WITHIT SCHEDULE
OF EVENTS
| Las Vegas/West Region
Monday, August 2nd
3pm - 4:30pm, Bldg B 16th floor, Club 16 (1 hr
presentation with reception following)
WithIt
Presents: "Meet the Minds in Luxury Residential Interiors"
What's
successful now in luxury residential interior design, challenges &
responsibilities, and what's coming next.
RSVP: www.withit.org
Monday, August 2nd 5pm-till
Phillips Collection A202
NETWORK
MIXER
Sponsored by Phillips Collection
Tuesday, August 3rd 2:30-5:30pm
WithIt & Van Cleef & Arpels Present
Luxury Champagne Tour: CityCenter Art &
Architecture
TOUR SCHEDULE:
2:30pm Meet in WMCLV
transporatation hub in the first bus stall, board
luxury coach.
3pm Arrive CityCenter, escorted to Van Cleef & Arpels, champagne & hors
d'oeuvres.
3:30-5pm Tour, guided by CityCenter representatives.
5pm Board luxury coach for return to WMCLV, or stay for reception at
CityCenter.
Sponsored by
WMCLV, WithIt, Van Cleef & Arpels.
Free to registered market attendees.
RSVP: www.withit.org
WithIt Professional Conference
Tuesday-Thursday August 17-19th
Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel
Charlotte, NC
Register!
WOW Awards Dinner
Wednesday, August 18th
6:30pm-9:00pm
For more information and to www.withit.org.
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
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A Special Welcome to New Corporate Member:
Company C
Angela Anderson
Home Meridian
High Point, NC
Jill Anderson
Design for the Home, Inc.
Lexington, NC
Julie Bova
Julie Bova Interior Design
Indianapolis, IN
Marybeth Ferrer
Company C
Concord, NH
Janine Finkle
Design Research
Lawrenceville, NJ
Gabrielle Galardo
Elite Leather
Chino, CA
Wanda Horton
Interior Concepts by Wanda S. Horton
Monroe, NC
Nicole Nachazel
Cargill, Inc.
Wayzata, MN
Kaci Prunty
Tempur-Pedic
Lexington, KY
Julie Rigby
Tempur-Pedic
Lexington, KY
Kristine Scotto
Company C
Concord, NH
Jane Zaslaw
Company C
Concord, NH
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WITHIT SPONSORS
| 220 Elm
Adesso, Inc.
AF Lighting
American Home Furnishings Alliance
American Leather
AmericasMart, Atlanta
BDI
BioH®/Cargill
Broyhill Furniture Industries
Circle Furniture
Company C
Country Living Magazine
CRYSTALLIZED® - Swarovski Elements
Cohen Tauber Spievack & Wagner, P.C.
Cutters Productions
Dallas Market Center
DeLeo Textiles
Dovetail Alliance Inc.
Ekornes
Emdee International
Four Hands
Frinier LLC
Furniture Brands International
FurnitureDealer.net
Furniture/Today magazine
Gefen Productions
Geographics Inc.
HB2 Resources
Hickory Chair
Home Furnishings Business
Hometex/Dreamfit
Human Touch
IHFC
Info Retail
Jeff Cook
Jena Hall
Judy George Int'l
Kassie Smith Lifestyle Group
Leggett & Platt, Inc.
Lexington Home Brands
Loeffler Ketchum Mountjoy
Mackenzie Rae LLC
Melissa Galt Inc.
Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., High Point
Natuzzi Americas, Inc.
Palliser
P.D. Design Studio Ltd.
Phillips Collection
Planned Furniture Promotions, Inc.
PROFITsystems, Inc.
Rowe Fine Furniture
Safavieh Home Furnishings
Sligh Furniture Company
Smith Leonard PLLC
South of Seventh Avenue/Dress Code
Stanley Furniture Company, Inc.
Starmount Home Furnishings/Nautica
Sunbrella
Sustainable Furnishings Council
The Media Matters, Inc.
Theodore Alexander USA
Thomasville Home Furnishings of NJ
Tomlinson Erwin-Lambeth Directional Carter
Ultrasuede
ViewIt Technologies
Wheby Associates
WhipSmart Creative, Inc.
