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ADVISORY BOARD
Gift & Home Advisory Board
Beth Brady is a retail planning expert with 15 years of experience in product sourcing and development. Her experience includes working with multiple hospitality and tourism retail outlets nationwide to create comprehensive retail planning, merchandising and sales strategies. She’s attended AmericasMart since 2006. She can be reached at 321.437.5210, or jbbrady821@gmail.com.
Joseph Cilio is CEO and president of Alfresco Home, a design and distribution resource to the outdoor
living market throughout North America that specializes in developing products in the casual furniture, garden accents and outdoor gourmet markets. Cilio has partnered with AmericasMart since 1988 and has been a permanent exhibitor since 1994. He can be reached at 610.705.8808 or jc@alfrescohome.com.
John Haste is senior vice president-Business Development for Surya. His background includes serving as a senior vice president with ELK Group International, senior executive with IMAX Corporation as well as the Managing Director of PRO Group. Haste has extensive experience on industry boards including American Floral Industry Association and vice president of Gift and Home Association. He serves as Vice Chairman and treasurer of the Trustees of Oklahoma State University Medical Center and serves on multiple educational and charitable boards. He can be reached at 918.809.6930 or John.Haste@surya.com.
With her entrepreneurial spirit and 35+ years in the
Gift industry, Kim Higgins, “Fearless Leader,” has
built 225 Unlimited, Inc. into a leading manufacturers’ representative organization. She started the company with $500 in 1987; today the organization is a nationally known company and an AmericasMart destination, Showroom 1718, 17th floor Building 2. Higgins was
a founder of GHTA, past President of N.A.S.A and a Decade of Excellence Award winner of WBENC. She can be reached at 407.894.6675 or
via 225unlimited.com.
John Hoerst is merchandising manager and buyer for Chalet, one of America’s premiere landscape and garden center firms on Chicago’s North Shore.
He has been in the garden industry since 1985, joining Chalet in 2000 where he is responsible
for purchasing lifestyle, home décor, holiday and outdoor garden products. He and his six staffers
are responsible for merchandising these lines as
well as all green product. He can be reached at johnh@chaletnursery.com or 847.256.0561.
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