• Made in America Pavilion – The Made in America theme has increased in popularity immensely among Americans. This year, the pavilion has expanded to over 32,000 square feet, due to the growing trend of consumer awareness and demand for American-made goods. Exhibitors include Flat Rock Furniture, Habersham, Shiner/Home Source International, and many others. For a full list of exhibitors in the Made in America Pavilion, click here. 

• Century Furniture, LLC – Located in the Market Square Building, spaces 500, 412, Century Furniture will be showcasing upscale home furnishings and accessories. Ranging from a variety of styles including French, Coastal, Contemporary, Mediterranean, and more. In addition to producing elegant, handcrafted products, Century Furniture has embraced the sustainability movement. Since 1947, the company has been creating furniture and accessories at its Hickory, NC facility, using predominantly domestic materials to help reduce energy costs. To learn more about Century Furniture, click here. 

• Lamp Works – Buyers and retailers, Lamp Works, is one of the top lighting design companies showcasing new products at this year’s market. Located in the IHFC Building, space D341, Lamp Works designs beautiful, high-end light fixtures. Ranging in styles, shapes and sizes, the company’s designs are ideal for hospitality projects. One of the company’s most recent installations includes Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. To learn more about Lamp Works, click here. 

High Point Market is the place to be in April for companies in the furniture and accessories industry. Retailers, buyers and media members will have the opportunity to catch a first glimpse at the newest and most innovative products that will soon be available to consumers. For those of you exhibiting or attending the event, visit High Point Market’s website for more details at www.highpointmarket.org.

Twitter is a great way to connect with clients and customers via quick conversational exchanges. Though some Tweets can be vague and slightly ambiguous, the point is to create short phrases and messages to get your meaning across in a direct and instant manner. Essentially, Twitter is a short-form messaging tool, geared towards businesses looking for new ways to communicate with target audiences. And, not to forget, Twitter is also a platform for listening to the communication of others.

Twitter’s primary difference from other social media channels is that each individual tweet, is restricted to 140 characters or less. As a Twitter user, you can post updates; follow and view updates from other users; and send a public reply or private direct message to connect with another tweeter.

As a guide, below, the ECPR team has put together four simple steps to creating meaningful Tweets. Let’s begin!

Page Tags: Much like Facebook, Twitter allows users to interact and connect with potential clients, consumers and fellow industry professionals. The key is to use the “@” symbol to “tag” other Twitter pages. The “@” is a means of sharing valuable information from an outside source, who also has a Twitter account, thus virally connecting your business page with the source’s page.

Photo Credit – John Burcham for The New York Times

To our designer friends, we thought you might enjoy reading about “The Ultimate Man Cave.” Located in a remote region of Utah, Ivo Zdarsky has turned an airplane hangar, dubbed Lucin International Airport, into his very own bachelor pad. Complete with a 90-inch flat screen T.V., a drum set and two mattresses, Zdarsky goes about his daily business in the most distinct fashion. While the design of the hangar is intriguing in itself, the unique story of the man who created it is even more compelling.

To read the full article on The New York Times website, click here. Be honest, what do you think of Ivo Zdarsky’s man cave?

ECPR friends and fans, by now you are aware of the big changes coming to Facebook brand pages. The new Timeline design has many business owners scratching their heads, wondering how the new design will affect their company business page. Our team has been researching the Timeline and all there is to know about it. Below, you will find three educational and informative articles from social media experts we admire, who have helped shed light on the changes.

• Mashable: How to Use the New Facebook Page Admin Panel 
• Brian Solis: A Style Guide for New Facebook Brand Pages 
• Social Media Examiner: 7 New Facebook Changes Impacting Businesses 

Which article did you find most interesting and helpful? Also, we would love to learn your thoughts on the new Facebook Timeline design. Like or dislike?

* To read the articles listed above, click on each individual title.

Retailers, designers, and garden writers, if you are looking for books that cover a number of trendy topics – such as water gardening, orchids and herbs – look no further. These new books from our friends at Better Homes & Gardens and Meredith Books with the Meredith Corporation are some of the most informative we have reviewed.

