ASID Illinois Chapter Annouces February Design Summit At Merchandise Mart

Furniture World News

The American Society of Interior Designers - Illinois Chapter (ASID-IL) announced the lineup for its Design Summit 2007, an annual, one-day conference and exposition at The Merchandise Mart Design Center in Chicago. Following another successful event last year, the ASID-IL Chapter's Design Summit will be held Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on the 8th floor of The Merchandise Mart. "Design Summit is meant to be a local showcase of our Illinois-based Industry Partners and a venue for interior design professionals to get out of the office for a day to network with their peers, pick up a few CEU credits and stay current on trends to enhance their professional skills," said Joyal E. Watkins, Jr., 2006-07 ASID-IL chapter president. "It's our goal to continue to promote the Design Summit as a forum for knowledge-sharing." Open to all designers, students and vendors in the interior design industry, Design Summit 2007 features inspirational speakers, career-building, networking, educational sessions to enhance specialized skills and interaction with design industry resource professionals. KEYNOTE SPEAKERS This year's Design Summit keynote speakers are Joan Gaulden, FASID, of Education-Works (morning keynote); and Colene S. Joiner, ASID, IIDA, of Joiner Partnership, Inc., and Cheryl P. Donaho, FASID, RID, of Innovations (luncheon keynote). From 8-9 a.m., Gaulden will be presenting "Designers Online: How Interior Designers Use the Web." A fellow of ASID and an award-winning designer, Gaulden was president of her own firm, Joan Gaulden Interiors in Greenville, S.C. for more than 30 years. Learning in the early '90s that to remain competitive she would have to embrace technology and make it work for her, she became an early advocate of Internet usage. She has lectured extensively about the power of the Internet throughout the country, and will bring her message to Chicago's design community at the Design Summit. She is currently an instructor with Dallas-based Education-Works, a consultant with her former design firm and co-founder of designerEsources.com, an electronic resource and work center for designers. From 12:30-1:30 p.m., Joiner and Donaho will be presenting "Extreme Makeover for Your Business." Designers will learn how to refresh, renew and re-energize their businesses. Comfortable with what has worked for a long time, some sole practitioner designers may not be aware of innovations in equipment, technology and know-how that can support the business side of design. Sample topics to be covered include: new filing systems to handle details designers face; new and updated computer programs; branding methodologies; advantages of partnering and collaborating with other designers and design professionals; and innovative marketing concepts for service businesses. These topics will be addressed by veteran designers Colene S. Joiner and Cheryl P. Donaho. Joiner has been practicing design for 29 years, focusing on commercial interior design. She is in a partnership with her architect-husband, and their firm -- Joiner Partnership, Inc. -- specializes in educational and institutional design. Donaho has been practicing for 35 years, primarily in residential design. She is the owner of her own firm, Innovations. CEU SESSIONS In addition to the keynote addresses, Design Summit presents six professional educational sessions, all CEU-accredited. Two seminars each will take place at the following times: from 10-11 a.m., from 11:30 a.m.-noon, and from 2-3 p.m. EXPO: DEMONSTRATIONS Vendors will showcase their latest products and a number of them will host demonstrations in their booths throughout the day. The 2007 Design Summit showcases design industry product and service resources, which seasoned designers and emerging talent will not want to miss. For a complete listing of Design Summit vendors, please visit www.asidillinois.com the first week of February. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the Expo floor and Summit running from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The Design Summit cost is $50 for designers (includes seminars, lunch, Expo) and $25 students (includes seminars, lunch, Expo). There is no charge to visit the Expo only. For more information about the ASID-IL Chapter Design Summit 2007, please visit www.asidillinois.com, or call the ASID Illinois Chapter headquarters at 312-467-5080. ABOUT ASID: The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the oldest and largest professional organization for interior designs. It is a community of people-designers, industry representatives, educators and students committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge-sharing, advocacy, community-building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people's lives. Its more than 36,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 49 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. ASID interior designers specialize in a wide range of areas. In the commercial sector, its members provide design and consulting services to the office, health care, institutional, hospitality and retail environments. In the residential field, its members provide services ranging from space planning to home office design to customizing a home to meet specific client needs. The American Society of Interior Designers - Illinois Chapter (ASID-IL) is a non-profit professional association representing the interests of more than 1,600 Illinois interior designers, students and design industry partner members. Its vision is to be the voice of design in Illinois and to provide information through quality, timely communications, to educate its members and clients, and to expand and to support market expansion. The Chapter is lead by a volunteer board that includes the Chapter's president, president-elect, 5 directors and a student representative.