What’s the Future of Design Events?

Summary

The Chairish Podcast: What’s the Future of Design Events?

Released on April 9, 2024

In this insightful episode of The Chairish Podcast, host Michael Boudreau delves into the evolving landscape of design industry events with distinguished guests: Tammy Covington Nagum, President and CEO of High Point Market; Tamar Meshigian, Executive Director of Legends of La Cienega Design Quarter (LCDQ); and renowned Dallas-based designer Denise McGehay. The discussion navigates the resurgence of major design events post-COVID, the enduring importance of in-person gatherings, the integration of social media and influencers, and forecasts future trends in the design event arena.

1. Post-COVID Resurgence of Major Design Events

High Point Market's Rebound: Tammy Covington Nagum shares insights into High Point Market's recovery following the pandemic. Although not yet back to pre-COVID attendance levels, she notes a steady climb with "International is showing really strong as top 100" ([03:29]). High Point, one of America's premier trade fairs, hosts hundreds of exhibitors showcasing the latest in furniture and soft goods, drawing thousands of designers, retailers, and influencers each spring and fall.

LCDQ's Recovery Trajectory: Tamar Meshigian discusses LCDQ's progress, highlighting that the upcoming event will be their third post-pandemic ([04:14]). While operating at about 80% of pre-COVID attendance, LCDQ has adapted by moving keynotes outdoors and maintaining high engagement despite challenges. Tamar emphasizes the balance between maintaining traditional elements and innovating to keep the event relevant.

2. The Enduring Importance of In-Person Design Events

Denise McGehay on In-Person Engagement: Denise underscores the irreplaceable value of physical attendance at design events. She explains, "It's harder to sell it, to explain it, to describe the texture" ([05:13]), emphasizing the tactile experience and the ability to visualize products within a space. Denise highlights how in-person interactions facilitate storytelling and deeper client connections, which are challenging to replicate online.

3. Programming and Engagement Strategies

High Point Market's Multifaceted Programming: Tammy outlines High Point Market's comprehensive approach, balancing product showcases, educational panels, and networking opportunities. She describes it as a "three-legged stool" consisting of product, education, and networking ([16:17]). High Point continuously seeks to enhance the buyer experience, ensuring that designers and retailers find value tailored to their specific needs.

LCDQ's Innovative Programs: Tamar elaborates on LCDQ's strategies to engage modern audiences through initiatives like the Design Influencers Tour and Style Spotters ([18:33]). These programs leverage social media influencers to amplify event outreach and foster organic connections among attendees. Tamar also highlights the importance of cultivating strong relationships between showrooms and designers to enhance community engagement.

4. The Role of Social Media and Influencers

Both Tammy and Tamar acknowledge the transformative impact of social media on design events. Tammy discusses revamping High Point's ambassador program to harness the influence of social media personalities, while Tamar emphasizes the synergistic relationship between showrooms and influencers in driving event visibility and engagement. Denise adds that social media allows designers to share diverse perspectives, enriching the overall experience for their followers ([24:38]).

5. Building and Maintaining Industry Relationships

Denise passionately advocates for the relational aspect of design events. She remarks, "You cannot do design alone. You need friends that can either help you solve a problem, commiserate with you" ([37:12]). The conversations at these events foster a sense of community, enabling designers to exchange ideas, seek advice, and form collaborations. Tammy and Tamar echo this sentiment, noting the organic formation of professional bonds that are crucial for navigating industry challenges.

6. Future Outlook of Design Events

Innovations at High Point Market: Looking ahead, Tammy discusses High Point Market's initiatives to incorporate more unique and curated experiences, such as the Shop Objects subset and Vintage Vibes for antique buyers ([31:50]). These additions aim to enhance discovery and inspire designers by offering fresh perspectives and exclusive showcases.

Evolution of LCDQ Legends: Tamar reveals LCDQ Legends' commitment to keeping the event dynamic by introducing themes like Rooms in Bloom and hosting exclusive gatherings at venues like Una Casa Privada ([34:32]). These efforts are designed to inspire designers and provide them with exclusive experiences that go beyond traditional showcases.

7. Designer Advice on Event Participation

Denise offers valuable guidance for both designers and event organizers:

• For Designers:

  • Identify Your Needs: Understand your business focus and select events that align with your goals. Denise prioritizes events like High Point for their comprehensive offerings and attends selectively based on her project requirements ([37:12]).
  • Build Relationships: Cultivate strong ties with vendors and fellow designers to stay informed and supported.
  • Leverage Team Support: Utilize your team effectively to manage workloads while attending events ([22:09]).

• For Event Organizers:

  • Understand Designer Perspectives: Events should cater to the diverse needs of designers, from product discovery to business insights.
  • Foster Community: Create environments that encourage open communication and genuine interactions.
  • Adapt and Innovate: Continuously evolve programming to reflect current trends and technological advancements.

8. Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reaffirmation of the critical role that design events play in fostering community, inspiring creativity, and driving business growth. Michael Boudreau synthesizes the discussions, affirming that "community is still important" and encouraging designers to prioritize attending events that offer meaningful connections and valuable insights.

Notable Quotes:

• Tammy: "We're seeing some incremental gains. We're not 100% back to where we were pre-Covid..." ([03:29])
• Denise: "You cannot do design alone. You need friends that can either help you solve a problem, commiserate with you..." ([37:12])
• Tamar: "Community is eroding, and we are looking forward to experience something in a different way." ([27:59])

This episode serves as an essential guide for interior design professionals navigating the post-pandemic landscape, highlighting the indispensable value of in-person events in an increasingly digital world.

Transcript

[Michael Boudreau]

This is the Cherish Podcast and I'm your host, Michael Boudreau. I'll be taking you for an inside look behind the glamorous facade of the interior design industry at a time when every aspect of the business, from sourcing to trends to marketing to dealing with clients, is undergoing rapid change. Design industry events and trade fairs are back, but are they still important? After all, during COVID business boomed even though all events were canceled and designers became ever more comfortable shopping and working remotely. So why bother to travel often a great distance to attend large events? Is the motivation a search for inspiration? What makes an event something you feel you have to attend in person? Is a sense of community still important? Are the networking opportunities worth the time and expenses? Is it still crucial to search for newness and trends? And how have the organizations that present the fairs adapted to remain relevant? Have they succeeded? I'm happy to have today representatives from two of America's most important design industry events, as well as a noted interior designer to talk about the importance of these gatherings, how they can remain vital, and what's ahead. High Point Market is undoubtedly one of the most important trade fairs in America, where each spring and fall hundreds of exhibitors, from furniture manufacturers to soft goods makers, gather in North Carolina to showcase their newest wares to thousands of designers, retailers, members of the press and social media influencers. All of this and a round of nonstop parties, book signings, breakfast panels, et cetera, I'm pleased to have with us today High Point Market President and CEO Taming Covington Nagum. Welcome, Tammy.

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

Thanks Michael. So excited to be here.

[Michael Boudreau]

LCDQ is a nonprofit organization founded in 2008 to unify and promote member businesses of the La Cienega Design Quarter in Los Angeles. Its three day Legends of La Cienega event each May is one of the West Coast's largest gatherings of design professionals and its Executive director, Tamar Meshigian, has long been intimately involved with all aspects of the organization and its signature event, and she's here with us today.

[Tamar Meshigian]

Hello Tamar Michael, thank you for including me.

[Michael Boudreau]

I'm also pleased to welcome Dallas based designer Denise McGehay, who creates Livable, luxurious rooms that update traditional design with jolts of bold color and sumptuous textures. Her interiors have been featured in Architectural Digest, Traditional Home and House Beautiful, and she has an extensive following on social media. She also designs furniture, lighting, fabrics and wallpapers and is an enthusiastic attendee of numerous industry events throughout the year. Welcome Denise.

[Denise McGehay]

Thanks for inviting me. I can't wait to chat.

[Michael Boudreau]

I want to Start with you, Tammy, because three years ago, I think we did a whole episode of the Cherish podcast devoted to High Point, a preview of what was coming. And we had to cancel it because High Point itself was canceled due to Covid. So now you're back, I believe this is. Is this your second spring?

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

This will be our second spring one. This will be our fourth market.

[Michael Boudreau]

Fourth market after Covid.

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

After Covid, right.

[Michael Boudreau]

So how has it changed post Covid from like 2019? Has attendance rebounded? How's it been going, Michael?

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

We're seeing some incremental gains. We're not 100% back to where we were pre Covid, but we are seeing that climb each and every market. Spring 2020 was the only second market in over 100 years that had been canceled. The first was due to World War II. And so we are in sort of unchartered territory here. But we are seeing those gains come back. A matter of fact, I was looking at numbers this morning and International is showing really Strong as top 100. Our designers are really coming back in a big way. So we're excited about those gains.

[Michael Boudreau]

Right. And Tamar, what about lcdq? I mean, it's a little early. Cause that doesn't happen until maybe. But this will be your second one post Covid, isn't that correct?

[Tamar Meshigian]

Actually, it'll be the third one post Covid. We had legends 2022 and 2023, and this will be our third.

[Michael Boudreau]

So how has the attendance trends been for that?

[Tamar Meshigian]

So listen, pre pandemic, our keynotes were in showrooms with 200 people, 250 people standing room only. After the pandemic, we moved outdoors and we still didn't have enough room at the keynotes. But now that people have discovered how not to shop in person and how to entertain in smaller groups since the pandemic, it seems to reflect in our attendance. I would say we're at about 80% of pre Covid levels.

[Michael Boudreau]

That's great. And Denise, you're somebody who've been going to these kind of events for years. So do you think there was pent up demand? Were you frustrated during COVID I mean, everybody was shopping online. Everything was introduced online. There were all sorts of things. But how did you feel when finally the pandemic was over? Were you eager to get to events? And how do you decide which events to go to?

