Las Vegas Market Partners With IFDA For Educational Summit

Furniture World News Desk on 4/19/2018

Las Vegas Market recently announced that it will host the second annual DesignEDGE design industry summit produced by the IFDA Education Foundation, an extension of the International Furnishings and Design Association, on Sunday, July 29, 2018. This marks Las Vegas Market’s second year as the DesignEDGE keynote sponsor and the first year as host of the event, which will be held on opening day of the Summer 2018 Las Vegas Market running July 29 to August 2, 2018.

“Las Vegas Market recognizes and supports the vital role that IFDA plays throughout the furnishings and design industry, and we are pleased to continue our partnership with the IFDA Educational Foundation for its DesignEDGE conference,” said Karen Olson, senior vice president marketing, International Market Centers. “This exciting event provides a great educational and networking opportunity, and serves as a stimulating kickoff to the broader Las Vegas Market experience for Summer Market attendees. As the leading furniture, home decor and gift destination in the western United States, Las Vegas Market is committed to providing the industry with an expansive menu of continuing education and growth options.”

DesignEDGE is a regional industry summit started by the IFDA Educational Foundation (IFDA-EF) with the goal “to inspire designers with ‘the edge of new possibilities’ and explore ideas and directions that can expand their business and grow revenue,” said Dr. Wilma Hammett, DesignEDGE chair.

“DesignEDGE is intended to correspond with a major market, making it cost- and time-efficient for designers; they see new products and trends and get a comprehensive professional development opportunity all in the same trip. Las Vegas is the perfect partner and keynote sponsor for DesignEDGE. IFDA-EF and IFDA are thrilled to be collaborating with Las Vegas Market to offer this event at the 2018 Summer Market.”

The DesignEDGE summit is designed to sustain the IFDA Educational Foundation’s mission to foster educational and philanthropic activities to enhance the furnishings and design industries. “Since its inception, IFDA’s mission has been to inspire collaboration within the home furnishings industry, supporting its people, their products and services,” stated Penny Sikalis, IFDA international president. “It’s our philanthropic arm – the Educational Foundation – that’s been in the forefront of industry education, and we're very excited to be partnering with the Las Vegas Market to extend our reach and service the industry at large.”

The DesignEDGE conference kicks-off on Sunday, July 29, 2018, at 10am, with an inspiring address by keynote speaker Nolen Niu, an internationally recognized and award-winning American industrial designer from California who has developed private furniture lines, custom one-of-a-kind pieces, mass production furniture and retail space for corporate, private and celebrity clientele. The pioneering designer’s eponymous firm, Nolen Niu, Inc., opened an upholstery and carpentry production facility in Los Angeles in 2011, thereby becoming one of the few American furniture design firms to be completely vertically integrated with the ability to competitively design as well as manufacture products in America.

The educational summit will include an introductory “sneak peak” at the exciting new products, trends and not-to-be-missed things to see and do at the Summer 2018 Las Vegas Market. Also, on tap is a special afternoon panel discussion moderated by Nick May, creator of The Chaise Lounge Podcast, which was the first podcast devoted exclusively to interior design, now downloaded in more than 100 countries. The panel discussion will feature high-profile designers, manufacturers and licensing experts sharing insights and strategies on taking design ideas, from “creation to consumer” and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Registration for the 2018 DesignEDGE conference will open April 20. For more information, visit http://www.ifdaef.org/designedge. Registration for Las Vegas Market is available online at https://www.xpressreg.net/register/LVMS0718/start.asp

More about the IFDA: The International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA) welcomes members from every facet of the furnishings and design industry. Members are executives and companies professionally engaged in the design, production, distribution, promotion, communication or education in the furnishings and design and/or related industries. For more information, visit www.ifda.com

IFDA Educational Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501c (3) organization, raising and distributing funds to foster educational activities, as well as, related charitable endeavors to enhance the furnishings and design industries. For more information, visit www.ifdaef.org.

More about Las Vegas Market: Las Vegas Market is the nation’s fastest growing gift and home décor market and the leading furniture marketplace in the western U.S., presenting 4,000+ gift, home décor and furniture resources in an unrivaled market destination. Las Vegas Market features thousands of gift, furniture and home décor lines, allowing for cross-category commerce among these industries. The Winter 2018 Las Vegas Market runs January 28 to February 1, 2018. For more information, visit www.lasvegasmarket.com.

More about International Market Centers, L.P.: Las Vegas Market is produced by International Market Centers, L.P. (IMC), the world’s largest operator of premier showroom space for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. International Market Centers owns and operates 12.2 million square feet of world-class exhibition space in High Point, N.C. and Las Vegas. IMC’s mission is to build and operate an innovative, sustainable, profitable and scalable platform for the furnishings, home décor and gift industries. For more information on IMC, visit http://imcenters.com/.