Student Interior Design Expo 2007

Excitement at the Expo!

By LuAnne Zilka, Associate Director

The 8th annual ASID / IFDA / IIDA Interior Design Expo held at International Market Square on Friday, February 9 was an exciting time for all!  The Student Interior Design Expo is a fun filled, all-day informational and educational event for students, educators, design professionals and industry colleagues.  This year, we reached record attendance of 484 students and educators from 22 schools in seven states. Our total registration was over 700– the largest in our eight year history!

Students started off the day to a tasty continental breakfast while taking in advice on residential design from keynote speaker, Billy Beson from Beson Kading Interior Design Group. 

Then it was off to a variety of breakout sessions which included MIDLAC/NCIDQ, residential design by Brandi & Jeremy Hagen from Eminent Interior Design, residential design by Linda Engler & Talla Skogmo of Engler Skogmo and period styles/restoration by David Heide of David Heide Design Studio.  Chadd Dunn from Steelcase spoke on commercial office design and Diedre Jones from Horty Elving & Associates shared her expertiece on health care design.   Working in the design/build field was a breakout session that Catherine Harrington from Waldenwood presented to the students.  Several professionals gave presentations on showroom ownership/management which included Alison Berry from F. Schumacher, Helen Fraser from Helen Fraser & Associates, Brenda Scherping from Scherping Westphal and Penny Amrani from Baker Knapp & Tubbs.  The ever popular kitchen and bath design was brought to us by David Washburn from Valcucine and lighting design was presented by Ian Shaw from Color Kinetics.  Carolyn Olson gave an informative session on “How to use International Market Square”, and Hope Rajacich from Pottery Barn shared with the students her knowledge of retail interior design.  There was even an educator’s roundtable discussion for instructors only!

At lunch, students had the opportunity to dine with design professionals and ask away about their varied careers and experiences in the industry.  After lunch, there was a vendor and career fair for the students to partake in.  This year, there were 35 industry vendors and 15 career firms that participated.  Students also received valuable information at the ASID, IFDA, IIDA, and NEWH tables on the advantages and importance of student membership in a design organization.  Many of the showrooms at IMS were also open during the day handing out free samples and giving tours to the excited students.

One of the many highlights of the day occurred when Scott Hierlinger from Nelson, Rik Lalim from Acorn Woodworks and Melissa Jancourt from RSP Architects shared their experiences on a panel discussion on “How to Get a Job”.  This was practical and useful advice from industry leaders that I am sure students will remember when job searching.

The Interior Design Expo is volunteerism at its best!  All of the speakers, showroom and design tours, lunch volunteers, committee members, vendor fair representatives, career information folks, and membership table representatives volunteered their time and talents.  Many IIDA members also volunteered their time to make this day such a success.  A special thank you goes out to all of you!  Set your sights on the 9th Interior Design Expo next year in February.

THANK YOU to the following Sponsors, Vendors, and Donors of products and door prizes:

Sponsors

Silver Level-KKE Architects

Bronze Level-G. Maxwell Collection, Home Valu Interiors, Lear and Associates, Rochford Upholstery Ltd., Studio Hive Inc.

Vendor Tables

Accent Precision, Allsteel, ArmCom Distributing Co., Bellacor.com, Benjamin Moore Paint, Bob’s Binding & Serging Inc., Cort Business Services, D. L. Couch Wallcovering, Designtex, Fluid Interiors, Hirshfield’s Design Studio, HOM World Rugs, Innovative Furniture Solutions, Jaeckle Distributors, Kate-Lo Tile & Stone, Kimball Office, Lee’s Carpets, Lon Musolf Distributing Inc., Mannington Resilient, Marguerite Howe’s Custom Interior Sewing, MDC Wallcoverings, Patcraft Carpet, Plato Custom Concepts Inc., RBC Tile & Stone, Rubble Tile, Scherping Westphal, Shea Inc., Steelcase Inc., The Office Interiors Group of S & T, Tonka Specialties, Tools of the Trade LLC, USG Building Systems, Wilsonart International, Winsor Assoicates, Youngblood Lumber

Career Information Tables

BWBR Architects, Ellerbe Becket Inc., Ethan Allen, Gabberts Design Studio, General Office Products, Henricksen, HGA Inc., HOM Furniture, Macy’s Furniture Gallery, Martha O’Hara Interiors Inc., Nelson, Premium Stoneworks Inc., Prime Staff Inc., Pulse Products, Wold Architects and Engineers

Membership Information Tables

ASID, IFDA, IIDA, NEWH

Donors of Products and Door Prizes

Ambiante Ltd., Art Materials LLC, Baker Knapp & Tubbs, Benjamin Moore Paint, Brunshwig & Fils, Casual Contract, D & D Associates, Design Professionals Inc., Ethan Allen, Fiber-Seal, Fine Lines, Francis King Ltd., General Office Products, Hampton Row Inc., HC Homecrest, Hoffsommer & Russ, Holly Hunt, HOM Furniture and HOM World Rugs, Innovative Furniture Solutions, Jaeckle Distributors, KDR, Kimball Office, KKE Architects, Kravet, Lear-and-Associates, Lee Jofa, Lon Musolf Distributing, Marguerite Howe’s Custom Interior Sewing, Pindler & Pindler Inc., Premium Stoneworks, Sakstrup Assoicates Inc., Samsung, Sayre-Strand Inc., Stark Carpet Corporation, Steelcase Inc., Stool Store, Tonka Specialties, Tools of the Trade LLC, Wells Fargo, Zachary