[Denise McGehay]

Very eager, first of all, and I was very disappointed when we couldn't travel to markets. I approach market from multiple perspectives and east coast versus west coast. I mean, I think that There's a completely different view in design on both of the coasts. And so my clients are all over the nation, and I want to be exposed to all those opportunities. And when the markets shut down and we were left to shop online, I would say that my level of excitement and inspiration lagged quite a bit. I'm looking for new, fresh inspiration. I'm wanting to shop antiques and vintage at the same time that I'm there shopping for new production pieces as well. And I didn't have any of that. That's hard, honestly, to do my job that way. I can show a photo, which we do. We. We do digital design boards. We utilize the assets that are created for us from either dealers or manufacturers, and we put those on a slide. But it's a little different than when I've seen it in person. It's harder for me to sell it, to explain it, to describe the texture, to potentially pull a photo of it in a room that I saw at High Point or at LCDQ and say, okay, here's the catalog image of it. But this is what it looks like in a room, and I really love it. For your space, because of the scale of the ceilings or the finish of the bronze is so perfect for everything else we have going in here. And I'm not able to tell the story as a storyteller if I'm not there to actually touch it, see it, feel it, be inspired by it, and say, oh, my gosh, that light would be so perfect for the Smith project. I see it. I visualize it.

[Michael Boudreau]

Right. I always say it's very hard to judge scale from a photo or on the computer. Scale is such a hard thing to convey. And when you see things in person, you can tell.

[Denise McGehay]

And even I know what it's going to look like in this space from a scale perspective. The client doesn't. They need someone to paint that.

[Michael Boudreau]

Those of us who are not designers. Right, Right. Exactly. You could tell me the measurements. You could say, oh, it's 12 by 18 by something. And I still don't know how big that's gonna be in a room.

[Denise McGehay]

Exactly.

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

Tamara, I don't know if you're like me, but I feel very fortunate to represent an industry that you still have to sit and feel and touch. So as Denise talked about, I mean, you can't replace that. You can't replace Denise hearing the story from the man who eight way hand tied that sofa. And then you can go, Denise, tell that story to that end consumer, in a way that you really can't do looking At a catalog. I'm glad that we're not selling tools.

[Michael Boudreau]

Or something right now. In terms of post Covid. Listen, I've been to a lot of design fairs, too. I've been to High Point many times. I've been to LCDQ many times. Filone Deco Walk. It seems to me there's like two kinds of events. One is like High Point, where new product is unveiled. But Tamara, LCDQ doesn't necessarily unveil new product. Sometimes people do, but that's not what it's about. It's a different kind of thing. So my question, Tamara, to you, is how do you think about programming? Because you still want to attract people to come and you do the wonderful window displays in the different showrooms and all that, which is great. But how do you think about programming to actually get people to come to la? Not that it's so hard to get people to come to LA in May, it's always beautiful weather, but it's an expense. People to get from Chicago, New York to go to la. How do you entice them? Does that something you think about a lot? Your speakers, who you're going to have there? Or do you think they just want to come for parties?

[Tamar Meshigian]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, yes, some people are Legends devotees. They're going to show up anytime, every year, and they just love the event. They love the opportunity to network, to mingle, to rub shoulders with designers from around the country, also to see editors and influencers. So there's people that are always going to do that. But yeah, I mean, it's definitely a challenge to keep things relevant and timely. And also some speakers are a little overexposed, if you will. And so we're always in search of the people who. Who maybe are upcoming Voices of Design, if you will. So it's definitely a balancing act. One thing I will say is something that's always been consistently good and has gotten even better and more interesting. I think some of us roll our eyes when we say that there are so many design books coming out, right? There's like a design book a minute. And yet the author events are such a draw, especially when you have major authors. I will say that our living legends that all have had book signings, like Michael Smith, Ken Folk, Bunny Williams, Suzanne Reinstein. They have sold a ton of books during Legends and they've had people lined up. People want to meet other people. They want to meet the people that inspire them, the icons, if you will. So those are some things that have helped us keep our audience. Because no matter what People want to see people.

[Michael Boudreau]

Denise, how about you? I mean, listen, I know you have your own products and when you're unveiling products, obviously you're probably going to go to these events, but as a designer, which you don't have new products every season. But as a designer, how do you decide what you want to go to and what's worth your time and worth the expense?

