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American Home Furnishings Hall Of Fame Foundation Induction Celebration Announces Five Celebrity Presenters.

Furniture World News Desk on 10/11/2016


        
Johnny Bench, Thom Filicia, Kathy Irleland Jane Seymour and Donny Osmond

The 28th annual American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation Induction Celebration announced that on Oct. 23 during the Fall High Point Market, Johnny Bench, Thom Filicia, Kathy Ireland, Donny Osmond and Jane Seymour will participate as presenters of the Affie Award to this year’s five inductees.

Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and two-time World Series champion Johnny Bench will start off the induction honors. When asked by Michael Amini, Foundation board chair, to attend, Bench readily agreed. “Being named to any Hall of Fame is an enormous achievement,” Bench said, “and it’s gratifying to play a role in showing these individuals the respect that they have earned from their peers.”

Thom Filicia, TV personality, author and celebrated designer, will make his first appearance at the induction celebration. “As someone who has had a diverse experience in this industry, from high-end interior design to television makeovers, publishing books, designing products and even opening my own to-the-trade showroom, this is my first time attending the Furniture Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. I’m honored to attend this year’s ceremony and look forward to presenting an award.”

Filicia is the creative force behind the Thom Filicia Home Collection, including furniture, rugs, curtain hardware, artwork, pillows, throws, fabrics and trimmings, through collaborations that include licensing agreements with Kravet, Soicher Marin, Safavieh and Vanguard Furniture.

Also presenting will be model-turned-licensing-mogul Kathy Ireland, who was recently named to the Forbes 2016 list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women. “I’m honored to again take part in the Hall of Fame Induction Celebration,” said Ireland. “Everyone in this business owes a debt of gratitude to those who came before us and laid the foundation on which this global industry has been built.”

Kathy Ireland is chairman and CEO of kathy ireland Worldwide, a design and marketing company that licenses her name to more than 17,000 products including Nourison, Pacific Coast Lighting, American Family Insurance, Martin Furniture, Bush Furniture, A and B Home, Lenox Gorham, Modern Living Television, Sandbox Properties, Madison Industries, Blue Ridge Textiles, East West Basics and Worldwise.

Award-winning actress, author, artist and designer Jane Seymour will return for her third year as a presenter, at the home furnishing industry’s preeminent event. “Last year was such an inspiring evening, and I’m certain the stories that we hear about the new inductees will be equally moving and impressive. It’s an honor to be asked and a pleasure to participate,” said Seymour.

Seymour launched her lifestyle furnishings brand in 2004, partnering with AICO as the Michael Amini & Jane Seymour, A Design Collaboration. Her other home furnishings products include licensed lighting for StyleCraft Home, custom framing for Fotiou, and the Jane Seymour line of fine art and botanicals.

Entertainment icon Donny Osmond and the signature performer of the Induction Celebration, has licensed collections as the Donny Osmond Home by Debbie and Donny Osmond brand with Coaster Fine Furniture, and others.

“I said ‘yes’ the instant that Michael Amini approached me, without hesitation,” Osmond said. “This is a wonderful opportunity to support the home furnishings industry and quite frankly, to rub shoulders with amazing leaders. I know that I will walk away inspired by an industry that I have come to love.”

“It is going to be an amazing evening, in part because of the celebrity presenters that have so freely given of their time to us,” said Michael Amini, president of the Foundation’s board of directors. “We are honoring our legends with other stars that recognize the significance of the Hall of Fame and of the evening to the industry. They each add to the celebration and we appreciation their generosity.”

The Oct. 23 event, which will be held at the Sheraton Greensboro Four Seasons, marks the formal induction of five industry leaders into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame. Joining the current 103 Hall of Fame members are John Bray, chairman and CEO of Vanguard Furniture; Robert B. Currey, founder of Storehouse Inc. and Currey & Company; Art DeFehr, chairman of Palliser Furniture Holdings Ltd.; Richard Frinier, award-winning designer and principal and creative director of the Richard Frinier Design Studio; and Robert Ching Wo, chairman of C.S. Wo & Sons.

Sponsors of the 2016 Hall of Fame Induction Celebration are:  Presenting Sponsor is Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc.; Tell Us Your Story Sponsor is Surya; Celebration Sponsors include The Lacquer Craft Companies and Markor Companies; the Entertainment Sponsor is Nourison Industries and the Cocktail Sponsor is International Market Centers. Platinum Sponsors include AICO/Amini Innovation Corp.; Art Van Furniture, Inc.; Berkshire Hathaway Furniture Companies; Casana Furniture; Coaster Fine Furniture; FurnitureDealer.net; Global Views; Heritage Home Group; JBS Couros; La-Z-Boy Inc.; Leggett & Platt Inc.; Prestige Arts; and Wayfair Inc. Gold Sponsors include Culp, Inc.; FEI Marketing; Home Furnishings of New Jersey; Hooker Furniture; Klaussner Home Furnishings; Moe’s Home Collection; Planned Furniture Promotions; Palliser Furniture LTD; Protect-A-Bed; Regency Furniture; Richloom Fabrics Group; Sauder Woodworking Co.; Steinreich Communications; Tempur Sealy International Inc.; and Zenith Global Logistics.  Silver Sponsors include Bernhardt; Broyhill Family Foundation, Inc.; Christopher Guy; City Furniture; City of Hope; Comfort Revolution; Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery; Customatic Adjustable Bedz; Dimplex North America; El Dorado Furniture; Emerald Home; Fairmont Designs; Flexsteel Industries, Inc.; Franklin Corporation; Furnitureland South; Grand Home Furnishings; Great American Furniture Services; Haverty Furniture Companies; Hickory Furniture Mart; Hickory Springs Manufacturing Co.; Karastan Rugs; L. & J.G. Stickley Furniture, Inc.; Lexington Home Brands; Lifestyle Enterprises, Inc.; Loloi Rugs; Malouf; Raymour and Flanigan Furniture; Rooms To Go; and Therapedic International.

Tickets for this year’s American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Induction Celebration are priced at $250 per ticket for members ($2,500 for a table of 10) and $300 per ticket for non-members ($3,000 for a table of 10). For more information about the celebration, to purchase tickets or to become a sponsor, visit the event’s website at www.CatchtheSpirit2016.com.


More about The American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation:  The American Home Furnishings 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. home furnishings industry, as well as to research, collect and preserve our cultural, economic and artistic history. Membership includes eligibility to nominate candidates for consideration by the Selection Committee, and the opportunity to help preserve the history and heritage of the industry. The organization is based in High Point, North Carolina, at 202 Neal Place, and can be reached at 336.882.5900.