Better Homes & Gardens Water Gardening

Better Homes & Gardens Orchid Gardening

It’s ironic that vanilla extract is derived from an orchid, because there’s nothing vanilla about this complex, ornamental flower favorite. Better Homes & Gardens recognized that the growing environment, varieties and maintenance of orchids was so multifarious, they could write a whole book on the subject. And, wow, we are glad they did! This guidebook begins with a fascinating chapter about the history of orchids, including its ancient uses for fertility, Darwin’s obsession with evolutionary roots and some common misconceptions about the popular plant. The book’s expansive tutorial about the biology of the plant is essential for providing a hospitable home environment, and Better Homes & Gardens explains all of this thoroughly, yet clearly enough a novice can digest it with ease.

Orchids require a lot of attention to detail, especially when potting for the first time or re-potting, and this guide gives advice that can’t be found from a simple Google search. Better Homes & Gardens interviewed orchid experts for the book, and these growers’ tips and tricks will supply insight for healthy and beautiful orchids.

A good cook never lacks friends. But, to be a good cook, fresh herbs are a must. What better way to keep them on-hand than to have an herb garden? Better Homes & Gardens Herb Gardening encourages homeowners to consider replacing typical backyard gardening plants with herbs; not only are they dually purposed, but many herbs are long-lasting perennials. This unique book also features a helpful section on how to bring an herb garden indoors, a great option for homeowners with little green space. Growing plants indoors can be a temperamental and challenging process, but this guide features several ideas and tips to keep the process headache-free.

And what about the colder months, when it’s near-impossible to have fresh herbs for cooking? This book has a freezing guide to use your herbs year round. Because the Better Homes & Gardens staff is also rife with cooking and kitchen connoisseurs, they couldn’t produce an herb book without including a few recipes: Lemon-Thyme Ice Cream, Fresh Mint, Onion and Apple Chutney, to name just two.

The back of the book features some D.I.Y. project ideas that the homeopathic homeowner will absolutely like. This gardening book is ideal for any homeowner or chef. Often the freshest ingredients produce the best cuisine, and Better Homes & Gardens Herb Gardening is the perfect preface to any cookbook.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., these and other books from the experts at Better Homes & Gardens can be found where great books are sold. You can also click the above title links to find these books on Amazon.com.

* To enlarge the images, select each individual photo.

~ ECPR

Our client, Historical Concepts, recently published a book entitled Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House. The book features a selection of homes the firm’s partners designed throughout the years. Each home included in the gorgeous book has a background story, allowing those who read the book to become fully engrossed in the project and to imagine what it would be like to walk through the front door with a feeling of warmth.

Historical Concepts’ knowledgeable experience in designing Southern vernacular homes comes with great enthusiasm and passion for architecture. A prime example of this is Among the Oaks, located in Spring Island, South Carolina. This spectacular home is nestled among four large oak trees, which Historical Concepts used as inspiration. Making this home’s architecture even more interesting, Among the Oaks combines Southern vernacular style with Caribbean flair.

The client envisioned a relaxed, informal house with a wide open floor plan. In the great room, a West Indian-inspired ceiling of exposed beams and purlins married with columns, pilasters, and a tall entablature gives the room a tropical feel. The understated elegance of the room complements the room’s natural wood and brick floors. In addition, the interior design, by Miriam Jordan Interiors, features furniture and accessories which enhance the overall warmth of the home. One notable feature is the gorgeous French doors which open up to an outdoor living space, creating an open-air extension of the great room. Also, the beautifully designed kitchen resembles that of a traditional Southern-style home. With simple, classic light fixtures and white on white cabinets and counter-tops, the functional space is ideal for entertaining guests. As an added bonus, a cozy Carolina room extends from the kitchen.

The combination of Southern vernacular and Caribbean architecture makes Among the Oaks a dream home. Historical Concepts’ vision of designing a home that resembles something that an eighteenth-century British planter might have built after settling in South Carolina following a sojourn in the West Indies is ingenious. To view more design projects by Historical Concepts, visit the company’s website at www.historicalconcepts.com to order your copy of Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House.

*To enlarge the images, select each individual photo.