[Denise McGehay]

I think Tamar brings up a great point about meeting the icons and legends in our industry. But for me, and I said it previously about storytelling, I want to know about that project that's on page 32. If I'm going to a book signing or hearing about that, there's some nugget there that's going to help me. Somewhere along the way in my projects, these people have been in the trenches just like we have, doing the work. And we all know that the photography is so fabulous and beautiful, but it's so nice sometimes to hear them brought down to a human level to tell you the story of what it actually took to get there. A lot of people don't talk about that. I like to hear that the other things that are important to me and the reason I go to certain places, High Point, Salone, Deco off, et cetera, I want to meet the people that make it happen for me. And sometimes that's my rep, sometimes it's the president of the company. I want to hear what it is that they're working on for two markets from now. I want to understand what's coming down the line so that I'm prepared for how to run my business. I'm a business owner and I run a business. And when I can understand what's happening in my industry and I hear it from the people that are making the decisions, the presidents of these companies, I want to hear what's happening. I have to be prepared. None of us were prepared for Covid. None of us really knew what to do during that time. And so many of the practices that we had in place, such as going to High Point or LCDQ or anywhere else to receive our inspiration and see new items, that all stopped. And we needed a voice from above to tell us what was happening with these companies that we'd invested a lot of our clients money into manufacturing product for us. And if I didn't have those relationships, I wouldn't have known how to react or what to tell my clients. And I believe in that open communication. That's part of the transparency of what goes on in our industry. If I can tell the story of how this thing is made what the manufacturers are experiencing and what inspiration or look and feel that I'm trying to achieve for their project, they're way more engaged. I'm not just selling a thing, I'm selling a story, a beautiful story, space, a lifestyle. And there's so many aspects of markets and shows that bring that to the table. For me, it's imperative for a designer, in my opinion, to travel, to experience more than just what's in your city.

[Michael Boudreau]

Well, that's so interesting what you were saying, because I hadn't really thought about that. But for you, it's just as important for you to meet a vendor as it is like a well known colleague who's got a book out the business side of this. As an editor, when I would go, it was always about panels and parties and all of that, which I tried to make my panels informative and interesting. But you know, it was more of a social side. But it's really true what you're saying, and I'm really kind of an idiot that I thought of this. But really getting to know the vendors that you work with repeatedly, what they're working on, get that personal connection as opposed to an email from somebody you've never heard of. I think that that probably is a huge asset to your business very much.

[Denise McGehay]

And let's just say I'm specifying a particular chair in a line and I go to High Point and I've seen it in the catalog and I go to High Point and I'm like, where's that chair that I'm planning on showing my client next week? They're like, oh, we've discontinued that. That would have been good to know. And so if you don't know these things, if you are not constantly in the know with the lines that you work with, you're gonna be caught short at some point.

[Tamar Meshigian]

Yes. I mean, even though product launches are not what LCDQ Legends is known for, and yet there are quite a bit of product launches. But most importantly, there are a lot of vendors who are present. I mean, some of our showrooms have manufacturers from all over the world and they all want to be there, they all want to meet the potential client or the current client. So there's a whole lot of show and tell going on. And there are some designers that I've seen literally walk up and down Los Anga on east side and west side and then across Melrose and they will go into each and every showroom because inevitably there's something that they haven't seen or that they have wanted to see for a long time. And as Denise said, there's the whole storytelling aspect of how that fabric or how that piece of furniture came about or where that antique lamp came from that, you know, helps in selling a project or selling the items in a room to a client, convincing them that these are the best things for their rooms.

[Michael Boudreau]

No. And I always say if a designer can give the story to their client, even if it's just cocktail party chit chat, people love that. A little background, a little into what's going on, it just makes it more personal to them, to their space, to their lives. And I think that that's really enriching. And if designers can get that from going to these events that then convey that to their clients, I can see that that's really valuable. Tammy, I wanted to ask you about High Point's programming because High Point is launching tons of new products. And you know, if you go to High Point and you're only looking at that, it would fill your days and beyond. You couldn't see all of it. So how do you think about programming? Because I know you do have panels and book signings and I know now you have social media influencers. How do you think about that and how important is that to you?

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

That's very important, Michael. And I think there is a balance, as you mentioned, like we talk about this almost three legged stool, it's product, it's education and it's networking. And so making sure that we have a balance between those three, we feel like really makes for a great market experience where designers and retailers can get what they need while they're here. So some are very driven for those CEU credits or they come here with a specific challenge that they want to talk to non competitive designers about while they're here. Or as Denise has talked about it, is about new product and talking to those manufacturers. But we do try to strike a balance between all of those things and we hope that whatever the focus is for that designer or retailer, that they're able to find it.

[Michael Boudreau]

And I touch on this, but I want to get back a little more detail about this. The media landscape has changed so much. Social media, print media has changed. None of the magazines have as many editors that they can send around the world to these events as they used to be. And Denise, you're a huge social media influencer. So how do you. Tamara, let's start with you. How do you get the word out? How do you get people to come to know what they're doing? Do you reach out to social media influencers. I think High Point has a specific program I'm hoping you'll talk about, Tammy. But how do you reach out to them? How do you get the word out?

