Hot News
SEPTEMBER 2020
Registration and Housing Are Now Open for Expo
Do you want to stay a step ahead of your competition and see the latest and greatest products before they do? How about building relationships with key people who can help you decide what to put in your showroom to attract the right customers? How about the chance to mingle with retailers from all across the country and share stories and best practices? There is only one place where this happens every year and that is at HPBExpo. Register now as an exhibitor or attendee and join thousands of hearth, patio, and barbecue professionals and see new products in the spotlight of the industry's premiere event. Hotel rooms are available at a discounted rate on a first-come, first-served basis, so book now to reserve one of your top choice hotels in Nashville!
HPBExpo 2021 Elevated Living -
Reserve Your Exhibit Space Now
North America’s largest indoor-outdoor lifestyle showcase attracts a broad range of industry professionals from all over the world, presenting you with a big opportunity to generate leads, strengthen your brand, showcase your products, and close deals. Tap into a marketplace of qualified buyers in three days of nonstop business-building opportunities. Make your plans to exhibit at the 2021 event in Nashville where you can grow your business in one cost-effective trip. As Trade Show News Network’s 2019 winner for Top 25 fastest growing attendance, it’s your opportunity to shine in a dynamic marketplace.

Download our exhibitor prospectus here and see why it is essential for your company to be there. Visit our Apply to Exhibit page for contracts. Check out the floor plan and see who has already signed up as a 2021 Exhibitor. Contact Anita Derouin with questions or to discuss booth options.
Download our exhibitor prospectus here and see why it is essential for your company to be at Expo. Visit our Apply to Exhibit page for contracts. Check out the floor plan and see who has already signed up as a 2021 Exhibitor. Contact Anita Derouin with questions or to discuss booth options.
Your Safety is Our First Priority
HPBA, in conjunction with Nashville’s Music City Center, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation (CVC), and Freeman, are closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic. As we make plans to meet in person next March, we are actively putting together cleaning and safety protocols for the safety of all of our exhibitors and attendees. This is an on-going process, so be sure to regularly check Nashville’s Music City Center for updates for their health and safety guidelines as well as our website for updates. Freeman has to put together a video on what events of the future may look like, and the Nashville CVC has put together a Good to Go plan for local city businesses.

How We Are Keeping Exhibitors Updated
HPBA and all of its Expo partners want to answer all of your questions about exhibiting and keep you updated about what to expect. We held a webinar in August with presentations from the Music City Center and the Nashville CVC that detailed safety measures and protocols. If you missed it be sure to check it out - Exhibitor Webinar #1. A second webinar is being planned for later in September that will include Freeman, so stay tuned for more information.
Check Out All That Nashville Has to Offer
Music City Center is a creative melting pot of music, world-class art, award-winning cuisine, unique shops, and outdoor activities. Start planning your trip to Nashville and see all that there is to experience! Did you know that 50% of the US population lives within a six-hour drive to Nashville, making it a premiere trade show destination? HPBExpo is the best way to meet a lot of buyers, increase sales, and strengthen your bottom line!
Follow HPBExpo on social media
A New Resource for Retailers
HPBA’s Chairman, Dick Hoffman, spent years as a successful retailer. When he took over as our Chairman, he envisioned a one-stop landing page on the HPBA website for retailers to find useful tools and information. We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Retailer Toolkit! This webpage has helpful tips and links for every retailer. We have webinars hosted by experts in marketing, selling, and even how to operate safely during a pandemic. We’ve got tips on how to talk to a reporter, templates for press releases, and links to information about advocating for your store and the industry. Do you have questions about research, or how to save money from our Affinity Partners? You’ll find it on this new webpage. We are eager for feedback or suggestions, so please reach out to Diane Dellen with your ideas.
Hearth and Home Magazine

The announcement from Richard Wright that Hearth and Home Magazine is shutting down hit all of us hard. Everyone in the industry depended on the magazine to break industry news, follow trends, spotlight new products, technologies, and company news. HPBA has had a special relationship with Hearth and Home for many years. They were a pioneer exhibitor at Expo – appearing at every single one for the past 40 years. Their Vesta Awards Ceremony has been a strong advocate of innovation and a highlight of Friday nights at Expo. We’ve used their pages to publish our HPBA Journal to reach out beyond our members to the whole industry. We will miss Richard’s sharp and witty insight into our industry and we hope that the talented reporters that know us so well will find new outlets to showcase their knowledge and writing.

From everyone at HPBA, we send our deepest gratitude to Richard and his exceptional team for all of their work to showcase this industry. We wish the best of luck to Richard and Jackie and the whole Hearth and Home team.
Affinity Partner Webinar Series
HPBA will periodically host a special webinar in partnership with one of our Affinity Partners as an added benefit for members. Shannon Good of Good Marketing Group kicked off this new feature in August with her webinar, "Marketing Tips: How to Use Your Website to Convert Leads into Sale." The webinar shared top marketing tips for hearth retailers that will help staff transform sales, build relationships with new or current customers, and utilize sales tools for better results. To watch the full webinar, click below. To view the PowerPoint slides, click here.  
Government Affairs
Status of EPA's Proposed Sell-Through for Step 1 Products
It has been two months since the comment period for EPA’s COVID-19 sell-through proposal closed. EPA has indicated they likely will not issue a Final Rule until late September or early October. Keep in mind that it is still illegal to sell a Step 1 product unless the EPA acts. The sell-through period would come into effect only if a Final Rule is published in the Federal Register and would expire for good on a specific date – in the proposal, this date is November 30, 2020.

In addition, some states have passed regulations that would make it illegal to sell Step 1 products even if the EPA acts, so make certain you follow your state’s rules.

We know this is frustrating with the busiest sales time quickly approaching, but you must follow the current regulations as published. HPBA will notify you as soon as anything official happens.

Be sure to check out our retailer NSPS toolkit and FAQ page for additional resources, including answers to most of your questions. Please contact Rachel Feinstein if you have any questions.
DOE Opens RFI on Wood Heater Research Opportunities
Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) published a request for stakeholder feedback on research opportunities related to residential wood heater technology advancement. BETO will use submissions to help inform its research priorities and funding strategies.
 
DOE is specifically interested in identifying the critical technology gaps and resources required to significantly reduce emissions and improve efficiency of residential wood heaters including:
 
  • Stove design
  • Automation
  • Catalyst development
  • Retrofit technologies for older wood heaters
  • Sensor technology
  • Stove performance testing methods
 
This program has already issued several grants on the order of $1 million each. The lead on this program, Mark Shmorhun, attended this year’s HPBExpo in New Orleans and was on the EPA tour.

The request for information is open until Monday, September 21, 2020. More information is available here, including the formal Request for Information Announcement. If you would like to discuss possible topics with HPBA or learn more about the process, please contact John Crouch.
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Covid-19 Resources
It’s safe to say that we’ve all gotten a bit more accustomed to working during a pandemic, but don’t forget that HPBA has collected and created resources to help answer your questions, and even provide you with ideas. Our COVID-19 page is still active, so check out the latest updates and links. As Congress continues to debate, we will keep an eye on potential stimulus activity or other actions that could impact our members.
Reminder!
HPBA has a new banking relationship with Bank of America, and our SunTrust accounts are now closed. For wiring information, please contact Robert Washington.

NEW PAYMENT ADDRESS:
Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association
P.O. Box 412397
Boston, MA 02241-2397