At ECPR – and just about everywhere else – social media is more important than ever before. Several years ago, we began offering PR 2.0 – traditional public relations combined with social media management. And, since then, we’ve become the social media manager for various clients’ social networking channels exclusively. The face and function of social media has changed drastically over the past few years – status updates, tweets and photo sharing aren’t just for college students anymore.

Social media channels are now more popular than most news outlets. According to mediabistro.com social media members spent a total of 632 minutes on social media sites per user this past January. While some may find that statistic disturbing, it merely signals that the banal social media to which we were once introduced is now more informative, relevant and necessary than in years past. It holds a role in almost everyone’s life. One reason social media has gained this relevance is its place in the business world. These online tools are not only essential for the image of your brand, but utilizing individual functions and analytics of the site are beneficial for reaching and understanding your clients, customers or target audience. That’s why we’ve decided to provide a four-part series of social media breakdowns for businesses in the home, garden, design and agribusiness industries.

Let’s Face It
Of those 632 minutes spent on social media sites, a whopping 405 of them were spent on Facebook. So it’s no wonder we begin our first Social Media Series post here. Because Facebook is still primarily a place for personal social interactions, it can be challenging and time consuming to assure the page you provide for your clientele or customers is exactly what your company needs. Here are a few ideas to make the most out of your Facebook business page:

• Decide on an image. No, not just a profile picture (although that’s important too). Meet with the team of people in your company and decide what you are trying to convey through your Facebook presence. Are you simply adding another portal for potential clients to visit your main website? Are you hoping to connect with past, current and potential clients? Will your posts be formal or more conversational? It is important that every employee who may access your Facebook understands the personality you want to convey. Type a list of potential post ideas and keep it on file. Decide on specific types of posts so that no one inadvertently posts a topic that is irrelevant. Will you only post about news specific to your company? Will you share articles and videos? What type of photos will you share? Similarly, if someone makes a post that you think is exemplary of your Facebook image, be sure to highlight that achievement in an e-mail or memo to employees.

• This is a visual world. Although many users get their news via link posts on Facebook, what initially attracts clicks is photos and videos. If your business doesn’t have a lot of photos on file, start building your image library today so you make your page “go live” as soon as possible. Designers and architects, are you consistently taking photos of your designs and posting them on your page? Is it possible to post before-and-after or progress photos as well? What about a video tour of a recent project? Growers, are you posting photos of your new plants or seasonal series? You are more likely to get “likes” on your page if users know they can count on you for visual updates and appeal. Be creative with your photos – if you have an event coming up, take pictures of the attendees. And, tell them you’ll be posting them on Facebook soon. Photos of other people on a business page give the business a personable and approachable image. Be sure to write captions for each and every photo you post, yes, each and every one.

• Don’t be a wallflower. One of the biggest purposes of Facebook is to be SOCIAL. This means, interacting with people who visit and interface with your page. It makes absolutely no sense for a company to have a Facebook page that is closed for comments. If a client or customer simply wants to view information exclusively about and by your company, they will visit your website. We call that one-way insight. But, Facebook is a two-way street intended to generate online dialog with two or more fans or Facebook users. If someone likes a post or shares a link, be sure to thank them or leave a comment. Think of your Facebook page as a new conversation with a client or customer. You would never just walk away from a real-life conversation, so why let a post go unanswered? If a customer or client leaves a complaint or concern, don’t necessarily delete it – address it. This is a perfect opportunity to show that your company is accountable and available for its customers. Also, make an effort to interface with other brands and companies in your industry. If you’re mentioning media coverage, news or other relevant topics, tag the other Facebook business page in your post. This is a very simple tactic to “reach out” to and connect with other businesses.

• Earn your keep. One of the most important rules for having a Facebook business page is to keep it active. It’s easy to de-prioritize your social media and update it only when you have occasional news to share about your company. But it is absolutely crucial to keep your page alive and fresh. If a potential client or customer visits your page and sees you haven’t posted anything in weeks, they will likely assume you are uninterested or just not available. You would never leave a client or customer phone call or e-mail inquiry unanswered, right? The same should be top of mind concerning Facebook comments. Being social media savvy is a trait that customers / clients and other businesses admire in companies, so making social media updating a daily, if not hourly, task is truly important. If you don’t think you can budget the time or patience to update your channels, consider hiring a public relations firm to do it for you, one that specializes in your field. This guarantees your internet brand image will be up to speed and tailored to your needs.