[Tamar Meshigian]

Well, so we had a problem after the pandemic, which was that I was able to do three virtual summits during the pandemic, but we didn't have any funds coming in, if you will. Nothing that Legends brings us. And we are a not for profit. So we used to have an ambassador's program, and we are currently trying to revamp that because we think very highly of people like Denise who are very able to communicate the importance, the value of going to these events, what you can learn, and what you can accomplish during these events. So I firmly believe in social media. And like I said, we're trying to revive the Ambassadors program for Legends 2024. It is invaluable.

[Michael Boudreau]

And Tammy, what about your program with social media?

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

So we have a couple different things, Michael. Our Design Influencers Tour, I would say, is probably the one that has been most successful for us in terms of getting these influencers in showrooms. And right there on the spot, they're talking about what they're seeing and reaching out to the folks that are in their network. We also have Style Spotters and the last market. In this market, we're doing our all Stars, where we're bringing back some alumni from that program and they're actually spotting product in the showrooms and then pulling together content after that and utilizing social media for that. Social media is a huge part of what we do. Just encouraging designers while they're here to be talking about what they're seeing and to their networks is very important to us, as I'm sure it is Tamar as well. But those two programs, but specifically, really wrapping some protocols around that social media, so we're sure that we're getting that outreach in a good way.

[Tamar Meshigian]

I want to say that you're Style Spotter. I've been to High Point once, and I really liked the Style Spotter program only once.

[Michael Boudreau]

Tamara, I'm shocked.

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

Oh, no, we need to get you back tomorrow.

[Tamar Meshigian]

But anyway, so I did. I thought that the Style Spotter was brilliant, and I happened to know one of the influencers, so it was kind of fun to sort of follow her around and see what she was doing. But I also wanted to say something, and so I so totally agree with all that. But I also wanted to say that having 50 LCDQ member showrooms, each of them have cultivated relationships with designers as well as influencers so because we're kind of a small knit family, if you will, community. So there's a lot of people that are being reached out to by the various showrooms and being invited to attend and also post on social media. So we find that the octopus has many tentacles, if you will, and we can really get a lot of great outreach via our showrooms.

[Denise McGehay]

Hi everybody and thanks for joining us for another episode of the Cherish podcast. I'm Ana Brockway, co founder and president of Cherish. I'm delighted to share that Cherish is now offering only to the trade, the most generous return policy in the industry. That is a 14 day return window on all our exceptionally curated inventory. Designers asked for it and we listened. This offer is now available to interior designers on all purchases. So it's time to get shopping. For more information, visit cherish.com trade that's C-H-A-I-R-I-S-H.com trade and now back to the show.

[Michael Boudreau]

Denise, I wanted to ask you because virtually every designer I talk to will say that they're not susceptible to trends. They want their work to be timeless. It's not about what's new. And yet it's a business driven by newness, let's face it. And I always call them on them when they're on the podcast and say, that's nice to you, believe that. But we all look for what's new. So my question is, how important is that to you to know what's new, new that you can offer to you. And then on the second part, how do you find the time to actually go to all of these and the expense when you're busy? I mean, this is the thing. During COVID it wasn't a problem because I remember at the beginning of the pandemic shut down, everybody thought the design industry was going to die and people were being laid off. And then within months, it was a turnaround and designers had never been so busy. And so then it wasn't an issue. But now you're still busy. Designers seem still busy. But I guess how do you decide what's worth going to?

[Denise McGehay]

I love a show like High Point because I hate to say this, I'm sorry, family, it's over a weekend, a lot of it. And I'm not gone the entire work week, frankly. So I'm able to spend Saturday and Sunday and justify being gone for five days. And I'm not gonna say it's easy to work for 10 days straight, but that is the first aspect of it. Because you do, to your point, have to balance your work travel with getting your work done. I have an amazing team here in my firm and they fill in the gaps when I'm away. But I also think you get to see so much at High Point. It's such a large show. You still have to decide what you're going to see while you're there.

[Michael Boudreau]

Oh, yeah, it's no different. Yeah, you can't possibly see all of it. Absolutely.

[Denise McGehay]

You cannot see it all. And it's no different at Sal or Deco off or Maison or even lcdq. To your point, I also think I wanna circle back around to what you were saying about influencers and setting parameters. I think that every designer and influencer has their own audience. I think that the people that watch them and listen to them are looking for their viewpoint on it. Right. And so I'm only going to share what I love and what's relevant to the people that follow me. They follow me because of my viewpoint. So not just one person can tell the story of one showroom or one manufacturer. You get one line viewed by 10 different designers or influencers, and you're going to get 10 different viewpoints about what they're attracted to. They're going to frame it in the angle of photography, they're going to frame it by color that they love. And so I think it's really valuable when you look through the lens of all of these different views, how you distill how a product is seen and one product is not right for everyone. So to your point, Michael, about trends? Sometimes you're right. We're not there. I'm not there for trends, but I do want to see what the manufacturers are presenting. Is it fresh? I do love new and sometimes what's just trendy. I did that two years ago. I saw it in Paris, I bought it, I brought it over, I put it on a project, and I'm tired of it.

