Andmore’s Renee Loper-Boyd on the importance of problem solving | Portrait

Renee Loper-Boyd is the senior vice president of product marketing at trade show producer Andmore. Prior to Andmore, Loper-Boyd held marketing leadership posts at Bassett Furniture and aspenhome Furniture. After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Loper-Boyd started her marketing career at several key agencies and design/branding firms in the city, where she worked on accounts spanning a variety of industry segments, from consumer-packaged goods to tech and financial services.

You’ve been with Andmore for more than a decade. Tell us more about your current role in the organization, and what your day-to-day is like.

What I love about my current role is the ability to solve problems and help both our customers and the industry as a whole. I’ve found that my team can make a really big impact. My team develops a marketing strategy to lead to success, not only for the buyers but also our tenants and exhibitors. That involves everything from understanding what’s going on at the macroeconomic level to looking at survey results from buyers and sellers and understanding those, too. The economic climate is constantly changing so we must adapt and adjust to help our customers be successful. Our primary job is driving buyer attendance at the markets and delivering value to the people who rent space from us.

How does having experience on both the agency and client sides help you when it comes to your current position?

I started at an ad agency in New York that provided a great foundation for what I do today. It helped me to understand all the components of marketing and how they relate to each other. I also spent time at some smaller boutique branding agencies. One of the agencies where I worked had furniture clients and they recruited me to start the marketing department at aspenhome and that is how I became involved with this industry. I later moved to Bassett Furniture before joining Andmore in 2015. On the agency side, I learned the importance of understanding the customers’ business so that I could understand their journeys better. At the agency, I learned the value of collaborating with other departments, for example, marketing and sales. I think sometimes on the agency side; they present a solution and move on. But, on the client side you have to live with your solutions and work them through. You have a vested interest in seeing the whole process, it’s not just a one-and-done.

What led you to attend FIT? Have you always been interested in the home business?

Initially, I wanted to be a fashion buyer. I had always had an interest in fashion when I was growing up. So, when I was looking at schools, that was the lens I was using to make my decision and FIT felt like the best fit. After growing up in Florida it was nice to start my next chapter in New York City. It was a great experience, but I quickly learned that I wasn’t interested in fashion buying. I started taking marketing classes and then switched my major. My internship was in corporate marketing at a major fashion company and that was really fun. The first agency I worked for was Bates and they were huge, and I worked on their biggest global account. Our offices were in the Chrysler Building, and it was an amazing experience.

When did you first become involved with WithIt and why is the organization so important to you?

I have been a member of WithIt for more than 15 years. My boss at aspenhome, Gena Hall, was one of the founders of WithIt and she introduced me to the organization. It is a great group to be involved with since it offers the opportunity to network and add to my connections as well as to receive support. Whether it’s the educational seminars at market, the annual conference or volunteering on the board it’s both great to give back but also valuable to gain experience and learn from others in the industry. I am proud to have served on the WithIt board and I continue to be a huge advocate. I believe that with organizations like WithIt you get out of it what you put into it, so it was always very fulfilling. There are so many ways to get involved so I would encourage anyone to join.

You won the WithIt Mentoring award a few years back. Why do you believe mentoring is so important for people in this industry?

I believe mentoring is important for everyone. Throughout my career, looking back, I had so many mentors. Whether it was a high school teacher or an influential college professor or one of my first bosses, they all had an impact. Whether it’s a formal mentoring program or just seeking out advice – both are important. I’ve been lucky to have great mentors at Andmore that have helped guide to learn more about this side of the business. We all like to think that we are self-aware, but many times it’s so very helpful to get feedback from others around you on ways to improve or on things that you already do well. Others can help you see the unique value that you bring to the organization. I try to pay it forward whenever I can. I love the times that I’ve participated in WithIt’s student mentoring day at the fall High Point Market. I’ve shared my own journey and tried to be very transparent about the things I’ve learned. One of the most important things to learn early on is that your career journey most likely will not be linear.

What is your leadership style?

I recently reached out to my team to ask them this and some of the responses I received are very humbling. Many used words like collaborative, resilient, accountable and transparent. One team member said my management style fosters personal growth and development. Another felt that I emboldened the team to share ideas and problem solve to achieve departmental and company goals. Others said that I empower and uplift each team member to make decisions, experiment and try new ways of doing things.  One of the things about being a leader is that I strive to continually learn from others as well. I learn from conversations and questions from students and my team members. I can’t overstate the importance of continual learning and personal development.

Are you a leaper or a planner?

I would say that I’m a planner and a hopper. I am definitely a planner at work and in my personal life. But I also like to test and try new things. I encourage my team to do that, too. They’re not necessarily big leaps, but I would say that’s where the hopping comes into play. Like if there’s something we can test and measure, let’s try it. Or let’s try a new process for something and see how it goes.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

Well, I am of course proud of all of my work accomplishments. But the thing I am most proud of is being an active and involved member of my family. I think often about the best way to find balance in life and sometimes, if I’m being honest, work gets the best of me. I prioritize creating the work budget, and my personal budget takes a backseat. I remember last year at the conference Dorothy Belshaw talked about balance. She said whatever you are doing, you need to be 100% there.  So, I make sure to block time in the year to spend with my family, to volunteer and to carve out time for my own interests. It is important to have those creative outlets that enable you to feel fulfilled all around.

Fun questions:

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Florida on the Gulf Coast near Tampa/Clearwater. I grew up with the Intracoastal Waterway at the end of my street. Growing up near the water was amazing. I am definitely a water baby and I try to get to the beach as much as possible.

How did you earn your first paycheck?

I earned my first official paycheck working retail. As a teen, I started working at Target on Black Friday. I can remember tidying up the toy section and lining up Barbie boxes. I worked a lot of retail before graduating from college.

What is something you wish you could do better?

I am constantly striving to balance how and where I spend my time and to prioritize what is important in life.

What is the most interesting place your job has taken you?

I would say my two favorite work trips have been to Berlin and Tokyo.

What are you currently reading or streaming? Do you have a favorite podcast?

Since we are surrounded by noise all day, I like to be silent and reflect on the day and problem solve or talk to family in the evenings and on weekends. When I do read, it’s usually like a really light beach read. I like to read stories that are totally different from where I spend most of my time.