World Market Center Las Vegas
Wray Ward
Wright of Thomasville
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Join Our List
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NATIONAL EVENTS
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 WithIt Investigates High-End Design Trends
An excitable economy can greatly influence consumer
spending, but how are today's challenging times affecting the luxury goods
and services market? No price point or demographic is immune to hardship,
according to Kay Lang, president and CEO of Kay Lang & Assoc. in Los
Angeles.
Lang will speak during Las Vegas Market at a
WithIt-sponsored panel, "Meet the Minds in Luxury Residential Interiors." She
and her peers will investigate what's happening to high-end price points and how interior designers are responding. The free
event will be held Monday, Aug. 2, in World Market Center Las Vegas Building B,
16th Floor, One Six Club.
Lang is an internationally recognized designer for 5-star
luxury residential properties worldwide, including CityCenter's Mandarin
Oriental luxury residences and Ritz Carlton residential properties. Here, she
discusses the economy, opportunities and new directions with WithIt's Vice
President-Media, Julie Smith Vincenti.
What's happening in
luxury residential design against the backdrop of today's economy and real
estate market realities?
Lang: Many developers of new luxury
residential complexes are stalled for the moment, but they are continuing their
plans for future developments to the extent they can without major institutional
backing. So, for the time being, they can work on their design vision by
focusing on marketing collateral production and developing pricing plans.
Owners will be in a much better position when they do pull the trigger, if they
develop schematic design work with a qualified design consultant. Their fingers
are on the "go" button, but the owners can't press it ... yet.
But isn't the luxury market often immune
to the same hardships as lower priced goods and services?
Lang: The luxury market is in fact the hardest hit by this economic
downturn. Luxury is a tough sell these days, and only the best, well-heeled
businesses in the industry will survive this downturn. But we can all be buoyed
by the fact that once the economy turns around, history has shown us that the
luxury market will be the first to come roaring back.
Until then, unless the project is entirely self-financed, or municipally or
internationally funded, new domestic properties will have a hard row. Bank
loans for the luxury market are difficult to come by; even funding for low- to
mid-market projects is not always obtainable. The light at the end of the
tunnel is a lot of private equity money is still sitting on the sidelines.
Is "going green" gaining traction at
your firm's price points?
Lang: Owners and developers of projects requiring LEED certification now
insist that proposed budgets remain relatively unaffected by "going green." The
prevailing thought is that comparable green products are now widely available
and can be specified for nearly the same cost as a traditionally manufactured
product. More than ever, clients want budget-conscious green design. They
believe it adds value to their projects.
Any other hot-button issues impacting
the high-end?
Lang: I believe the luxury real estate market, whether it's high-end luxury
residences or 5-star resort hotels, will continue to focus on designs that
integrate the use of technology and social media applications.
According to a recent survey, business and leisure travelers
ranked adjusting travel plans, making dinner reservations and checking into hotels
as three of the top four must-have mobile applications. This tells you exactly
what these road warriors or leisure travelers want from their mobile social
applications: tailored preferences.
So, easily accessible applications that facilitate life
management will become essential to multitasking. A lot of us want to lounge
in luxury while we burn the midnight oil remotely in order to manage our
business and personal lives. This personal customization trend is here to stay,
and it's being fine-tuned every day.
Vice President - West Region Kassie Smith will
lead WithIt's panel discussion, which will feature Lang and peers Jennifer Matthews,
national publisher, LUXE Interiors + Design magazine; Lee Lundquist, designer
at Robb & Stucky, the largest high-end interior design firm and retailer in the United
States; and Leigh Mitchell, vice president of marketing for luxury residential
resort consultant Dahlgren Duck & Assoc. For more information about
WithIt's Las Vegas Market events, visit www.withit.orgor www.lasvegasmarket.com.
