LuxeHome and Design Center at theMART today announced that registration is now open for Design Chicago, the Midwest’s largest residential design conference, on Wednesday, October 27 and Thursday, October 28, 2021 at the Merchandise Mart (theMART) in downtown Chicago.
Over the course of two days, Design Chicago will showcase over 100 feature presentations, CEU seminars, open houses and product debuts, along with newly opened showrooms ready to be explored, as well as 9 strategic media partners. The event welcomes leading interior design, architecture and luxury custom home building professionals for educational and innovative programming in the 100+ showrooms on theMART’s 1st, 6th, 14th and 15th floors, which feature the finest in kitchen, bath and home furnishings.
Program registration now open and complimentary for trade professionals.
Seating is limited. RSVP now to secure a spot.
“Since its inception, Design Chicago has been a can’t-miss event, said Beth Hicks, Managing Director, Marketing, Design Center at theMART and Casual Market Chicago. “And, we couldn’t be more excited to bring our design community back together in person this year for two full days of exclusive programming and networking,”
Blair Loftspring, Managing Director, Leasing and Marketing, LuxeHome at theMART, continues, “Registration to Design Chicago, which is complimentary for all trade professionals, opens the door to presentations, discussions with design icons and a wide array of products, as well as leadership from top kitchen, bath and home furnishings brands. We look forward to seeing everyone at theMART in October.”
Health & Safety
Providing attendees with a high level of comfort at Design Chicago is the top priority, and the event is consistently monitoring COVID-19 and CDC guidelines. A complete list of precautions and mask mandates are available to review online and will be updated as needed. Also, requirements on mandatory COVID screening, which will be required by all attendees, showrooms and staff, are detailed.
Additionally, theMART has received GBAC (Global Biorisk Advisory Council) Star accreditation – the gold standard of prepared facilities and the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation.
An extension of current business practices at theMART includes implementing the latest guidelines from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) for optimized air filtration and circulation. Also, theMART continues to employ enhanced and aggressive cleaning protocols for all common areas of the building.
Stellar Programming & CEUs
Registered attendees will experience presentations and CEU-accredited seminars given by celebrated designers, media executives, manufacturers and associations. A few highlights include:
Wednesday, October 27, 2021:
- Live and Work Now: Finding Inspiration (The Shade Store, Suite 105)
Kaitlin Petersen, Editor in Chief of Business of Home, with Victoria Hagan, Victoria Hagan Interiors
- Grand Millennial Design in the New Roaring Twenties (Schumacher/PFM, Suite 6-133)
Clary Bosbyshell Welsh, Clary Bosbyshell Design; Emma Bazilian, Schumacher; Sarah Vaile, Sarah Vaile Design; and Summer Thornton, Summer Thornton Design
- The View from the Third Coast (deAurora, Suite 1499)
Samantha Emmerling, Market Editor, Hudson One Media
Thursday, October 28, 2021
- Curating Elevated, Yet Functional Spaces (Kravet, Inc. Suite 6-121)
Amy Kartheiser, Amy Kartheiser Design; Lakesha Rose, L Rose Interior Design; Suzanne Lovell, Suzanne Lovell, Inc.; and, Zlata Naumovski, writer and editor
- The Luxury of Longevity (Artistic Tile, Suite 105A)
Devon Wegman, Devon Grace Interiors; Elizabeth Taich, Elizabeth Taich Design; Ray Marcus, Artistic Tile; Shannon Sharpe, Editor of Luxe Interiors+ Design; and Smita Sahoo, asaya Ι DESIGN
- Designing for Dining: Navigating the New Normal (Middleby Residential Ι Viking Range Ι La Cornue, Suite 137)
Alice Benjamin, Alice Benjamin Interiors; Bill Kim, Urbanbelly; Donna Mondi, Donna Mondi Interior Design; Jaime Laurita, Middleby Residential; Meghan Daro, Middleby Residential; Nina Mariano, Dom’s Kitchen & Market; and Rachel De Marte, Rachel De Marte Events & Interiors
Nine media partners 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: Aspire Home & Design, Business of Home, Design Chicago Magazine, Elle Décor, Galerie, House Beautiful, Luxe Interiors & Design, Modern Luxury Interiors and Veranda.
This two day event is capped with two special evenings: Opening Night Reception on Wednesday, October 27th and the Design Chicago Soiree on Thursday, October 28th celebrating the best in Chicago and Midwest Design. Tickets for each evening event may be purchased during registration.
About the Design Center at 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. Follow 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. For more information, visit luxehome.com. Follow LuxeHome on Facebook, Houzz, Instagram or Twitter.
About theMART
theMART (formerly The Merchandise Mart), located in the center of the sought-after River North submarket, is interwoven into the fabric of Chicago as an innovator in culture, art, business, fashion, media and more. As the largest privately held commercial building in the United States, it is one of the world’s leading commercial buildings, wholesale design centers and the preeminent international business location in Chicago. Encompassing 4.2 million gross square feet, theMART spans two city blocks, rises 25 stories, and is visited by an average of 30,000 people each business day and nearly 10 million people annually. Offering continuous innovation and creativity from leading manufacturers and showrooms, theMART serves as a business hub for interior designers, architects, contractors, business owners and buyers, and recently has become home to Chicago’s most creative and technologically innovative companies including Motorola Mobility, 1871, Yelp, PayPal and MATTER, as well as Fortune 500 companies Conagra, Allstate, Kellogg, Beam Suntory, and Grainger.
theMART was awarded LEED Silver Certification in 2007 and LEED Gold Certification in 2013 and in 2018.