Dubbed “INNOVATION 2.0: The Evolution of Branding,” this year's Interior Design Society (IDS) National Conference was held last week at Fort Myers in Florida. The 3-day event was a whirlwind of information, innovation and enthusiasm.
I arrived at Ft. Myers on Sunday, May 17th. Upon arrival I was introduced to a number of other key chapter leaders from around the country. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues before jumping into the Leadership Conference Monday morning.
Throughout the Monday we heard all about the National Board’s initiatives for streamlining membership options and new strategies for adding value to the IDS brand. The day presented attendees with a fantastic opportunity to make new friends from all around the country and discuss ideas for accruing new members. That night, we celebrated the end of our first day with several rounds of cocktails at the Miromar Design Center (kindly sponsored by The Shade Store).
Our mornings were spent listening to a number of engaging presentations. On Tuesday we heard from the IDS Host of Membership, Jason Harris of The Design Network, and Amy Flurry, author of “Recipe For Press.” On Wednesday we heard from Mary Leigh Howell who discussed approaches to “working with the media,” a course which is usually reserved for private clients. The presentations culminated with a fun and engaging presentation from Jennifer Bertrand who was recently named “HGTV’s Design Star.”
Our afternoons were spent at the Design Technology Summit; an innovative space that was filled with interior design news and technologies. It was great to experience so many exciting and creative new interior design processes with my new colleagues. The final evening was our annual design awards dinner and cocktail event where I had to say goodbye to all my new friends.
All in all it was a great event and I had a blast with all of my new industry colleagues. I hope to see you all again next year!