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SOCIAL EVENTS
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Peer Bonding
WithIt, along with Phillips Collection, Sustainable Furnishings Council,
American Society of Furniture Designers, Young Home Furnishings Professionals
and Accessories Resources Team, will host a networking event on Aug. 2 during
the Las Vegas Market. The reception will be held in the Phillips Collection
showroom, World Market Center Las Vegas Building A, space 202. Plug in with
your peers from 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m.
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NATIONAL EVENTS
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 An Insider's Look at CityCenter
In additional to WithIt's Las Vegas Market education
program, Regional Vice President - West Region Kassie Smith has organized an
insider's tour of Las Vegas' CityCentre, a 67-acre urban community and world
destination filled with fine art and spectacular architecture.
The event, "Luxury Champagne Tour: CityCenter Art &
Architecture," is sponsored by World Market Center Las Vegas, Van Cleef &
Arpels and WithIt. It will be held Aug. 3, from 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.; registered
Las Vegas Market attendees should meet at the transportation hub, located
outside World Market Center Grand Plaza.
 CityCenter opened December 2009 in Las Vegas. It features properties
designed by an incomparable group of architects, including Pelli Clarke Pelli
Architects, RV Architecture led by Rafael Vinoly, Helmut Jahn, Studio Daniel
Libeskind, Rockwell Group, Kohn Pedersen Fox, Foster + Partners, and Gensler.
CityCenter Fine Art Collection, the first major collection
of contemporary art in Las Vegas to be integrated into public space, features
work by 15 internationally renowned artists including Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer,
Nancy Rubins, Frank Stella, Richard Long, Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen and Henry Moore. Oldenburg and van Bruggen's "Typewriter Eraser, Scale X" is shown above, right; Moore's "Reclining Connected Forms" is shown above, left.
For more information, visit www.withit.org or www.LasVegasMarket.com.
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EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE
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Leggett & Platt Is Top Sponsor
WithIt is pleased to announce Leggett & Platt is top
sponsor for "Leadership2: Take it to the Next Level," the
non-profit's annual education conference.
"Recognizing the significant role that women play in our
industry, Leggett & Platt is proud to be a sponsor of WithIt's annual
education conference," said Mark Quinn, Segment Vice President of Marketing for
the residential furnishings segment of Leggett & Platt. "It is important
that we continue to strengthen our ties with organizations such as WithIt to
help foster the growth of the women in our industry and attract future female
talent."
Leggett & Platt's generous support of the annual education conference
dovetails WithIt's mission to support the development and success of female
leaders at all stages of their careers and in all product categories, including
the bedding and home furnishings segments.
"We've noticed interest in encouraging top female
talent to consider employment in the bedding industry," according to WithIt
2010 President Stephanie Lowder. "Collaboration with WithIt offers one
solution. Since our founding in 1997, we have seen an increase in female talent
at our supporting companies in home and furnishings, and we are reaching out to
every industry segment where there is need."
Leggett & Platt's support of WithIt acknowledges the
influence of the female consumer at retail, too.
"We know how important women are when it comes to purchasing
mattresses, bedding accessories and furniture," Quinn said. "This fact was the
theme for a recent industry conference dedicated to the bedding segment. Women
are the primary decision-makers when it comes to our products, and we're always
looking for new and innovative ways of connecting with this influential group."
Leggett & Platt is joined by additional 2010 leadership
conference sponsors, including: BDI, Furniture/Today, Home Furnishings
Business, World Market Center Las Vegas and Wray Ward.
The title sponsor will be showcased throughout the three-day event, Aug.
17-19, which delivers leadership development, business networking, and
professional and personal growth opportunities for professionals in the home
and furnishings industries. To register for the 2010 conference, visit www.withit.org.
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| LAS VEGAS MARKET INSIDER | |
Catch these WithIt members' events and happenings during Las Vegas Market, Aug. 2-6:
Jackie Von Tobel will unveil the Signature Eco-Friendly Home Decor Fabric Collection during the summer show. She and Postcards Home Ltd. will host a launch party and cocktail reception to celebrate. The event is open to the trade; it will be held Wednesday, Aug. 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the Postcards Home showroom at World Market Center Las Vegas Building A, A0119.
