To-The-Trade-S3E03-Inside DPHA, Roundtables That Build Real Trust with Phil Hotarek

In this To-The-Trade episode, Laurie Laizure interviews Phil Hotarek, a plumbing/HVAC contractor and decorative showroom owner in San Francisco who also leads the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA). Phil explains DPHA’s role in connecting brands, independent reps, and showrooms through a hotel-based showcase that prioritizes time, access, and real conversation, along with education and ongoing resources to better support designers and specifiers.Laurie highlights DPHA’s roundtable model as a standout: manufacturers, reps, showroom owners, and designers in the same room with a moderator, topics submitted in advance, and a private environment where people can talk honestly about real problems. They reference conversations around tariffs and the shifting economy, and Phil shares that DPHA built this structure by listening closely to annual survey feedback and expanding interactive programming, including webinars, because members wanted more meaningful engagement than passive booth traffic.The episode turns practical quickly. On pricing volatility, they discuss transparency strategies, including how tariffs might be presented to clients, and Phil emphasizes that surprises erode trust. He encourages a more decisive selection phase when pricing can change rapidly. They also discuss growing pressure on manufacturers to be clearer about where products are truly made versus assembled, because that detail matters for both credibility and storytelling.On follow-up and relationship-building, Laurie notes designers’ inbox overload and suggests tactics that respect time and bandwidth: QR codes instead of stacks of lookbooks, sensible sampling (often one per firm), and social-media DMs that continue the conversation after the show. They also explore the importance of product stories that help designers explain value to clients and position boutique decorative brands as intentional choices rather than commodities.Phil closes with a growth goal: reaching 100 designer attendees at the 2026 showcase in Salt Lake City. Laurie shares outreach strategies that could help achieve it.