Ft. Laurderdale, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/14/2011 -- Pride Family Brands, designer and manufacturer of luxury cast aluminum outdoor furnishings, announces its participation as a sponsor of the inaugural Casual Living industry conference. Designed to educate and motivate the outdoor living segment, the conference will take place in Sarasota, Florida from February 22nd through the 24th.

Entitled ”The Sky’s The Limit: Maximizing Opportunities in the Casual Market,” the conference will include social and educational functions designed specifically for retailers, designers, representatives and manufacturers within the outdoor industry.

“We are proud to be a part of making this ground-breaking conference possible,” said Steve Lowsky, president, Pride Family Brands. “With the growth and changes happening in the outdoor category, this conference will provide the perfect format for all levels of the industry to connect and learn from speakers and each other as we all look to energize for the upcoming outdoor season.”

The International Casual Furnishings Association (ICFA) also is a sponsor of the event along with additional manufacturers. “The benefits of any organization is the networking and educational opportunities,” said Rory Rehmert, vice president, sales and marketing for Pride Family Brands and chairman for the ICFA. “With this conference, all of these functions will be addressed making it a must-attend event for anyone, whether a veteran of the outdoor category or someone branching into outdoor.”

Seminars topics have been selected to target key opportunities in the outdoor category. “While the camaraderie is great, there is the extra added value of the professional speakers that are brought in,” said Bruce Aronson, owner, The Pool and Patio Center and ICFA member, Metairie, La. “I don’t know how they do it; but the organizers always seem to find speakers that talk about areas of immediate concern.”

The event’s agenda includes keynote speaker and performance coach Bob Davies. Davies, the author of The Sky is Not the Limit – You Are, is a former college football coach and is the author of three books and several audio albums and DVDs. Sphere Trending founder and CEO Maxine Lauer will tackle the topics of life stages and the changing consumer. Jim Jensen of Pew Research will be on hand to break down web statistics and Gallery Furniture’s own Robert Williams will discuss taking technology to the next level. Financial analyst Jerry Epperson of Mann, Armistead & Epperson, Ltd. will give his take on the casual category and Dr. Andrew Dent, vice president of library and materials research, Material ConneXion, will present the latest in materials germane to outdoor.

Retailer and supplier panels will examine critical issues facing the outdoor industry today, discuss category growth and share success stories. Golf, spa services and a neighboring retail store tour and an awards dinner honoring supplier and retailer of the year round out the event.

For more information about “The Sky’s the Limit” Casual Living Conference, visit http://tinyurl.com/7dend55 or Pride Family Brands and their distinguished lines of casual furniture visit www.pridefamilybrands.com or contact 954-735-9800.