Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease)
April 23, 2008 - Mary McCurdy of Mary Etta Designs was among the more than 6,200 industry professionals who attended the International Window Coverings EXPO (IWCE) March 26-29, 2008. Mary is the owner and owner of Mary Etta Designs, an Anaheim Hills company that specializes in custom window coverings, draperies and bedding. She attended the conference in Atlanta, GA to garner further insight into not only the latest in custom drapery design trends, but also to see how pricing trends, eco-friendly design and customer buying trends are changing the industry.
Presented annually by Window Fashions Certified Professionals Program (WFCP) the conference was jeopardized by a powerful tornado that damaged many hotel and exhibit facilities only two weeks prior to the event. However, there was nearly 20% more sold exhibit space than the 2007 Washington, D.C. venue.
Mary is a member of WFCP, and recognized at the Master Level of accreditation. Interior designers, decorators, workrooms and other window coverings and home soft goods professionals were treated to various seminars on design, marketing, business operations and the hot button of Green Design. There was also a new TrendSpot that featured many exhibitors were pulling out all the stops to show the latest in drapery hardware, textiles, fabrication techniques, supplies and software to capture the audience ready to find the “magic bullet” during this challenging market times.
Showcased in the Exhibit Hall C of the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA, the industry’s largest window-fashions trade show and CEU- accredited and WFCP-certified seminar program also featured several drapery vignettes, a WFCP Lounge for informal seminars and to purchase books and a “Construction Zone” where workroom procedures were demonstrated.
Headlining the event were Suze Orman, Personal Finance Expert and Motivational Speaker. Edward Walker of Trading Spaces and Walker Designs spoke at a Keynote Luncheon. Highlights of the Expo were the WOW Awards which featured the Window Fashions Ingenuity Workroom Award winners, Rising Star Award for the individual who shows great promise to become a major player in the future in the window coverings industry. Also awards were given to Client and Customer Service Company of the Year and the Humanitarian Award.
This year's eco friendly trend will continue to receive the bulk of the marketing attention. But the biggest trend change is for the industry to give more control to the customer.
Mary Etta Designs will incorporate some of the trends mentioned at the IWCE at her seminars on Interior Re Design and Creating the Bedroom of Your Dreams. These seminars will be featured at the Yorba Linda Community Center June 18 and July 16 at 7:00 p.m. this coming summer. Call the City of Yorba Linda Parks and Recreation at 714 961-7160 to pre-register.