[Michael Boudreau]

You're ahead.

[Denise McGehay]

I want something that is a little bit different or ahead of the game, or I'm circling back to something that's vintage from the 70s that I think is fresh and new, that maybe there's one or two dealers that are on the same page with me, and that's what they're showing in their. In their booth. So I'm always looking for a mix and a blend of layered style. That's kind of how I design. To your point, is it timeless? I don't know. I think it's probably more individual. And when you go to multiple different shows, you're going to find your people and the manufacturers are going to find their people and the influencing community is going to find what they want from that show through the lens of the people that they follow. That's the beautiful thing about social media. Whoever you follow and interact with the most is who's gonna show up in your feed.

[Michael Boudreau]

Right, Terrific. So I also wanna get a sense. Tamar, LCDQ is known for having wonderful parties. Let's face it, the booze flows, there's cocktails, lunches. It's great. So do you think that part of why so many designers come is. Yes. They want to see the windows, they want to go to the programming that you work so hard on. I know I used to work hard when I would do my events for High Point and lcdq, but I think a lot of the designers go there because they're looking for honesty and they're looking for each other to find out what the scene is. Do you think that's true? I always had that sense that maybe it takes a couple drinks, but eventually you let your hair down. You're going to talk about your frustrations with work, you're going to talk about your frustrations with clients. I know that my friend Madeline Stewart, her panel was all, you know, what was the biggest mistake you ever made was always a sellout because there was a lot of honesty in the presentations. It's like designer to designer, people can really. Vendor to designer, designer to vendor. There can be a lot of that intimate honesty. And I think that's something that probably was missing a Covid. Would you agree?

[Tamar Meshigian]

Absolutely. You are spot on. So I wanted to say something because I've been thinking about this for weeks and that is that I. After 2011, Meetup.com was born. It was sparked by a dot com entrepreneur who thought that community was eroding and he kind of had based his ideas on this book called Bowling Alone. Okay. Imagine Bowling Alone. So the erosion of community and people getting together. So I thought a lot about your question and I feel it is so important for people to get together. I mean, yeah, sure, we can zoom all day, you know, but being together, as you said, and then having a few truth serums, if you will, you know, a few cocktails really can loosen up people. And so I think that is fundamentally one of the main reasons that people come to Legends is because they know that they can speak freely. I did a little very, very mini focus group. I called some younger generation designers after Legends 2019. In prep for the 2020, that didn't happen. And a lot of them did, yes. The younger designers, they wanted transparency. They wanted to be able to have real conversations with people like what it's really like. And I do believe that Legends definitely fosters the environment for that all day, every day for two and a half days.

[Michael Boudreau]

And, Tammy, one of the things at High Point has always struck me. I mean, I'm just observing this. I was not a part of it. But it seems to me that there's a lot of vendor honesty at a High Point. Like the manufacturers and vendors, they also get together and talk. Designers talk to each other, but obviously they talk to the vendors. Like, Denise was saying how much she learns from manufacturers and the presidents of these companies. But I'm sure they talk to each other, too, about what's selling, what's not selling, how business is good, what the regional issues, tariffs, all that stuff. So is that something you foster directly or it just happens?

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

And it's just, I think, Michael, that's very organic here. I think you put home furnishings professionals together, and that sort of happens without a lot of effort. We know that people during the show talk to their neighbor. They go next door to the exhibitor beside of them and ask who they've seen and share things about what their product looks like and what they're finding is selling and what they think the landscape looks like. And so we do hear stories about that. Our job at the Market Authority is we remain very focused on that buyer experience and making sure folks like Denise are getting what she needs while she's here and that the logistics are taken care of and that we're marketing to new folks. But you're exactly right. It's interesting what happens when you pull together those professionals twice a year and they maybe have an opportunity to maybe talk to their competitor or maybe talk to someone who, you know, is in a, like, product category as they are. And some of that happens very organically.

[Michael Boudreau]

And, Denise, I don't know if this is possible, but have you ever discovered something at one of these events that you wouldn't have known about otherwise, as somebody you know?

[Denise McGehay]

My gosh, yes. Like, you mean, like, did someone share a secret with me or did I find product?

[Michael Boudreau]

Oh, product, yeah. It's a given. Secrets. We want to know from secrets.

[Denise McGehay]

Now, I would have to think on that. Oh, my gosh. I always come home with a nugget. I always come home with a nugget of some sort. I try to do a recap with my team when I return. If they haven't traveled with me, we kind of Play Two people go in the fall, two people in the spring. When I have a launch, the whole team comes. So I try to do a download with them and have my top three things I found or people I met or I was seated next to dinner by this person. And I've learned X, Y and Z. How could we do our job if we did it in a vacuum? So much of what we do is so much about artisans and design and learning and education. And to think that I could sit at my desk to do my job in a creative industry where I'm trying to understand the scale of things or touching a fabric or it being so tactile. How could I explain the layers of paint on that piece of art if I hadn't seen it? Some things will never translate on a 2D screen. And even in 3D walking through a space, the technology's not there like it would be to see it in person.