What are your Facebook success stories? Have you found certain tactics that bring in more clicks than others? Feel free to share any comments, ideas or stories in our comment section below, and check back in March for our second installment of this series, highlighting how to get the most out of your Twitter account.

Spring is almost here, and whether you live on an eternally-temperate, sunny coast, a landlocked, winter wonderland, or somewhere in between, next season is historically the time when homeowners prioritize outdoor room construction and design.

For retailers, spring is when homeowners seek outdoor room furnishings and accessories with little advanced notice. It also signals a time for retailers to start ordering for next fall and winter to get a head start on cold weather product planning. Our client, California-based O.W. Lee, a manufacturer of high-end outdoor furniture and casual fireside products, has extensive collections that will appeal to your customers—whatever your region and whenever you need inventory.

For outdoor room designers, spring may produce several project requests on short-term deadlines. For planning ahead of time, or last minute needs, O.W. Lee has made ordering select deep seating and chat-style fire pits much faster by launching two new quick-ship programs, making inventory more accessible and easier to secure.

The programs include the company’s Santorini Fire Pit and a Monterra Chat & Fire Pit Set, which can now be shipped within 10 working days from receipt of completed sales orders. The quick ship programs have been entitled, “Fast as Fire, On Demand” and will be available to O.W. Lee’s customers from March 1, 2012 through Aug. 31, 2012.

The Santorini Fire Pit quick-ship initiative includes a choice of three hearth tops. The 42-inch hearth tops feature hand-cut ceramic tiles in Sand, Mocha or Calico. The Santorini Fire Pit has a rich Espresso finish and comes with burner assembly. Fire ring inserts can be ordered such as a Log Kit with lava rock granules, Ceramic Rock Kit with lava rock granules, Glass Kit with decorative glass in two colors, or Lava Granules only.

The Monterra Chat & Fire Pit Set was conceptualized to offer a combination of O.W. Lee’s popular Monterra Club Chairs and Vesuvius Chat Height Fire Pit. The chair options are the Monterra Spring Base Club Chair and Monterra Swivel Club Chair, both with Espresso frames and Fife Ginger fabric cushions. The Vesuvius fire pit base is paired with a Richmond 54-inch round hearth top in cast aluminum. This pairing provides coordinated design style at a great price point.

The Richmond hearth top frame is Espresso in fashion with the frames of the Monterra Club Chairs. Fire ring inserts featured in the Monterra Chat & Fire Pit Set are the same as with the Santorini Fire Pit program.

O.W. Lee will be displaying both the Santorini Fire Pit and Monterra Chat & Fire Pit Set at the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo 2012, which takes place March 1-3 in Atlanta. Company representatives will be on site to answer questions about the quick-ship options. To learn more and view a full product gallery, log onto www.owlee.com.

ECPR friends and fans – we are so thrilled to announce that on March 6, our client, Historical Concepts, is releasing its first book – Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House.

ECPR friends and fans, Terra Nova Nurseries’ plant guru and recent guest expert on “The Martha Stewart Show,” Dan Heims, will be speaking at this year’s Kansas City Garden Symposium. Dan is set to speak on two separate occasions, Friday, February 17, 2012 and Saturday, February 18, 2012. If you’re attending the event, don’t forget to mark the dates on your calendar!

Beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST on February 17 at Brio Tuscan Grill, Dan will educate gardeners about “New Perennials from Around the World,” at the pre-symposium banquet. In his talk, Dan will share information about worldly plants with amazing colors, extraordinary foliage and varied flower forms.

Additionally, show goers will not want to miss out on Dan Heims’ second speaking event at 12:45 p.m. EST on February 18. Heims’ “Garden Gems” session topic is sure to be an audience favorite. He will discuss the latest and most exciting perennials, tropicals and woodies in today’s market. Known for traveling the world to gain insights about international plant trends and new introductions, Dan will reveal several of his top plant secrets to attendees.

To learn more about Dan Heims and Terra Nurseries, visit the company’s website at www.terranovanurseries.com.