Carol Gregg and Heather Antonelli will be introducing Carol's signature furniture line, Red Egg, and Heather's fabulous tents, Gypsy Faire Tents, to Las Vegas Market attendees. See the products: WMCLV Building B, B0201-9.
Leslie Carothers and Sev Ritchie, The Kaleidoscope Partnership, invite you to take advantage of Hot Spot: Social Media Bars, Aug. 2-5, which WMCLV is making available to market attendees for free. The Hot Spot is located in WMCLV Building C, C1096.
Buyers will be able to receive free assistance as they learn how to register their companies and brands on social media sites including Facebook and Twitter. Plus, a special cocktail "Tweetup" (Monday, Aug. 2 at 5 p.m.) will launch both the Hot Spot: The Social Media Bar and a lighting exhibit by Christopher Lowell. Everyone who visits the Social Media Bar will be entered into a drawing to receive an Apple iPad; one will be given away on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during Market.
Julie Smith Vincenti will present a new products and trends presentation, FIRST LOOK, with HGTV's Monica Pederson. The event kicks off market Monday, Aug. 2, at 9 a.m. in WMCLV Building B, 16th floor. Be sure to pick up your copy of the companion FIRST LOOK publication.
Cindy Williams will present Five Essential Keys to a Great Retail Experience, on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 10 a.m. in WMCLV Building B, 16th floor, World Forum. She and fellow panelists will teach you how to create an effective retail experience for your customers and prospects.
Robin Wilson will present ECO Friendly from the Foundation to the Furniture: 0.1 CEU Credit Building C Room 176 August 5th 2:00 PM
Susan Inglis, Executive Director of Sustainable Furnishings Council, and her team will host several events during Las Vegas Market:
DESIGNINGreen Celebrity Designer Panel, Tuesday, Aug. 3, 3-4 p.m., WMCLV Building B, 16th floor.
One Good Chair International Design Competition, Aug. 4, 4-6 p.m., WMCLV Building B, 16th floor.
GREENLeaders Certified Sustainability Training, Aug. 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., WMCLV Building C, C0424.
Hear from blogging experts Julie Noran, Jackie Von Tobel and more during New Media Day: Design Bloggers - Building a Community of Design. The event will be held Thursday, Aug. 5, WMCLV Building B, 16th floor, World Forum.
Be sure to attend a WHFA/Retail Resource Center seminar - all are held in the RRC, WMCLV Building B, 16th floor - during market. For a complete event schedule, visit http://www.whfa.org.
Please visit and support our WithIt members and sponsors' showrooms:
Adesso - A0420
AF Lighting - A0406
aspenhome™ - B0801
Austin Productions - B0476
Broyhill Furniture - A1053
Capel Rugs - A0226
Chromcraft Revington Furniture - B1380
Company C Inc. - B0348
Dreamfit - C1540
Emdee International - C0687
Fashion Bed Group - B1326
Flexsteel Industries - A530
Four Hands - A0110
Furniture First - B0962
Furniture Transport Group - B1630
FurnitureDealer.net - B1630
Gat Creek - B0158
Gypsy Faire Tents - B0220
Howard Miller Company - A629 Human Touch/Interactive Health - B0900
Info Retail Inc. - A0939
Lane Home Furnishings - A1042 Leggett & Platt Inc. - B1326
Lexington Home Brands - C1100
MicroD Inc. - B1630 Natura World - A946 Phillips Collection - A202
Postcards Home - A119
PROFITsystems Inc. - B1630
Rowe Fine Furniture Inc. - C1339
Simmons Bedding Company - A501
Sligh Furniture Company - C1189
Stein World - A344 Sustainable Furnishings Council - B0200
Tempur-Pedic Inc. - C1512
Thomasville Furniture industries - A1030 Twin-Star Intl. ClassicFlame/Tresanti - A548
Western Home Furnishings Assn. - B1630
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Have a story idea for an upcoming e-newsletter edition? Submit your ideas to Julie Smith Vincenti, Vice President-Media.
WithIt, Inc.
PO Box 35362
Greensboro, NC 27425
www.withit.org
  
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