[Michael Boudreau]

So, Tammy, I want to get started with you. Tamara, I want you to weigh in as well on this. What do you think is going to happen next? We were practically back to pre Covid attendance, but the business has changed. The way people communicate has changed social media. We talked about this. So what do you see is happening next in terms of what you're going to bring to High Point and what you want to showcase? Like Denise had mentioned, like artisans. And that's something that we've done a couple of episodes on. One of the things that designers always talk to me about is how hard it is to find good artisans. So is this something that their artistry gets adapted by manufacturers, but it's not the same? Or, Tamar, maybe you're going to do this, but how do you see the role of your organization changing?

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

Well, I think you're exactly right, Michael, that we're always looking for that next best thing. We want this to be fresh and new as much as possible. Every time with 2,000 exhibitors, there's going to be a lot of fresh and new. But what can we do as the organizer to sort of instill some of these things? One great example from last market is Shop Objects Bringing that co located, that kind of a little subset of that show from New York here to the suites at Market Square. They were makers. It was different product that had been in High Point displayed in a different way. And we saw a lot of success from that and I think a lot of interest from our buyer in seeing more of that for the second market. Now we're doing something we're calling Vintage Vibes for that Antique buyer. We know that antiques are huge in High Point. And so how do we curate that so that it makes it easier for the designer to come a couple days early and find what they need and then free themselves up to also find some other new product? Discovery is huge in this business. And I think designers and retailers alike who make their list and they come and they see the same people time after time, they're not getting the most out of a market to market probably say the same thing. We talk a lot about inspiration. We talk a lot about time for discovery. For us, it's getting on a bus. You get on a bus and you ride around. You talked about where you get the tips. That's my favorite thing to do is get on the bus. I take my name tag off and I just listen. Because a spy what you hear, I spy what you hear is amazing. But I hear what people are excited about around market. I hear what's not working and what is working. But I think just being a part of that experience in such a way, I think that's what Covid did for us, is that we are all looking forward to. To experience something in a different way. To Denise's point, it's not sitting at a desk. And so whether that's finding new product or experiencing a showroom in a different way, we hope that you leave High Point saying, that was good for my business. And when you sit back down at your desk and you look at that return on investment, that those numbers are in the positive direction. And so anything that we can do to infuse some of that, we think makes it better for the buyer coming to High Point.

[Michael Boudreau]

And Tamar, I know that like at LCDQ every year you have a different theme for the windows and stuff, but how do you see LCDQ legends evolving? You know, in terms of what you're presenting, the kinds of programming, what are you doing to keep it fresh?

[Tamar Meshigian]

Sure. Absolutely. We always have to keep it fresh. I remember the catalogs from department stores like Neiman Marcus, you used to get them in the mail and the first four to six pages would be different. And then the rest of the catalog was exactly the same as the one that you got two weeks prior. Right. So it's a little bit like that. You always have to have something new in the first few pages, if you will. So first of all, our theme for this year is Rooms in Bloom. And it just kind of helps provide, like a frame, if you will, over around the whole.

[Michael Boudreau]

Of course, it can be interpreted in so many different ways.

[Tamar Meshigian]

Absolutely. So we always try to mix it up. As Tammy was saying, it's very important that to have the artisans be present, and it's very important to please people like Denise. Designers like Denise, because you want to make sure that your product is well represented. So this year, we have one of the directors of Farrow and Ball coming, and she is coming not only to present product, but also, I'm sure she wants to hear what designers are interested in, in the way of palettes. And, I mean, this is how they can do their information gathering. We, on an organizational level, feel that what we're seeing is that people want new and kind of exclusive events. So we have, for example, an LCDQ member, Una Milan, who's very popular. She literally. She bought a house and she created her own private salon, if you will, called Una Casa Privada. It's less than a mile from the lcdq. And she had a launch last year during Legends. And again this year, we will probably have at least one event at Una Casa Pravada. So people like these exclusive moments off campus, which we want to foster and encourage as much as we can so that we inspire the end user, which is the designer.

[Denise McGehay]

Right?

[Tamar Meshigian]

I mean, they're not the end user, but they are the ones who represent the end user. So we want to continuously inspire, inspire and have opportunities for designers like Denise to be enriched and discover and educate themselves.

[Michael Boudreau]

So, Denise, I guess you kind of get the last word here because everybody's after you to show up. So my question is, again, how do you decide what to go to? Are there events that you've gone to that you found disappointing and that you decided you wouldn't go to again, because for various reasons or whatever the reason may be, what would be your advice to someone like Tammy or Tamar or somebody else who's trying to put together Deco off or whatever, what would you like them to know about your perspective as a designer?

