The Roundtable Advantage

By Bethanie Hestermann, Editorial Assistant, BDC Magazine

Ever wished there was a Design Center Managers Anonymous? You know, a place to go when you need support and encouragement? A place where your struggles are empathized with and your successes are celebrated? If so, consider the advantages of starting a Roundtable in your area.

Why Roundtable?

A Roundtable can be defined as anything from a support group (hence the AA reference above), to a sort of “book club” for design center managers. The concept of the group, regardless of what you decide to call it, is to discuss, collaborate, share with, and support fellow attendees who are working in the same market as you. Not warming up to the idea of sharing with your peers? Think your ideas are yours and yours alone? You are missing out. It is important to recognize that design centers are not in competition with each other! Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses—while you may be a shining example in one area, chances are you could use some help elsewhere. Think of it as a tradeoff; bring something to the table, and expect to take something away. Remember, the concept is built around a roundtable, meaning everybody shares and benefits equally. If you come prepared to share and exchange insights and ideas, you’ll leave with a fresh perspective and some new friends.

Make your Roundtable a Success

Logistics
While you may be the pioneer of your group, don’t think you have to do all the work. At your first meeting, set aside some time to gather ideas from your guests. How do they feel about hosting a Roundtable at their facility? Suggest moving the meeting each time to a new location, and sharing the hosting responsibilities. Consider separately assigning hosting and facilitating duties. (This way, no one is overloaded with both tasks.) Discuss funding and ways of providing food and drinks in a way that makes each member comfortable. Often local reps will sponsor these meetings, covering the cost of food and drinks. Consider how often you would like to meet. Monthly? Bi-monthly? Quarterly? Make sure you find a day and time which does not conflict with the other group members’ schedules.

Agenda
Are your meetings going to be themed? (And no, I don’t mean Hawaiian or disco-themed.) Rather, will your discussion agenda revolve around a central topic, a range of related topics, or will it be more of an open forum where each member comes in with a list of potential areas to be explored? Experiment with each style, or hold a vote at your first meeting to decide which will be the most effective for your particular group.

More Ideas
Spice up your Roundtable (and increase attendance) by inviting a special guest to your meeting. Reps and local manufacturers may be able to offer opportunities for training or tours of their facilities.  Schedule a tour of local design centers or model homes. Hold a social event to gather more members. Ask core attendees to contact other design center managers in the area and personally invite them to the next meeting. (A personal invite goes a long way.) Also, don’t forget to lure other managers to your event with the promise of food or snacks. If you’re really ambitious, you can give out some wine samples too! (After all, this is “DCMA,” not AA!)

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The Roundtable advantage is even more pronounced in a tough market such as today’s. Take the opportunity to learn, grow, and improve your design center through networking. When the market turns around, you’ll be in a stronger place because of it.