What Members Say About the Luxury Marketing Council

"I've known Greg Furman since 1991 when I hired him first to consult with Bergdorf Goodman to help us for the first time in the company's history to define our mission, vision and values and then in 1992 to run marketing for Bergdorf Goodman when I was chairman. From the very beginning, I have been a big supporter of Greg's efforts and The Luxury Marketing Council as was Stanley Marcus. I have watched the growth of his creation, The Luxury Marketing Council Worldwide with admiration and respect. I applaud Greg's vision and efforts. The Council is a global thought leader and relationship broker that brings the smartest luxury marketers together to win greater share of wallet from their very best customers through innovative marketing partnerships and collaborations. As founding members, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman continue to find significant value in The Council and our membership since its founding 1994."

Burton Tansky
Chairman and C.E.O
Neiman Marcus

"The Luxury Marketing Council is one of the most intelligent luxury marketing concepts of the past decade. It is high time luxury producers banded together, out of self-interest, to better expose the variety of their products and services to the market ... I applaud the founders' vision and entrepreneurial spirit."

Stanley Marcus 

"We'd like to thank you for the multiple opportunities you have offered us to open ourselves to new topics regarding the constant evolution of the Luxury World. Your curiosity has triggered ours and your discoveries have enriched our knowledge. The opportunities to network you provided us are invaluable, and in that respect the planned expansion of the Council can only improve this benefit to us."

Olivier Stip
SVP Marketing & Communications
Cartier North America

"As one of the founding members of the Luxury Marketing Council, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has enjoyed for more than a decade the exceptional benefits this unique professional association has to offer. Greg Furman's brilliant leadership assures that the council continues to foster innovative strategic thinking and create opportunities for collaboration amongst top executives in the luxury goods sector. The association's membership is of the highest caliber, the speakers and discussion topics extremely insightful and relevant to today's business environment, and the ambiance always pleasantly collegial. I look forward to council events as opportunities to interact with and share knowledge with my peers while fostering the interests of the Museum."

Sally Pearson
Vice President and General Manager of Merchandise and Retail
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

"For some considerable time now, we have considered Mandarin Oriental a luxury brand and not simply a hotel company. A brand that is steeped in the values of the Orient, yet full of history, innovation and quality- three powerful ingredients. The Luxury Marketing Council has proven to be an ideal platform for not only sharing our ideas with like-minded people but also for receiving good quality, no nonsense feedback from people who are respected in their field. Just as Marketing is a process by which an exchange of mutual satisfiers occurs, so too is our membership of the Council and we look forward to many more years of participation."

Michael Hobson
Chief Marketing Officer
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Ltd.

"Fleishman-Hillard, an international communications firm and division of Omnicom, greatly covets its membership in the Luxury Marketing Council. Since joining in 2002, we continue to reap tremendous benefits on a variety of levels. The Council is at once a ready-made resource for exposure to the frontrunners in the luxury community; a treasure trove of best practices and trends in luxury marketing; a familial network for forging strategic partnerships with like minded brands all unified by a common goal. Its greatest and most exclusive asset is its founder and chairman, Gregory Furman. He is dynamic, forward-thinking, and brings great energy and passion to the Council. With Greg's vision and role as mentor, Fleishman-Hillard has been encouraged to customize its membership to fit our business needs creating a number of proprietary, business-building initiatives such as "Think Tanks" comprised of hand picked LMC members to offer perspective on a client's marketing approach, or a three-part diversity series showcasing our firms capabilities in affluent marketing to specific thriving market segments from transgender to Hispanic. Our membership has served as a company-wide template to senior management for how to align with third parties to meet our ever-growing business needs. The membership continues to exceed expectations and has become an integral part of our firm's business plan year to year."

Claire Behar
Senior Vice President & Partner
Fleishman-Hillard

"Luxury SpaFinder Magazine has been part of the Luxury Marketing Council for several years now and we've found it to be truly worthwhile. The bottom line is that it has been good for the bottom line. Networking with other luxury marketing executives has been invaluable and the format of the get-togethers is particularly appealing. Short speeches, tightly run meetings, and smart, savvy, luxury marketers getting together is a good mix for us. And did I mention that we also have a great deal of fun?"

Susie Ellis
President
Spa Finder, Inc.

"Smart Marketing means leveraging your resources, collaborating with innovators, and creating partnerships which add value to achieve mutual goals. As a founding member of The Luxury Marketing Council we have not only found these values in the Council, we've delivered them."

