Looking for new opportunities to get customers into your store? Listen to some of the effective ideas and results that some stores have tried over the past year and want to share with you.

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

Give your store a “Swedish message.” How are we keeping our stores fresh and exciting for our customers. Join a panel of your peers as we explore this topic.

 

 

 

 

 

A seminar dealing with the process of social networking and what it can mean for your company. The discussion will include items like dealing with Facebook and Twitter and the real time commitment versus the return on that investment. This will include some discussion of having and maintaining your own website.

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

The anatomy of an event.

 

 

How do you turn play into revenue that keeps coming back? Lay out why you feel your Organized Play Program has been a success and some of things you do that help keep it that way. Pictures and video of events will help get across the nature of your space and how you use it, and solid numbers (attendance, sales, etc.) will help back them up.

Listen to last year’s Power Retail Award winner as they lay out why this Organized Play Program has been successful. Find some things that can help you enhance your Organized Play and turn that Play space into revenue that keeps coming back. See why we choose King’s Games for the Outstanding Organized Play Award.

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

An overview of what small businesses should know about taxes to make sure they do not die.

Description: So you have achieved the dream and have your own game shop. Well friend, as you know by now it’s not all about finding the best games (except at GTS), keeping the vending machines stocked with goodies and knowing the hottest decks. This program will provide an overview of tax issues a small business should address including local taxes, tax provisions in leases, FICA taxes, payroll taxes, unemployment taxes [or insurance] sales taxes and other fun levies imposed by the government.

 

 

 

 

What do you do to give your store a unique look while informing your customers? Listen to last year’s Power Retail Award Winner as they discuss everything from exterior signage to displays to fixtures to graphic design and layout.

 

 

You’ve got a great looking store, but what are you doing to get customers in the door? Listen to last year’s Power Retail Award Winners as they break down their marketing plan. They will show how to develop your web presence, advertising, promotions, sponsors, media awareness, community outreach and support.

 

 

Exploring how to write a good press release. How to ensure it gets to the right people. How to make use of free listings that may be available to you. Talking a little about how to make a relationship with someone to do stories about topics where your store could be motioned. (e.g. Comics, games, movies, etc.)

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

As a trade organization GAMA can certify their members. This year at Origins we premiered a program for Educational Certification for our retailers. This special program will give retailers more credibility when talking to schools and libraries about partnering with them.

 

 

Let’s “Flock” together with others that are interested in the same topics as we are. We will be running several round table discussions simultaneously about topics you want to talk about.

 

 

Let’s explore selling food and drinks in your store. What can you carry? What kinds of things should you carry? When are you carrying too many choices?

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

Does a topic you are interested in never get mentioned? Did you have a question that never gets answered? Write it down, post it on our bulletin board at the show and we will discuss it. These are those topics that don’t require an hour seminar but need to be discussed by retailers.

 

 

Not a condensation of Paco Underhill's classic book, this seminar looks at the decision making process, explaining the steps by which you and your customers make buying decisions and the stages at which you may influence them.

 

 

 

The good news is that you're selling great stuff a lot of people want! The bad news is that it may not always be the best idea to pay them with product. We'll talk about the right time and wrong time to use barter, store credit, anything 'other-than-cash' to pay for goods and/or services. Sometimes it can work to your advantage, but sometimes it means taking on significant risk, or skirting your legal obligations. Feel free to bring examples of when and how using merchandise or credit has worked, when it hasn't, and most importantly, what steps you take to make sure any of those arrangements are legal and ethical.

 

 

We all may love the hobby, but in the end, we are trying to run a business. The need to understand your bottom line cannot be overstated. How much should you be spending on inventory, labor and fixed costs? Where is your money going? Why isn’t there enough at the end of the week to pay the bills? How much should you be able to make? What impact does offering a discount have on your bottom line? Come follow the money trail and see where it leads!

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

 

 

See description above.

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

Are you not quite sure the best way to write up your employees or how to handle cash settlement? Do you need a better way to track customer rewards or inventory requisitions? Do you mind sharing the forms you use in your store with others? Bring the forms you use in your store and let’s share our experiences. Make sure you bring either something to write on or some copies of your forms to share with others.

 

 

See description above.

 

 

See description above.

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

See description above.

 

 

P/L? Gross Profit? Balance Sheet? What bearing does all of this have on MY business? Come and let CEO/CFO Aaron Witten of Gamestation.net demystifies some of the myths in our industry regarding accounting and how using it properly can impact and improve your business. Discussion will be Analysis-heavy, with topics to include but not limited to: P/L business management, how to budget.

 

 

Description to come.

 

 

See description above.

 

 

Give the Retail Board input on what seminars you would like to see at GTS 2013.

 

 

What did you see that you liked? What did we miss? What would you like to see next year?