Design Chicago at the Merchandise Mart

Registration Now Open for Design Chicago: Wednesday, October 3rd and Thursday, October 4th, 2018

The Midwest’s Largest Residential Design Conference: A two-day trade event featuring presentations by industry experts, CEU seminars, new product debuts, open houses, exclusive networking experiences and more

The Design Center at the Merchandise Mart and LuxeHome are excited to announce that registration is now open for Design Chicago, the Midwest’s largest residential design conference, on Wednesday, October 3 and Thursday, October 4, 2018 at the iconic Merchandise Mart (theMART) in downtown Chicago.

Over the course of two days, Design Chicago will showcase 175 featured presentations, CEU programs, open houses and product debuts, along with newly opened showrooms ready to be explored, as well as 13 strategic media partners and more than a dozen well-respected editors.

Program registration is now open and complimentary for trade professionals only. Seating is limited. RSVP now to secure a spot.

Design Chicago will welcome leading interior design, architecture and luxury custom homebuilding professionals from across the Midwest, as well as coast-to-coast. All programming in the more than 120 showrooms across 600,000 square feet on theMART’s 1st, 6th and 14th floors is complimentary to trade-only professionals.

“Registration to Design Chicago opens the door to exclusive presentations and CEU programs; a wide array of product debuts from our many showrooms; and networking opportunities with leadership from industry leading kitchen, bath and home furnishings brands,” said Susan McCullough, Senior Vice President at theMART. “It’s truly a can’t-miss two-day experience for trade professionals.”

In addition, 13 media partners from coast to coast will be on hand, presenting another compelling reason to attend Design Chicago. Media will offer their deep knowledge of the industry and years of expertise, including representatives from: Architectural Digest, Chicago Magazine, Coastal Living, Elle Décor, Galerie, House Beautiful, Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago, Residential Design, Sophisticated Living, Traditional Home and Veranda.

Attendees can register to experience presentations and CEU-accredited seminars given by celebrated designers, media executives, manufacturers and associations. Highlights include:

Wednesday, October 3, 2018:
Re-Defining Luxury: A Q&A Panel Discussion with Milling Road Guest Designer Kara Mann (Baker Furniture, Suite 6-187) Jacqueline Terrebonne, Editor-in-Chief, Galerie Magazine and Kara Mann, Founder & Creative Director, KARA MANN

Chicago on Display: A Designer’s Journey to Creating a City Icon (deAurora, Suite 1499) Panelists Jessica Lagrange, Jessica Lagrange Interiors; James Dolenc and Thomas Riker, JamesThomas Interior Design; Donna Mondi, Donna Mondi Interior Design; Michael Stornell and Tom Konopiots, Vincere Ltd.; moderated by Marshall Erb, Marshall Erb Design

The Big Picture (Maya Romanoff, Suite 6-167) Mayer Rus, West Coast Editor, Architectural Digest and Madeline Stuart, Interior Designer, Madeline Stuart & Associates

For Seasoned Designs, What Makes Design Great? (Schumacher, Suite 6-133) Dara Caponigro, F. Schumacher & Co.; Thomas O’Brien, Aero Studios; and Veere Grenney, Veere Grenney Associates

Thursday, October 4, 2018:

The Importance of Window Treatments with Alexa Hampton (The Shade Store, Suite 105) Alexa Hampton, Principal, Mark Hampton LLC

New House, Old Soul (Wood-Mode Lifestyle Design Center, Suite 119) Eddie Ross, Designer, Author and Contributing Editor, House Beautiful

Boss Lady: Women in Design and Construction and How They Got There (Scavolini Store Chicago, Suite 110) Panelists Sophie Bidek, HPA; Alisha Serras, Scavolini Store Chicago; Aimee Wertepny, PROjECT Interiors; Amy Lusher, LG Development Group; Key Hall, Cowtan & Tout; moderated by Daniele Busca, Scavolini Soho Gallery, along with Elle Décor

Room Enough: Successful Collaborations in Architecture and Design (Waterworks, Suite 136) Moderated by Geoffrey Bear, multiple Emmy Award-Winning Public Television Writer, Producer and Program Host, along with panelists Nate Lielasus, Northworks Architects; Tom Stringer, Tom Stringer Design Partners; Julie Hacker and Stuart Cohen, Cohen & Hacker Architects LLC; James Dolenc and Thomas Riker, JamesThomas Interior Design; Michael Abraham, Michael Abraham Architecture; Tracy Hickman, Hickman Design Associates

Also, Design Chicago features two exclusive celebratory ticketed events:

Chairs for Charity, Wednesday, October 3, 2018, (6:00-8:00PM) – This signature event from Splash, in conjunction with Chicago magazine, features the best that Chicago’s design community has to offer. The event challenges area designers with the task of bringing a vintage chair back to life – all in the name of charity. Registered attendees to Design Chicago will receive a special discount toward the purchase of tickets. Details are available as part of the registration process. For more information and to receive the special discount, visit www.designchicagoevent.com.

Chicago VIP Luxury Gala, Thursday, October 4, 2018, (5:30-8:00PM) – Design Chicago culminates with the tenth annual Chicago VIP Luxury Gala, where a who’s who of the design industry will come together to celebrate the best of Chicago and Midwest design. The event will feature the induction of four residential design industry icons into the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame. The 2018 Chicago VIP Luxury Gala is generously sponsored by exclusive Media Sponsor, Luxe Interiors + Design; Diamond Sponsor, Moen; Platinum Sponsor, Thermador; Gold Sponsor, Sherwin-Williams; and Silver Sponsors, Vicostone and Style/Library. Tickets are on sale now, $100/person. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.designchicagoevent.com/gala.

For more information, and to register for programming, please visit www.designchicagoevent.com. Design Chicago welcomes trade professionals from across the country, including members of trade organizations; such as, The American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago (HBAGC), Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

About the Design Center at The Merchandise Mart (theMART)

The Design Center, located in Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart, is home to four floors constituting the world’s largest and finest design center. As a leader in the $65 billion residential home furnishings market, the Design Center offers the largest presentation of high-end, customizable, residential and outdoor home furnishings worldwide, all under one roof. Encompassing 750,000 square feet, boasting more than 125 showrooms and featuring more than 2,500 product lines, it is the ultimate resource for designers and design enthusiasts of luxury furniture, fabrics, floor coverings, wall coverings, lighting and much more. For more information, visit designcenter.com. Visit Design Center on Facebook and Instagram.

About LuxeHome®

LuxeHome is the world’s largest collection of premier boutiques for home building and renovation located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. With more than 125,000 square feet of showroom space featured in over 45 boutiques, LuxeHome is host to the finest products for home building and renovation from the most recognized and respected manufacturers worldwide.

LuxeHome offers discerning homeowners and trade professionals one-stop shopping convenience with access to the finest kitchen, bath, tile, lighting, cabinetry, appliances, countertops and much more. LuxeHome displays the widest selection of products to suit all upscale design styles, from modern European to classic American to traditional English. In addition to the extensive lineup of premier brands, each boutique offers knowledgeable designers who are available to assist with all phases of each design project. LuxeHome’s boutiques are open for shopping Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit http://www.luxehome.com/. Follow LuxeHome on Facebook, Houzz, Instagram and Twitter.

theMART is owned by New York-based Vornado Realty Trust, a fully integrated, publicly traded, real estate investment trust (REIT) and one of the largest owners and managers of commercial real estate in the United States.