Erica S. Kasel
Vice President, Marketing
DEPARTURES Magazine
Centurion - The Magazine

"The Luxury Marketing Council has become an essential part of my strategic thinking running marketing for a number of luxury brands -- facilitating a forum for innovative marketing ideas as well as fostering relationships that make all the difference when you need access to a decision-maker like yourself."

Marci Sutin Levin
VP, Marketing & Public Relations, Brioni USA
VP, Marketing & Public Relations, Premium Espresso
EVP Marketing & Public Relations, SHVO

"Join the Luxury Marketing Council and meeting with Greg Furman is the best advice I ever received. The Luxury Marketing Council on an ongoing basis has brought me in touch with top level marketers and managers and in the luxury space and its events have provided numerous examples of cases studies and best practice we have been able to put into practice at Elite Traveler. Greg is a wealth of information and inspiration for me and Elite Traveler!"

Douglas D. Gollan
President and Editor-in-Chief
Elite Traveler

"The Luxury Council is a truly unique entity which draws together an impressive array of companies and individuals across the luxury sector. The member companies benefit from tremendous access to new resources and insights. It is a well-run, positive and professional organization. I encourage other companies to join and participate in this rich and ever-expanding resource."

Susan Nicholas
CEO & President
bulthaup corporation

"Congratulations on another successful year of interesting events and remarkable progress in growing the Luxury Marketing Council to an all new level. The Luxury Marketing Council has provided a pioneering cross-industry forum for discussions and the opportunity for establishing cooperative programs for consumer luxury companies. This link with fellow luxury marketers has been most helpful to me in my efforts of positioning Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises in the luxury travel marketplace."

Dean P. Andrews
Vice President - North America
Orient-Express Hotels, Inc.

"There are very few organizations that provide the benefits to members that the Luxury Marketing Council does. The strength of the Council starts at the top with the knowledge and passion of Greg Furman. Greg and his associates understand all of the challenges that we as luxury marketers and managers face: the changing consumer, the competitive landscape, recruitment and retention of talent, and the limitless number of challenges that we face in executing strategies to grow our business. As a result, the programs that are put in place bring together a varied number of executives with a common purpose: sharing and learning. There is no doubt that I have come away from every single event with greater knowledge and understanding than when I started. Moreover, in most cases I was seated next to another executive with whom I could share my own challenges and either follow up with for possible further sharing or even joint action to the benefit of our mutual businesses."

Victor Luis
President and CEO
Baccarat

"The networking opportunities and events have been truly productive and eye opening. Many of us network within our own industries but the Luxury Marketing Council opens the door to other entrepreneurs who share the same customer base but with different non-competitive products. In today’s fast moving high end market it is a great and very relevant group -- and it is FUN!"

David Gibbons
General Manager
Swissôtel The Drake, New York

"Brioni is one of the original members and over the years the Luxury Marketing Council has offered timely advice and direction during the explosion of the luxury business. Greg Furman has created a tool that provides creative and stimulating insight to our luxury business. Our investment in The Luxury Marketing Council has exceeded our expectations. "

Joseph J. Barrato
Chief Executive Officer
Brioni

"Swiss International Air Lines was the first airline to become a member of the Luxury Marketing Council, and throughout the years, has gained enormous knowledge and opportunities focused purely on the premium customer. Brand exposure, and the collective recognition of trends and sharing of information through quality networking circles have afforded us insightful, and meaningful information in the promotion of our brand. We look forward to our continued membership with the Luxury Marketing Council and welcome the valuable partnerships and opportunities that lie ahead. "

Steven Diggelmann
General Manager Sales, North America
Swiss International Air Lines

"Having been a founding member of the Luxury Marketing Council -- right from its beginning in 1994 -- -I can state with conviction that the organization has been of outstanding benefit to me and my colleagues. Two things stand out in my mind as being of great value: First is the interaction among Council members. We share valuable marketing information on trends within the luxury goods and services sector. This allows fascinating perspectives and insights from all over the luxury world. Frequently I have been able to adapt innovative marketing techniques to my own operations to great advantage. Second, because of the frequent and close contact I have maintained with my fellow Council members I have been able to develop valuable promotional collaborations that have led to increased sales. That's the bottom line, isn't it?

Larry Pimentel
President & CEO
SeaDream Yacht Club

"I'd like to commend you for your vision and leadership in creating and directing what is arguably the most well-respected, prestigious and innovative organization of its kind - The Luxury Marketing Council. I am a member of other professional associations designed to offer knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities to industry leaders, but after joining The LMC I quickly concluded that your organization offers a unique and exceptional standard of value to an impressive constituency of executives and decision makers at the highest levels throughout the luxury goods and services industries. From the frequency of activities to the caliber of top-tiered presenters and forum leaders to productive networking opportunities, The LMC has proven invaluable to me personally and to my company and I'd like to express both my appreciation and my well-wishes for its continued success and growth."

