Founded in 1994, The Luxury Marketing Council is the creation of Gregory J. Furman, former Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales Promotion for New York's renowned luxury emporium, Bergdorf Goodman.

The Council, a business organization of CEOs and senior sales and marketing practitioners, is considered the global leader in the fast-growing arena of luxury marketing and the "Gold Standard" for the intelligent exploration of best marketing practices and trends in the luxury marketplace.

Since its inception, the Council has developed chapters in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Hong Kong, London, New York, Paris and San Francisco. In 2006-2007, new chapters will be opening in Chicago, Dubai, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County (California), Palm Beach, San Diego, Scottsdale/Phoenix, Tokyo and Toronto.

Currently more than 600 leading global and regional luxury brands are members of the Council. A representative sample includes American Express, Architectural Digest, Baccarat, Baume et Mercier, Bergdorf Goodman, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Brioni, Cartier, Christie's, David Yurman, Estee Lauder Companies, Fauchon, Four Seasons Hotels, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Leading Hotels of the World, Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Mercedes-Benz, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Montblanc, Morgan Stanley, Movado, Neiman-Marcus, NetJets, The New Yorker, Radisson Seven Seas, Richemont, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Sotheby's International Reality, Steinway & Sons, Swiss International Airlines and Virtuoso.

The Council conducts an intensive program of intimately-exclusive, member-only, weekly and monthly events at which…

• Experts in the luxury arena present valuable, proprietary research and trend data,
• Members share information in a private, confidential setting,
• Marketing alliances , collaborations and joint-sponsorships are incubated and formed
• Members network with peers in an environment that encourages learning, sharing and collaboration.

In addition to the events, the Council also offers a variety of value-added programs including Think Tanks, Executive Roundtables, Common Practice Surveys, and CEO Breakfasts, as examples.

In short, The Council brings the smartest, most innovative marketers of luxury products and services together to explore and share best practices, critical issues and trends affecting the 2.2 million individuals in the U.S. with liquid portfolios of $1,000,000 or more.

Alf Nucifora

Chairman, The Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Alf Nucifora graduated from the University of Queensland with a B.A. Degree. He furthered his formal education in the United States, attending the Harvard Business School, where he earned an M.B.A. Degree.

Alf entered the advertising and marketing business on the corporate side working for two Fortune 500 companies, first in Australia and then in the United States. He then made the move to the advertising business and later advanced into agency management. Currently, he serves as principal of a marketing consulting firm, having "retired" from the responsibilities as Chairman of the Southeast office of a $310 million advertising agency in 1990. Alf is also the Chairman and Founder of the Luxury Marketing Council chapters in San Francisco and Orange County, California. The Luxury Marketing Council is a global organization representing 600 of the world's leading consumer luxury brands.

Alf, who is an avid spokesperson for the continued growth and success of the marketing communications industry, gives 50+ speeches and seminars a year dedicated to sales, marketing and communications to Fortune 500 companies, organizations and associations across the country and abroad. He is also a nationally-syndicated marketing columnist whose articles appear in 40+ business publications throughout the U.S.

Tricia Sanders

Editor, LuxeSF Magazine

A nationally published writer and marketing communications advisor, Tricia provides creative services and editorial support to business and professional organizations across the U.S. Following successful interludes in retail, media relations, and as a marketing manager, Tricia combined her business experiences to form a creative services firm that specializes in the execution of marketing communications plans.