Susie Coelho to Headline 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame Banquet

Furniture World Magazine

TV personality, author and home furnishings guru Susie Coelho will host the 20th Anniversary American Furniture Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on October 21, 2008 at the High Point Market. “I am honored to host this memorable event to celebrate the accomplishments of the visionaries in one of the premier industries in America,” she says. “As a fellow member of this industry I have a deep appreciation for its rich history and I am thrilled to play a key role in this special evening.” As a lifestyle expert, Coelho is a leader in home styling and design, with over 1,500 products in bedding, bath, tabletop, seasonal home decor, luggage, and occasional furniture. She is a proven success at retail with exclusive licensing programs with Mervyns, QVC and recently her new line, Susie Coelho Signature™ with the successful catalog Grandin Road. As a television veteran of 25 years she has hosted two series’ on HGTV and was also a contributor on the "Today" show and "The View,” among others. She is also a bestselling author, having just released her fourth book, Style Your Dream Wedding, and has been a spokesperson for many corporations including Bank of America, eBay, Betty Crocker, Maxwell House, Glade and Vanity Fair Napkins. Honorees are the industry leaders who comprise this year’s roster of candidates: Alfred J. Audi, Wogan S. Badcock Jr., Howard G. Haas, Simon Kaplan, K. Bruce Lauritsen, Pasquale Natuzzi and Adrian M. Pearsall. Those who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame will be announced during the banquet. “We are thrilled to honor each of these industry pacesetters at our 20th anniversary induction banquet,” says Donald Belgrad, AFHF president. “Each of the nominees has made extraordinary contributions to the home furnishings industry. We are deeply grateful and delighted to highlight their accomplishments.” The slate of candidates was selected from nominations by AFHF members. To make a nomination, members submitted a biography of 500 words or less that included detailed information about the nominee’s professional achievements, personal standards and civic involvement. Each nomination was then seconded in writing by another AFHF member. The voting period began July 1 and ended July 31. The celebration, which culminates with the announcement of new inductees, begins with cocktails at 6:00 p.m., followed by the gala dinner at 7:00 p.m. It will be held in the International Home Furnishings Center ballroom. Banquet tickets are $95 each, and the reservation deadline is October 8. To make a reservation, mail your check with the names of all guests, made payable to the American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, to AFHF, 202 Neal Place, High Point, NC 27262. New inductees in 2007 – George B. Cartledge, Sr., O. William Fenn, Jr. and Felix E. Wright – will be presented with a bronze plaque in the Walk of Fame on Wednesday, October 22, at the Main Street entrance of Furniture Plaza. Established in October of 2001, the Walk of Fame honors American Furniture Hall Of Fame Members with bronze plaques inlaid permanently in the sidewalk entrance that welcome visitors to each furniture market in High Point. The American Furniture Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. is an international, industry-wide organization founded to honor those individuals whose outstanding achievements have contributed to the continued growth and development of the U.S. furniture industry, as well as to research, collect and preserve our cultural, economic and artistic history. Membership includes eligibility to vote for inductees into the American Furniture Hall of Fame, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. The organization is based in High Point at 202 Neal Place, and can be reached at 336.882.5900.