Amnon Bar-Tur
Chairman and Co-Founder
C2 Media

"Virtuoso has been a member of the Luxury Marketing Council since its second year of existence and our membership has played a very strong role in our expansion of our brand, especially with regard to collaboration with other luxury partners. It has also been extremely useful in providing us with a benchmark of business practices and innovations in the luxury sector."

Matthew D. Upchurch
CEO
Virtuoso, Ltd.

"Steinway & Sons has been extremely pleased with our membership in The Luxury Marketing Council.  The Council, with its unique educational seminars and reception events, provides our marketing executives with invaluable contacts to like luxury product marketers within a collegial environment that is conducive to the nurturing of real working collaborations for mutual benefit."

Bruce Stevens
President and CEO
Steinway & Sons

"The Luxury Marketing Council has been a great fit for Mikimoto America . (As a result of our association), over the past few years we have developed relationships with many companies that work in both related and unrelated fields and have exchanged ideas that have led to promotional opportunities. The Council has also given us the chance to hear excellent presenters on a variety of topics, and network with new people, meeting the challenge we have given ourselves of looking outside for unusual and unique ideas. Marketing is constantly evolving and it’s through new ideas that we grow. The Council is always looking for the newest idea and gets people involved in it."

Robert Artelt
Chief Marketing Officer
Mikimoto America Co. Ltd.

We have had a warm and convivial relationship with The Luxury Marketing Council since its inception. Membership offers unprecedented access to some of the world’s leading marketers and the executives of many of the world’s most prestigious companies and brand names. It provides wonderful opportunities to brainstorm with industry professionals who lead the way with their vision and trend-setting. It is not often one is offered entrée to such high caliber specialists in so many varied fields and industries as those who are members in the Luxury Marketing Council, from transport to banking, consumer goods and services. When the chance comes along to build fruitful business links -- and extend them to wonderful personal friendships -- I encourage you to seize that chance with open arms!

Maguy Maccario Doyle
Director, Monaco Government Tourist Office
Consul General of Monaco

"Since joining the Luxury Marketing Council in the late nineties, I have found the meetings, presentations and events an invaluable way to get insights into the thoughts and strategies of the executives driving cutting-edge global luxury brands. In fact, the LMC has been so invaluable that one of my first actions with my new firm was to sign it up as a member."

Chad Mellen
Vice President, Global Marketing 
A.T. Cross

"Greg Furman is a master connector and his Luxury Marketing Council will give you access and education that is not available anywhere else in the luxury world."

Dan Nissanoff
Vice Chairman and President
Portero, Inc

"'21' has been part of the Luxury Marketing Council for almost 10 years. We have found the sharing of best practices with other luxury brands to be stimulating and an excellent resource for creative thinking. The seemingly endless programs that are offered each month provide opportunities to gather with your peers from other luxury organizations and come away with new perspectives on contemporary issues."

Bryan McGuire
General Manager
21 Club
New York

"No single introduction has had a greater impact on our successful marketing of the Triple Crown of Polo than the Luxury Marketing Council."

David B. McLane
President
Triple Crown of Polo

"The Luxury Marketing Council has been an extremely successful avenue for Cierge to grow our business through strategic partnerships and innovative events from a private luncheon to movie screenings. Greg Furman continues to have a very hands-on approach in ensuring our mission of growing our membership base and developing luxury partnerships."

Amy Berman
C I E R G E

"The Luxury Marketing Council provides an excellent forum for the presentation and exchange of best practices for luxury goods companies or any product or service targeting high net worth consumers. A real strength of the Council is its broad, diversified and eclectic membership of companies which enriches the dialogue and debate about targeted marketing to these high end consumers. Not only does the Council provide a constant stream of interesting speakers and presentations of new ideas, it truly serves as an excellent marketplace for companies to network with other like minded companies to develop cooperative marketing partnerships. Admission to the Council has proven to be well worth the price of entry."

Dale Dewey
CEO
Fauchon

Participating in the Luxury Marketing Council is an extremely valuable opportunity for any marketer of luxury goods and services. Not only does it provide great introductions and networking possibilities across business categories, for the purposes of co-branding, cross promotional and best customer sharing, the seminars and presentations that are offered regularly give you first hand insight and learning on a variety of topics relevant to the luxury marketer.

Michael O'Connor
Senior Vice President
Platinum Guild International USA

" The Luxury Marketing Council has been an excellent venue to get our story out to senior marketing executives in the luxury industry. Council members are constantly in search of innovative, creative ways to deepen their customer insights and very receptive to the firms that can provide that insight."

