February 2007

February 22

Inside the Luxury Home

With the maturing of the baby boomers, and the growing buying power of the young wealthy, it's no secret that a significant percentage of the spending by this highly affluent segment is going into the home, including home furnishings and design (and with a large portion of that spending concentrated on luxury products and services).  Given this explosive spending within the home category, many existing brands that cater exclusively to the home are offering more, novel luxury products and services, while other luxury brands, not normally associated with the home are moving into the market for the first time.  Tremendous opportunities exist for savvy luxury marketers, who focus on this niche, to grow their existing revenues and create new revenue streams by more innovatively 'turbo-charging' their marketing efforts and by working closely with like-minded brands that focus on the home.

Featuring...

Steve Nobel

Steve Nobel, Founder and CEO of The Luxury Home Alliance and founder and principal of Nobelinks, a consulting practice specializing in the markets for home furnishings and interior design will provide an in-depth overview of this increasingly important niche and the opportunities it affords luxury brands to reach their best customers 'at home.' Nobel will:

• Explore the underlying motives that inspire the affluent to spend on and invest in their residences
• Talk about where those motives begin and what circumstances influence the decision-making process along the way
• Discuss why the marketing principles that work in home are also highly relevant to other luxury professional services like real estate, financial planning or any brands that market professional services to the affluent.

6:00-8:00 PM

February 28

How to Find, Keep and Motivate the Elusive “Perfect” Employee

This kick-off program for 2007 addresses the important issue of employee development in the luxury services sector. Specifically, a panel comprised of leaders within the very demanding ultra-luxury hotel and resort industry will provide insight into (and “best practice” case studies for) issues relating to staff recruitment, training, retention, motivation, reward and morale-building. Most importantly, the panelists will explain how the rare, superior luxury provider is able to successfully develop a distinctive culture of superior customer service and inculcate that culture so dramatically and successfully within the organization and among the troops, even at the lowest-paid ranks.

Featuring ...

The Diablo Grande Wine Gallery
669 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
www.diablogrande.com/winegallery

San Francisco Magazine

Click the RSVP button to reserve your seat.

Rubicon Estate

March 2007

March 28

The World on $4000 a Day

We explore the world of luxury hospitality and travel under the guidance of experts from the worlds of airline travel, hotels and resorts, cruise lines, group travel and destination marketing.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

April 2007

April 11

For Agents' Eyes Only

A special program for real estate agents featuring an address by leading luxury researcher Richard Baker, President of Premium Knowledge Group, as well as an economic overview and forecast of the Bay Area real estate market. Unique “gifting” items and services will be showcased.

6:00-8:00 PM

Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences

690 Market Street (at Kearney), San Francisco, CA 94104

April 25

Translating One-to-One Marketing to the Luxury Marketplace

In this hands-on session, experts in direct response and online marketing will discuss the strategic and tactical steps involved in micro-marketing to the demanding luxury consumer.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

May 2007

May 30

The Aesthetics of Style and Taste

Understanding luxury style, taste and tone. Designers, stylists and creative specialists tell how it’s done, what to look for, and how to communicate it.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

June 2007

June 27

Charitable Giving

How to give (as seen through the eyes of the luxury donor) and how to receive ... in the not-for-profit world of charitable fund-raising and cause marketing.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

July 2007

July 25

Viva Las Vegas!

Learn why Las Vegas will lead the nation in more than gaming and entertainment, luxury shopping and dining to name but two of the categories. We dissect the brilliant marketing that has made Las Vegas the luxury tourism behemoth that is has become.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

To be announced

The Luxury Salon

An intimate breakfast gathering of leaders in luxury discuss marketing issues of common concern and mutual interest.

August 2007

August 29

Discount Luxury and The Treasure Hunters

Learn why luxury consumers feel at equal ease in Neiman-Marcus and Costco.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

September 2007

September 19

Marin County Event: Details and timing to be announced

September 26

Make Me Beautiful!!

The luxury world of the body beautiful and where it all takes place ... spas, resorts, and the cosmetic surgeon's office.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

October 2007

October 24

Luxe Tech

We sample the world of luxury technology and gadgets within the home, featuring the latest and most luxurious trends in home theaters, audio and video technology and control systems for the home including lighting, security, temperature and energy conservation.

6:00-8:00 PM

To be announced

To be announced

The Luxury Salon

An intimate breakfast gathering of leaders in luxury discuss marketing issues of common concern and mutual interest.

November 2007

November 15

What to Expect at Christmas

For many retailers the post-Thanksgiving holiday season is “make or break” time. In this lead up to Thanksgiving, retail experts and economists will divine the future and provide their best forecasts of the luxury retail environment and how customers will behave during the important holiday retail period.

8:00-10:00 AM (Breakfast meeting)

To be announced

December 2007

December 7

A Luxury Yo! Ho! Ho! ... A Christmas Gathering

To be announced

6:00-10:00 PM

To be announced

January 2008

No Event Scheduled

February 2008

"Green" Luxury ... Why luxury and environmentalism go hand-in-hand particularly in the Bay Area, the home of "green" living and a leader in "green" marketing

To be announced