2009 Student Expo…Better Than Ever!

by LuAnne Zilka, IIDA Student Affairs Chair

They came by the bus load!  What am I talking about?  Why, the 2009 Student Interior Design Expo that was held at International Market Square on Friday, February 6, 2009, of course.  The weather was a balmy 35 degrees…that’s above zero!  Inside at IMS, the excitement of the day continued to pump up the heat.

Lunch at the Expo

The Student Interior Design Expo is a jammed packed, all day event for interior design students from the upper Midwest.  This year, 417 students and instructors from 22 schools in 7 states converged at IMS to partake in a continental breakfast, speakers, break out sessions, lunch, vendor and career fair and lots of wonderful door prizes.  In addition to the students, 204 interior design industry professionals participated as speakers, vendor and career fair, interior design studio and showroom tours, and other volunteers.

After sign in and continental breakfast, the students listened to keynote speaker, Grace McNamara, President of Grace McNamara Inc.  Grace gave a very personal presentation on her interior design experiences as how it relates to the window treatment area, marketing yourself, selling to clients and the importance of relationships.  Grace has learned that people will buy from you because you have a quality product, but also because they like you.  If they don’t like you, don’t expect them to buy your product. She also suggests that it is much easier to keep current clients than to find new ones.  Build on current business relationships to make them even stronger.  It is also okay to fail but never give up!  Every time you come out of a difficult situation, you will learn from this and be stronger because of it. 

After these words of wisdom from Grace, the students were onto their choice of two breakout sessions which included:

• Accessible Design by Jane Hampton, President of Accessibility Design, Inc.
• Bath Design by Stephanie Ellias, General Manager of IMS Waterworks Showroom
• Bath Design by Arlynne Wolf, Faculty of Kitchen and Bath Design - Century College
• Color Trends by Bruce Knott, Director WFCP/Media Relations - Grace McNamara, Inc.
• Commercial Design by Kim Williamson, Ellerbe Becket, Inc.
• Creative Marketing for Today’s World by Skip Anderson, Founder - Selling to Consumers Sales Training
• Ethics & Business Practices for Interior Design by Pamela Enz, Stabeck Sales and Marketing, Adjunct Faculty - University of Minnesota
• Industry Trends by Nick Nelson, Architect and Design Specialist - Formica Corp.
• Kitchen Design by Roger Zierman, Designer Partners 4 Design
• Kitchen Design by Susan Palmquist and Sarah Michalowski, Sawhill Custom Kitchen & Designs Inc.
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by A. J. Paron-Wildes, LEED AP, Architectural & Design Representative – Allsteel
• Residential Design by Ann Feldstein, Director of Marketing - Kravet

After lunching with designers, the students had a chance to visit the career and vendor fair.  There they had a chance to talk to those in the industry about their product, experiences, and future job opportunities.

The Interior Design Expo is volunteerism at its best!  The event is organized and sponsored by the Minnesota chapters of ASID, IFDA, IIDA and International Market Square.  All of the speakers, showroom and design tours, lunch volunteers, committee members, vendor and career representatives, 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!  Next years event will also take place in February 2010 and we hope to see you all there.

THANK YOU to the following sponsors, vendors, donors of products and door prizes, and showroom / design studio open houses:

Sponsors

Silver Level –
Engler Skogmo Interior Design

Bronze Level –
KKE Architects
Valcucine

Vendor Tables

Antron Carpet Fiber, ArcCom Fabrics, Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Systems, Bellacor.com, Benjamin Moore & Co., California Closets, Concrete Arts, Designtex, DL Couch Wallcovering, Great Reflections, Henricksen + Allsteel, Herman Miller, Home Valu Interiors, Innovative Furniture Solutions, Innovative Surfaces, Interior Resource, Inc., Intersource, Inc., Kate-Lo Tile & Stone, Kimball Office, Kohler and Kallista, LEAR and Associates, Lees Carpets, LG Surfaces, Lon Musolf Distributing, Lou Reid & Associates, Minnesota’s Finest Cleaning Co., Murals Your Way, National Wallcovering, NCS Corporation, Painted Ambiance, Quartz Surfaces, RBC Tile & Stone, S & T Office Interiors Group, Scuffmaster Paint, Steelcase Inc., Sun Control of Minnesota Inc., Terrazzo & Marble Supply, USG Building Systems, Walnut Bay, The Wells Associates, and Wilsonart International

Career Tables

Becker Furniture World, Gabberts, HOM Furniture, Pope Associates Inc., RSP Architects, Target Commercial Interiors

Membership Information Tables

ASID, IFDA, IIDA, NEWH, NKBA

Donors of Products and Door Prizes

Ambiante LTD., Amsum & Ash, Artemide Inc., Aubry Angelo, Baker Knapp & Tubbs, Bellaqcor.com, Design Professionals, DL Couch Wallcovering, Duxbury, Fluid Interiors, Great Reflections, Hamilton House IV, Hampton Row, Helen Fraser & Associates, H. I. Gallery, Hi Line, Hoffsommer & Russ, Holly Hunt, IIDA, Innovative Furniture Solutions, Knoll Textiles, Kravet, LEAR and Associates, LG Surfaces, Lee Jofa, Loring Interiors, Midwest Home Magazine, Midwest Plant Works Inc., Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, Pindler & Pindler, Rochford Upholstery, Sayre-Strand Inc., Scherping Westphal, Schumacher, Valcucine, Waterworks, Weskuske, Zacery

Open House Showrooms / Design Studios at IMS

Ambiante Ltd, Artemide Inc., Baker Knapp & Tubbs, Casual Contract, Ceramic Tileworks, Contract Flooring, D & D Associates, Design Professionals, Duxbury, Fantasia Showrooms, Hampton Row, Hoffsommer & Russ, Holly Hunt, Knoll Inc., Kravet, Lee Jofa, Sawhill Custom Kitchens & Design, Scherping Westphal, Schumacher, Stark Carpet, Unique By Design, Valcucine, Waterworks

Alex Tech instructors and student

Becker Furniture World

Students at a showroom break out session

Student Expo committee members

Home Valu table

Keynote Grace McNamara

Lear and Associates vendor table           

Students with gift bags

Showroom open house

Skip Anderson, break out session

Students and gift bags

Students and gift bags

Students at breakfast           

Expo volunteers at check in

Info on Student Expo 2008

Info on Student Expo 2007