Interior Design Hosts First Virtual re:Source
On the heels of the first ever virtual NYCxDESIGN Awards, Interior Design hosted its debut virtual re:Source event May 20, enabling an intimate group of designers and manufacturers from across the United States to connect in an innovative format. The event took place—so to speak—in a virtual cafe, complete with designated lounge areas.
“The way it works is that sponsors stay, and designers pop by different tables,” explained Carol Cisco, publisher of Interior Design, in her opening remarks via video. She then offered a heartfelt thank you to each sponsor including Davis Furniture, Rocky Mountain Hardware, Craftmade/Woodard , and Bryan Ashley, encouraging everyone to “go forth and meet.” Attendees did just that, as designers moved from one simulated table to the next for aptly timed 17-minute meetings with manufacturers, similar to previous re:Source events.
Throughout the nearly three-hour event, attendees had the opportunity to take a break in four lounges where they could chat with teams from Interior Design, ThinkLab, Material Bank and, if needed, tech support. After several rounds of stimulating discussions, participants capped off the day with a virtual happy hour on Zoom. “It’s only 2:20 p.m. in California… but there are no rules in quarantine,” joked one participant, raising a glass to cheers. The conversation quickly turned to how and when people will return to the workplace and best practices for navigating client relationships when in-person meetings are not possible. “From a vendor standpoint, will you allow presentations?” asked one attendee, thinking ahead to what office culture may look like later this year.
As the happy hour winded down, three of the last attendees standing won door prizes in a raffle drawing, including a surprise from Davis Furniture and two impromptu gifts from Bryan Ashley. One designer’s four-legged friends even made a brief appearance, bringing smiles to everyone’s faces as the event came to a close.
Up next, the NeoCon re:Source will be held June 17.
A big thank you to our re:Source partners:
