CREDIT! The Discovery Day will be held on Wednesday July 8th at 5:00pm in Governor’s Chamber A. Visit christmasdecor.net/discoveryday to RSVP. We will have a presentation on the franchise network and be able to discuss any questions they may have. We will then invite them to join us at the reception where they will have the opportunity to meet & mingle with existing franchisees.
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PRE-CONFERENCE Events
COMMERCIAL OR BASIC INSTALLATION TRAINING Wednesday, July 8 | 9:00am - 12:00pm Commercial Training: Governor’s North
Commercial sales are growing fast, and there are some unique products and techniques you’ll need to know if you want to grow beyond small commercial jobs. This will be an opportunity to get ‘hands on’ with some of our FDS products, with information on interior/pre-decorated decor, large trees and more. Join us for the latest information on commercial installations.
Basic Installation Training: Foyer
Many franchises have expressed a desire to get a Basic Installation refresher course. So, on the morning of “preconference” activities, we will host a three-hour basic installation class, where we will review the best practices on our Five Core Elements. If you have been looking to expose some of your top installers, without paying for an entire conference, bring those extra folks in for a day so they can 1) get exposed to the power of the franchise network, 2) get some hands-on training from the corporate staff, and 3) give them the opportunity to network and discuss techniques with other franchisees.
DECOR SMART/NITE TIME DECOR WORKSHOP Wednesday, July 8 | 1:30pm - 4:00pm - Ryman Studio H
Multi-brand engagement is one of Christmas Decor’s primary objectives--we want to help franchises ‘build out’ their business--building a year-round division for specialty services. DecorSmart and Nite Time Decor presents some of the greatest opportunities to engage new clients throughout the year to generate premium revenue. In this workshop we will talk about both programs, what we offer and how we can help you build a business.
OWNER’S MEETING
Wednesday, July 8 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Ryman Studio D This meeting is a strategic discussion for owners and senior managers only. We generally try to host this meeting at the beginning of the conference to set a positive, interactive tone for the entire conference. In the meeting we will discuss a handful of prevailing and current issues for the Christmas Decor franchise community. Come prepared to interact with your fellow franchisees—sharing ideas and experiences—to get the conference started.
CHRISTMAS DECOR DISCOVERY DAY
Wednesday, July 8 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Governor’s Chamber A
OPENING RECEPTION
Wednesday, July 8 | 6:00pm - 8:00pm - Water’s Edge Restaurant Join us for the official kickoff for the 2020 Christmas Decor Conference. We will have live music, heavy snack food, and networking!
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Breakout Governor’s North Ballroom
Ryman Studio D
Ryman Studio E
Everything RGB!
Thursday, July 9 BREAKOUT 1 10:25am - 11:40am
Make BIG, Recurring Money with Trees Blake Smith & Michelle Smith
The Best Team Always Wins…Building your iTEAM
BREAKOUT 2 2:15pm - 3:30pm
FDS Fotodiastasi (Light Dimensions)
Navigating the Online Ordering System
Commercial Christmas for New Franchises & Beginners
Blake Smith & Michelle Smith
Becky Thompson & Terri Rousseau
Dave Dolak
Twinkly Pro RGB Mini Lights
Walter Bond
Dave Dolak
Friday, July 10 BREAKOUT 3 9:55am - 11:10am
New Products and Product Development
Help Us Help You Customer Service Processes
Blake Smith & Michelle Smith
Becky Thompson & Terri Rousseau
BREAKOUT 4 1:00pm - 2:15pm
Make BIG, Recurring Money with Trees Blake Smith & Michelle Smith
Make BIG, Recurring Money with Trees Pre-Decorated Trees (NEW) Learn how to bring these products into your program. We will be discussing how to expand your business with our entire tree lineup. We will also be introducing an exciting new pre-decorated tree offering. Trees, Wreaths and Garlands show up completely decorated and ready to place. Come join us to see what you are missing and expand your offering.
FDS Fotodiastasi (Light Dimensions) This is the hottest and most expansive product line we have ever introduced. Securing larger projects demands something unique and impressive in most cases. These show-stopper items create photo opportunities and are social media magnets – just what larger commercial prospects are looking for in this new web-based economy. At a minimum, simply presenting this collection changes the conversation and establishes a new level of credibility. Come see the new items we have designed.
New Products and Product Development – We Need YOUR Feedback! We have been working hard to bring you new items to further your product offering and we will be introducing several of these new items. We have designed a new co-axial lit summit tree and will go over this new product and all new products being offered this season. We will go over marketing materials, pricing and uses. Along with these new products, we will also look at any additional product needs you might have.
The Best Team Always Wins…Building your iTEAM What are your strategies for team building? What specifics do you employ to get your team moving in one direction in harmony
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Dave Dolak
Render Me Useful
Panel: Commercial Projects
Jeremy Jones & Stephanie Brady
Dave Dolak
and growth mindedness? Walter has discovered the secrets of building not just winning teams but championship ones. Do you have Innovators on your team? What about Initiators? And that one person that always seems to be stirring the pot? He’s an Instigator, and you need him on your team too! Walter explains the power of Work Expressions, steps to building powerful and focused teams, and ways to customize your communication style to lead each member of your team successfully. Prepare to carefully analyze your current team and learn ways to better understand, connect, and communicate with them. Walter breaks down the importance of teamwork in a brand new way. Perfect for improving work culture and focus, this keynote will change the way your team works together.
Navigating the Online Ordering System In this breakout we will review the search features of the online store, and how the system is categorized, so you can find what you need when you need it. We will also go through common errors and inefficiencies that we see regularly.
Help Us Help You-Common Processes In Customer Service That You Need To Know This breakout will review all processes and areas of support customer service offers you and your business. Covering orders, shipping, outof-stock, payment, credits and returns. We will go over how we serve as an information/support center for you on product, inventory, and the web-store.
Render Me Useful Learn best practices for taking photos for renderings, what information to submit, and where to submit it. See your options for renderings and how useful they can be to seal the deal.
Sessions Ryman Studio F
Ryman Studio G
Ryman Studio H
Ryman Studio I
NTD What’s New for 2020
Key Performance Indicators
Sales App 101
Guide for Crew Training
Gary Fouts
Dennis Fanning
Jim Ketchum
Decor Smart BAS
Learning Management System
Josh Truitt & Pat Bradshaw
Gary Fouts
I Want to Use LightRight, But Have So Many Questions
Trailer Organization & Tools Needed
Dennis Fanning & Priscilla Vega
Jim Ketchum
Decor Smart Made Simple
LightRight
Consultative Sales Process Using the App
Paying for Production & Hiring the Right Person
Dennis Fanning
Jim Ketchum
Creative Sales Panel Discussion
Function in the Heat
Josh Truitt & Pat Bradshaw
Josh Truitt & Pat Bradshaw
Decor Smart Made Simple Josh Truitt & Pat Bradshaw
Gary Fouts
Franchise Partnerships Gary Fouts
Everything RGB: Learn about creating stunning and animated light displays using RGB technology in Commercial and Residential Jobs Learn about all of the different RGB lighting options you can use both for residential and commercial jobs. In this session we will talk about all of the different lighting options showing examples of the many uses for the different RGB lighting products. Learn how to extend your season and make more money installing residential RGB roof lighting using the new faceted C9 RGB strands and your different control options. See how you can create RGB trees, curtains, tunnels, chandelier and white lights and what works best for each situation. See brand new RGB wash lights and learn about the different options using different powered lights.
Commercial for New Franchises & Beginners: The Need-to-Know Guide for Commercial Work Find out everything you need to know to get started doing commercial jobs including insurance requirements, safety, product considerations, marketing and sales. This is a session for franchisees that haven’t done much commercial work and are looking to expand into the commercial market. We will discuss all the basics of Marketing, lead generation and who are the best targets, how to bid and doing sales presentations. We will look at installations and talk about design and best practices for installation. You will learn how easy it is to get started, and why you want this type of work in your portfolio.
Jim Ketchum
Twinkly Pro RGB Mini Lights In this session you will hear from Brian Schreiner and a few franchisees who were early adapters, about the fully programmable and mappable RGB mini lights. The future is here learn why you want to add this lighting option to your jobs and how you can make great money and stand out from your competition doing it!
Panel of Pros: Commercial Case Studies-Profiles of Commercial Projects from Start to Finish You will hear how existing franchises have done extremely well working in the commercial market. They will describe how they prospected, bid and sold large commercial jobs. They will discuss the installation process and removal and storage. This should be a great session for anyone wanting to get into doing bigger or specialty projects. You will be able to ask questions.
NTD What’s New for 2020 New products, programs, techniques & next level training to obtain a level of skill that is certified as Basic Technician, Skilled Technician, Master Technician, or Instructor in landscape lighting & Décor Smart products.
Decor Smart BAS In this session you will learn what you can do in the world of Bluetooth low voltage products inside and outside of home. No one else in the industry can provide this using just one app.
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Breakout Sessions Decor Smart Made Simple
Creative Sales Panel Discussion
How to set up a simple Bluetooth system. We will download the app, create an account, and pair a light. Learn all this and more in this session.
Come join in on a discussion with other sales personnel to see what they are doing to be creative in a competitive market.
Key Performance Indicators Come learn about which key performance indicators (KPI) you should be tracking to make sure you are set up for success. By tracking certain areas of your business, you can make sure you are on track to meet your goals. In this class we will go over labor management, revenue production, payroll management, employee retention, and safety.
Learning Management System The Decor Group Learning Management System (LMS) is a key tool in helping train your employees. Whether you are training new employees or giving existing employees a refresher course the LMS is the tool to use. In this course we will be going over how to onboard new employees, as well as providing tips on how to use the LMS for individual or group training.
LightRight Come learn how using LightRight can help you and your business. Learn how LightRight can help you track client communications, lead source, integrate with the Sales App, and help expedite the paperwork of installs and takedowns. From first contact to spring clean-up LightRight can help you provide an amazing client experience.
Guide for Crew Training Step one to Profit is Training your crews so they can learn in the class room and not via mistakes in the field. We must all remember that Christmas Decor is a Seasonal Business. So it is fair to say that every employee has not been sharpening their tools or craft during the 6-8 months before the “New Season Starts” again. Plus we must also set up a training Program for the New Crew Members. Your Profitability starts with How Well You Train Your Crews before they put up the First Light. Plans are a must—one for the crews with Experience and another for the First Time Crew Members. So this is a Train-theTrainer meeting: with the objective of getting Full Production—High Quality—Happy Customers—from Day One!
Trailer Organization & Tools Needed Both these factors are a “Must in Order the Have Maximum Production” from your crews. From the Time Mr. Ford set up the first Assembly Line, it has been proven over and over again that it takes a System to Have High Production and High Quality at the same time. So learn the “Best Practices” that have been shared from our 300 plus business owners and Franchises for the last 24 years. The amazing thing about a system is: It Increases Quality—Increases Production—Increases Profits—And Decreases the physical Work Required by the Crew! Every “New Idea” is like Stealing—because it puts money right in your Pocket.
Franchise Partnerships You are a part of a nationwide franchise network that is here to support you. Come learn about how the franchise system is here to help you grow your business by giving you better pricing on high quality products and a nationwide presence. You will also learn about how your Franchise Consultant can help you with Business Development and Education.
Sales App 101: Intro to The Sales App Come learn about how you can increase your sales with the use of our proprietary software. From the initial contact to the close of the sale, become even more professional with this interactive software and show your client why you are not just another “Christmas Light Installer.”
I Want to Use LightRight, But Have So Many Questions Do you really know how much it costs to install the job you just quoted? LightRight is much more than a program to create that pull sheet for your warehouse. With all the reports, you can manage your Christmas Decor Business much more effectively and recover net revenue you didn’t know you were missing.
Consultative Sales Process Using The Sales App I hate buying cars, and so do your clients. The Consultative Sales Process helps to relax the buying process and allows your client to feel like they are in control.
