The first conference attendee I chatted with at the 8th Closets Conference & Expo in Austin, TX, last week was from Southern California.

"Is this your first conference?" I asked while still wearing my Association of Closet and Storage Professional President's hat. "Yes and I'm enjoying every minute" was his response.

This conversation took place after only the first two speakers on the first day of the event..

"How long have you been in the closet business?" I asked. "Nine years" was the reply.

"You know we had the 2010 conference in Long Beach right up the road from you. Why didn't you attend that?"I asked. His reply, "I wasn't ready in 2010 but now I am."

If you did not attend the Closets Conference & Expo, you truly missed the closet event of the year.  As usual, the independent closet owners and ACSP members flocked to this year's event, but we also saw an increase in dealerships and franchises. Our keynote speaker, former NFL Philadelphia Eagles Vince Papale was awesome as he spoke about being "Invincible" during these tough economic times. In the 2006 hit Disney movie "Invincible," actor Mark Wahlberg played Vince, the oldest rookie ever to an NFL team and make it, who wasn't a kicker. 

The Closets Conference covered all aspects of sales, marketing, social media, and increasing your bottom line. Likewise, our round table sessions covered advertising and marketing in a down economy.  All sessions and round tables were well attended. The sales round table was so over crowded, attendees had to bring their own chairs in from the lobby if they wanted to sit.

As always, the day's events extended past the limits of the Austin Convention Center as rookies and veterans gathered at restaurants and watering holes to continue the dialog deep into the evening and early morning hours.