“Global Takes the Checkered Flag: The F1 Miami Event Everyone’s Talking About” |05/04/2026 | Stephen Says Column

Dear Dealer,

You’re right—and you’re asking the right question at the right time. Attending the well-known show is important, but it is not always about going to a trade show, sometimes it’s smarter for a manufacturer to create a regional event to capture an audience locally. The next generation of designers, specifiers, and dealers aren’t just looking for information—they’re looking for something to feel. They want energy. They want to be part of something. And if it doesn’t deliver that, they move on quickly.

Milan was very special, but you shouldn’t have to go further than your local market for an experience filled with positive vibes. Smart manufacturers stay relevant by creating events in each region to attract their dealers into their showrooms, along with architects, designers, real estate people and specifiers.

There was movement in the room right away. Race simulators, reflex challenges, people competing, laughing, leaning into it. No one standing off to the side checking their phone, and no one quietly planning their exit. If you’ve been to enough of these events, you know how rare that is. The excitement was contagious.

What stood out wasn’t just the activity—it was how well everything worked together. The food made sense for the moment. The drinks had personality. The music from DJ Yissel gave the space a steady pulse without taking over the room. It all fit, and because of that, people stayed engaged longer than they usually do.

And Global did something a lot of companies still get wrong—they gave people a real reason to stay engaged. Not a generic giveaway, not something forgettable, but actual Formula 1 race tickets. One prize was a $13K ticket to the race! And there were 4 other major ticket prizes as well. That’s the kind of incentive that people pay attention to. It changes the dynamic. It keeps people in the room, in the conversation, and talking about it afterward. Because when this is done right, it’s not about putting on a show. It’s about what the show says about you. And this one said a lot. This is a furniture showroom, office furniture and healthcare furniture and these customers seeing and touching and sitting in the products has to be a win-win for Global.

You could feel it starting with the CEO of Global, Joel Feldberg. He was present, engaged, and clearly comfortable in the room—not putting on a performance, just connecting with people in a way that felt genuine. That tone carried across the entire event. You saw it in how people interacted. Elizabeth Guillory, Senior VP of Sales, moving through the space, connecting people without making it look like work. Dealers like Empire & Co, (a huge national dealer from NYC with offices in Florida and offices everywhere!) were there, Pradere Designer Workspaces—another dealer and JC White and more. I talked with people from Compass, HOK, Atelier Interiors, Leotta Designs, Gurri Matute, AES Interiors, Fineline Interior, also the Miami Dade Aviation team. Yes, all in the Global Furniture Group showroom.

I am not even naming them all. Everyone showed up with their “teams” and their clients—not out of obligation, but because they wanted to be there. Because it was a fun night out and made good business sense. Not just dealers but designers and specifiers, real customers.

This wasn’t a slow weekend in Miami – it’s one of the busiest weekends of the year, and still, people made time for this. That tells you everything you need to know. What Global understands—and what a lot of others are still trying to figure out—is that you can’t wait for customers anymore to come to you. You can’t assume they’ll show up just because you opened the doors. You must give them a reason. A real reason. Global is investing in relationships, in their dealers, and in creating experiences that feel natural, not manufactured.

I had designers tell me they came early just to spend time in the showroom. That doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s not something you can fake. That’s built over time. So yes, there are still important moments for trade shows on the calendar, and you should absolutely be there. But if you want to stay ahead, you need to start thinking beyond those moments. Manufacturers go where your customers are going to feel inspired and create an event, don’t wait for a tradeshow.

And the manufacturers who understand it first won’t just stay out in front—they’ll make it impossible to catch up.

Stephen.