[Denise McGehay]

I think as a designer, you have to ask yourself, what's my business? How do I work? I focused mainly on smaller projects that are full of vintage and antique. I filling 20 houses a year with furnishings. You can't get all of that in one place. Are you buying for your store or your storefront? As a designer that also has a retail presence, and then decide who the people are that fit that need. I travel to High Point every time they're open. I haven't been to LCDQ since the pandemic strictly because it coincides with something else. I do that same time of year here in Texas. I go to Deco off. I only go once a year in January. I'm going to Salone this year for the kitchen show for the first time, just because I happen to be there for something else. In Italy, I go to New York at least twice a year to shop and purchase. I have a small stable of things I keep in a warehouse that are unique and one of a kind. I buy them because I love them. I buy 80% for a project, 20% because I know I'm going to place it in the future. I go to High Point to look at what's new from the manufacturers that I buy from as a dealer, because we do buy a lot of furniture every year. So I'm wanting to know what's new, fresh and coming and when it's going to be available. You may show it to me in a catalog, but I might not be able to get it for nine years. So I'm going to wait and show it to a client when it's available. And so it's really being an educated business owner and knowing who my market is, who I'm selling to, and what is it going to take to do my job in the best way while still creating unique, one of a kind interiors for my clients and my projects. That's what I do. And I would encourage designers to know who you are, know who your customer is, and find the markets that feed you what you need in order to do it well. And once you know that, develop relationships with those people that provide you with those things. Because there will be a time when you need to pick up the phone and call your favorite art dealer or your favorite antiques dealer and say, I had my eye on a 1920s XYZ and it's sold. And I know you work in that era. What do you have for me? Can you help me find something? When you have a relationship and you've bought from someone in the past and they can consider you a valued customer, whether it's a manufacturer, an antiques dealer, an art gallery, they love to assist you, they love to help you. And when you have those relationships, you also get treated really well. When you walk through the door, you're invited to the most exclusive events. Often they'll pick up the phone and call you, just like Tamar said, with a small focus group, and ask your opinion.

[Tammy Covington Nagum]

Take that call.

[Denise McGehay]

Help each other out. That's what makes this industry what it is. And the more we do for one another, the stronger we're going to be, the more we're able to weather a storm of something like Covid that none of us ever expected. And manufacturers are dependent upon us and we're dependent upon them, and we're only better together. So I constantly preach that and I mean it because I also design product and making sure that our product partners are also putting out the best and brightest for designers to come see. I see it from all ends of the spectrum and I think that every show has something for a particular market. I love lcdq. The timing's been off for me in the past, but as I hear you talking today, I miss those small, exclusive events. I think they're amazing. I love going to talks there. I love the weather there. I mean, I'm not gonna lie, it's going to rain in High Point. October, April. Just prep yourself. So there are multiple reasons why. And last but not least, you've mentioned it several times. I get to see my friends in the industry. So many of my friends I don't have enough time to talk to on the phone that live in other cities and I see them at events and we connect at events and we have a dinner or we go have cocktails before we go to something else larger in the evening and go our own way. We're the only ones that drink this Kool Aid, that understand what this industry is all about. And you cannot do design alone. You need friends that can either help you solve a problem, commiserate with you after an incredibly challenging install, or a difficult client. And every designer you talk to will tell you that they have three design friends that they use as kind of their board of directors. And that's where we all meet, is at these events. And if you don't have that and you're a designer and you haven't been to one of these shows, I would encourage you to go. You'll find your tribe there, whether you're on the influencer side, whether you're on the design side. And to your point, manufacturers visiting with one another, coming over to see their competitors, showrooms, it's really all about relationships at every level at all of these shows.

[Michael Boudreau]

Well, I think we've definitively answered one of my questions. Is community still important? And that's definitely a resounding, resounding yes to that. And I think that's very good advice, Denise. Designers should figure out which, if they can't afford to go to the mall, time wise or money wise, you need to figure out what's important to you, but make sure you go because those connections are so important. So a High Point is happening in April. LCDQ in May. There's so many other ones. There's Texas Design Days. There's what's new, what's next in New York, Design center in the fall. So many in New York, so many around Paris, of course, Deco off in Maison Salone if you want to. And it's overwhelming. I can attest Atlanta has design days. They're all around the country. Chicago has it. It's all around the country. So designers go to these events, go to the markets. I really can't thank my guests enough. Tammy Covington Nagum of High Point, Tamar Meshigian of LCDQ, and the incomparable Denise McGehe of Dallas, Texas, and a brilliant creator. So thank you, my wonderful guests, and thank everyone for listening to the Cherish Podcast. You've been listening to the Cherish Podcast, brought to you, of course, by Cherish, which was voted by the readers of USA Today as the best place to shop online for furniture and home decor. If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend or colleague. Or better yet, go to Apple Podcasts and leave us a review. We appreciate your help in spreading the word and we would love your ideas for future episodes. Please email [e-mail] the Cherish podcast is produced by by Mugs Buckley and engineered by Hanger Studios in New York. Until next time.