Neil W. Benedict
CEO
Affluent Dynamics, LLC

"Greg Furman is the ultimate "connector". The Luxury Marketing Council provides a wonderful forum to exchange ideas, network with others in the luxury space and learn what other cutting edge professionals are thinking and doing. As one of the original members from the financial services business, we have developed relationships and alliances with others of similar brand value representing the ultra-high net worth market. A success all around!"

Andrea Trachtenber
Chief Marketing Officer
Neuberger Berman

"Mercedes-Benz is proud to be one of the founding members of the Luxury Marketing Council.  Maybach, the new ultra luxury vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz family, is carrying on the long-standing tradition of networking and partnership opportunities promoted by the Luxury Marketing Council. Maybach has been the direct beneficiary of several alliances forged during our meetings. The ultra luxury segment is often misunderstood and underrepresented in a mass market focused industry. Here's a group that understands it, speaks to it, and builds creative inroads to penetrate this deliberately elusive segment. A special "thank you" to Greg Furman for constantly seeking out new members who bring new perspective."

Karen Matri
Maybach Marketing Communications
Mercedes-Benz USA

"As one of the first members I can attest to the value of the council. It's the only organization I know where luxury marketers can network and foster lasting partnerships to grow business. It's been an integral part of the success in businesses I have been a part of."

Jack Laschever
VP/Publisher
Forbes FYI

"The Luxury Council has been a great asset to us at YSL Beaute. Having this important and strategic connection to other key luxury companies has not only proven to be beneficial but has been very informative as well. The cosmetic industry is very broad and members are very interactive, but there are very few luxury players. Having access to our "luxury" colleagues is wonderful. I look forward to more brainstorming and inter-connecting."

Maggie Ciafardini
CEO and Managing Director
YSL Beaute

"In the short time I have been a member of The Luxury Marketing Council, I am very pleased with the value the organization has brought to me and my company. Having been a panelist, I found the events and panel discussions very well organized and the subject matters interesting. I've also found the information regarding consumer preferences particularly informative and have met quite a few exceptional people who represent diverse products and services through our affiliation with The Luxury Marketing Council."

Abe Chehebar
Chief Executive Officer
Ghurka

"As new members of the Luxury Marketing Council we've found Greg Furman and the Council to be extremely valuable resources. Our work begins and ends with great ideas but is always substantiated by the data - both anecdotal and statistical -- that "moves" consumers. Through our Council affiliation we've shared and gained access to international expertise and insight on the luxury consumer that has been enlightening, affirming, and always solid. The Council has been a great investment for us by expanding our exposure to best practices and thought leadership in luxury marketing, as well as the simple enjoyment of attending Greg's events."

Nancy Earle
Director
Luxury Marketing and Partnerships
Karlitz & Company, Inc.

"The Luxury Marketing Council has created a global exchange platform in this ever changing luxury arena. Greg Furman has instilled an out of the box thinking mindset which every luxury marketer requires especially in dealing with a discerning clientele. The synergies created among the brands, the intellectual dialogues and discussions, information flow and strategic relationships are invaluable."

Colleen Caslin
Chief Operating Officer
Graff USA

"As a small company who had established a strong reputation within our industry, we sought to gain a broader awareness of who we are and what we do with sound and acoustics. Shortly after forming a marketing partnership with Steinway & Sons, they introduced us to Greg Furman & The Luxury Marketing Council. After testing the waters for almost a year, we finally joined The Council six months ago. Even though our full involvement is relatively new, we have already been introduced to many wonderful people and organizations, with whom we are finding synergy and potential opportunities for cross-promotion. The fact that The Council is ever expanding into new global territories only allows us to form alliances with companies in new regions and will help us attain our goals of wide-spread promotion and awareness much quicker. Greg is certainly showing us that The Council is not just for large, well-established businesses but also for up-and-coming companies that offer something unique to the luxury market."

Steve Haas
President
SH Acoustics

"I have found the Luxury Marketing Council to be a great resource for new ideas, contacts and insight into the latest trends in the luxury retail arena. At Bergdorf Goodman we are always seeking innovative ways to market to our customer and I have encouraged my marketing team to attend the LMC presentations to hear from other leaders in the industry. We have found our investment in the LMC to be a good one and highly recommend it as one of the best organizations to focus on the luxury market."