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Paying for Production & Hiring the Right Person Increase production about 25% plus and have a grip on labor cost even before the season starts. Crews Increasing production—crews making more money—Lower call backs—Total control of install/take down cost. Learn these secrets and more in this session. Hiring is the most Important “Thing” You Do as Managers or Owners. I am sure we have all heard that the old saying” If you take away ALL: My money—Real Estate—Home—but leave My Team—I will have it all back in 5 years! So learning how to Hire—Train—Grow—Build a Team—Hire the Right person—is right up at the very Top of every Long Term Business Owner or Top Manager.
Function in the Heat Your Entire Team Needs to Function in the Heat of the Battle.. We all know it gets a LITTLE CRAZY in November of each year. So it is important to have a game plan to make sure Everyone in Your Co. knows what your processes are and who is the go to person for each segment of your business. Plus a back-up in case someone is out of pocket or just gets overloaded. A good solid plan in place keeps the ball rolling in the right direction. With the correct plan—training—knowledge of what your business plan is and who is doing what, reduces the Stress and Increases your Production and Improves your Customer Satisfaction.
Keynote Speaker Walter Bond made it to the NBA, but he didn’t stop there. Where many would consider a career with the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks some of life’s greatest achievements, Walter saw it as a jumping off point. A catalyst that launched him into what he was made to do. His experience on and off the court prepared him for a thriving career in business coaching, mentorship, and public speaking. His journey to the NBA was not an easy one, but instead of seeing obstacles, Walter saw opportunity. While some may have complained about being on the bench as a college basketball player, Walter used it as an opportunity to hone in on the fundamentals every team needs to be successful. It is this mind shift, these simple yet powerful concepts, that has allowed Walter to reach massive audiences, long after his days on the court were over. Walter weaves both inspirational anecdotes and action steps together in his engaging storytelling style and commands the audience with confidence. Walter’s relentless commitment to helping get entrepreneurs, business leaders, sales teams and eager employees to the next level is what sets him apart from the rest. Walter is far more than a former NBA player. He is a renowned business coach, an author, a high-profile speaker, a business owner, a father, a husband and a friend. He is a breath of fresh air for businesses across the country that are eager to get to the next level.
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Conference Schedule
Wednesday, July 8 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Commercial Training - Governor’s North Basic Installation Training - Foyer Lunch on Your Own Decor Smart/NTD Workshop - Ryman Studio H Owner’s Meeting - Ryman Studio D Christmas Decor Discovery Day - Governor’s Chamber A Opening Reception - Water’s Edge Restaurant
Thursday, July 9 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM 8:45 AM - 10:15 AM 10:15 AM - 10:25 AM 10:25 AM - 11:40 PM 11:45 PM - 12:45 PM 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM 1:30 PM - 2:05 PM 2:05 PM - 2:15 PM 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM 3:30 PM - 3:40 PM 3:40 PM - 4:10 PM 4:10 PM - 6:00 PM 6:00 PM - 6:45 PM 6:45 PM - 9:30 PM
Breakfast - Governor’s North Opening General Session - Governor’s North Keynote - Walter Bond - Governor’s North BREAK BREAKOUT SESSION 1 LUNCH Vision - Governor’s North Survey/Departments - Governor’s North BREAK & PASS BREAKOUT SESSION 2 BREAK & PASS Show & Tell #1 - Governor’s North FREE TIME Awards Reception - Governor’s North Awards Banquet - Governor’s North
Friday, July 10 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM 8:45 AM - 9:45 AM 9:45 AM - 9:55 AM 9:55 AM - 11:10 AM 11:10 AM - 11:20 PM 11:20 PM - 11:50 PM 11: 50 AM - 12:00 PM 12:00 PM - 1: 00 PM 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM 2:15 PM - 2:25 PM 2:25 PM - 3:45 PM 3:45 PM - 3:55 PM 4:00 PM - 4:20 PM
Breakfast - Governor’s North Opening Session - Governor’s North Panel of the Pros - Governor’s North BREAK & PASS BREAKOUT SESSION 3 BREAK & PASS Show & Tell #2 - Governor’s North BREAK LUNCH - Governor’s North BREAKOUT SESSION 4 BREAK & PASS Capstone Event with Franchise Consultant BREAK & PASS Final General Session - Governor’s North