• Furniture Retailer Clive Daniel Home Steps Outside The Marketing Box

    Clive Daniel Home, which opened its first furniture showroom in Naples last November, is hosting Africa Week March 19-24, 2012.
    There will be complimentary wine tastings, luxury travel and interior design presentations, art and room settings to simulate the luxury lodge look.


    The company’s principals, Clive and Daniel Lubner, believe that the approach to today’s home furnishings buyer is softer and more experiential than hard sell, and Africa Week is just one among scores of in-store events that are proving successful for the company.

    During Africa Week, customers can meet and greet some of the world's leading experts on travel to the mysterious and exciting continent of Africa. They can get “khaki fever” through movies and documentaries in the Home Theater and by sipping wine and sampling unique African gourmet items at the Wine Bar, while they take vicarious visits to luxurious safari lodges and tent camps, train excursions, riverboat cruises, glamorous city hotels, and wildlife reserves and preserves.

    They also can get tips from the insiders representing companies like Orient-Express, More Hotels, South Africa, and top outfitters like Go2Africa and &Beyond. They can learn the dos and don'ts of safari travel from top local travel agents.

    Presentations throughout the week showcase gorilla trekking in Rwanda, stunning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, an elephant camp in Botswana, and unlimited other options. Destinations cover all of Africa, from sparkling Cape Town to some of the most remote outposts on the continent.

    Guest hosts include leading Naples-based travel agencies Betty Maclean Travel and Preferred Travel of Naples, and South Africa-based Africa holiday experts, Go2Africa.com. One key element of the Clive Daniel philosophy is the local community connection. While the speakers come from around the world, many of them are hosted by the local agencies.

    Most of the presentations take place in the Clive Daniel Home Chat Room, which has flexible setup and seating options and can accommodate up to 100 people. In events ranging from cooking demonstrations to Shakespearean performances, community groups may use the Chat Room at no charge, subject to availability.

    For Africa Week, each presenter provides its own props and displays, and receives setup assistance from the professional Clive Daniel Home visual merchandising team. One of the presenters, Betty Maclean Travel, is providing the traditional safari cocktail, Zanzibar Champagne Sundowners.

    In addition, displays throughout the store showcase African themed art and artifacts,. Spaces between the seminars also give guests an opportunity to stroll through the showrooms and get inspiration for their homes.

    “The objective is to introduce new customers to our showrooms,” says Daniel Lubner.

    “The upscale adventure traveler is our demographic, and our home furnishings buyers are potential customers for these travel companies.” In addition, we have the opportunity to share a bit of our family’s South African roots and relate on a personal level with our customers. It’s a win-win marketing tool, and it provides a rewarding experience for all involved.”

    Clive Daniel Home is located at 2777 Tamiami Trail North in Naples, Florida. www.clivedaniel.com (239) 261-4663