Michael Crotty
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Bergdorf Goodman

"DEPARTURES completed its largest revenue year in its history -- what makes it extra special is that it represented a record breaking 20% year over year growth. As you know, there are many ingredients that contribute to such success, and I honestly believe that our affiliation with The Luxury Marketing Council is one of our important ones.  From our first year, and the reason we became a charter member of The Council, we felt such an organization was perfectly aligned with Departures' strategic mission to be aligned with the leading luxury brands across many of our lifestyle industries.  More importantly, to have the opportunity to interact and share best practices with the leaders and marketing professionals behind those brands."

Ed Ventimiglia
VP/Publisher
DEPARTURES

"Greg Furman and The Luxury Marketing Council provide unique out of the box thinking. The Council has provided an opportunity to discuss and learn first hand about new innovative marketing ideas. I look forward to these meetings to further network and learn about the ever-changing luxury market. Greg brings a fresh approach and is always providing his insight to the Luxury Market. Membership is not a luxury but a necessity in today's ever changing marketing world."

Bill Gould
Director of Marketing
Kwiat Diamonds

"As a member of the LMC, PinnacleCare has been able to obtain leading edge information on the strategies top luxury goods companies have been utilizing or considering for the growth of their businesses. With the explosion in information, particularly new ways of taking goods and services to market, it is valuable to have networks of key executives with whom you can share goals and objectives and war stories."

Ellen Maidman-Tanner
Vice President, Member Relations
Pinnacle Care  

"As a real estate advisory firm that focuses on representing luxury retail brands, The Greenberg Group has always greatly valued its long-standing membership in The Luxury Marketing Council. The Council and its founder Greg Furman succeed for our company by providing an excellent networking forum and opportunities to learn from industry experts who regularly present at meetings. My wife Louise, who heads our new business development, has met some important contacts through the Council. I also have benefited from having the opportunity to be a speaker both in New York and Atlanta this past year. Greg truly understands the luxury marketplace and is very passionate about the industry. He proactive about helping his members advance and focuses on creating connections for them

Steven B. Greenberg
President
The Greenberg Group, Inc.

"As a founding member of the Luxury Marketing Council, we are very pleased with our affiliation. The networking opportunities among its members allows for us to align our partnership marketing efforts with other like-minded luxury product and service providers. The relationships that have been built through the LMC have been very effective and long lasting."

Jeffrey Netzer
VP, Customer Programs
Neiman Marcus

"I believe the Luxury Marketing Council is extremely effective in bringing together high level luxury executives that allows for a productive exchange of ideas and trends relating to the sector. The growth of the Luxury Marketing Council over the past few years has been quite impressive, and has helped me to better evaluate the changing global landscape of the luxury goods industry. Greg Furman's non-stop pace and tremendous enthusiasm is infectious."

Dana L. Telsey
The Telsey Group

"I believe it was in 2001 that I first became aware of the Luxury Marketing Council and Greg Furman. At that time, I was Chief Executive, Americas, for the World Gold Council, and one of my managers was petitioning for us to join. I remember teasing him that he only wanted to do so because of his prior involvement in the luxury watch business, and that LMC membership might be considered an indulgence by the firms that funded us. Sometime thereafter he asked me if I wanted to attend one of Greg's exceptional "CEO only" events. It was then that I started to realize how wrong my initial and ill-informed perspective had been. I was immediately struck by the intelligence, professionalism, experience and, most importantly, the willingness of the LMC's membership to share innovative thinking and partnership opportunities.When I retired from the World Gold Council in late 2004, one of the first decisions I made for my new company was for it to join the Luxury Marketing Council. Doing so has proven, for multiple reasons including maintaining contact and dialogue with Greg Furman, to be one of my best decisions."

Michael C. Barlerin
Chief Executive Officer
Michael Barlerin Associates, LLC

"We at Kravet have been thrilled with our membership and participation in the many aspects of The Luxury Marketing Council. The Council’s single and unique focus on marketing to the luxury consumer has afforded our executives invaluable strategic insights and opportunities for expanding our business. We look forward to enhanced collaboration with other Council members in the year ahead."

Lisa Kravet
Vice President
Kravet Inc.

"As we get started in this New Year, we are delighted to continue our membership in The Luxury Marketing Council and look forward to many more fruitful meetings with our fellow Council members, with whom we can exchange innovative ideas and learn valuable information for successfully conducting business in today's complex market. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend Greg Furman, who is certainly one of the most talented marketers in luxury. Greg also deserves accolades for having brought together an extraordinary group of executives and decision makers from such a wide variety of luxury industries. The fact that the Council is now rapidly expanding into foreign markets is yet another testimony to its success and its growing recognition as a truly global reference in the world of luxury."

Paul M. McManus
President & CEO
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.