Coming up in our December issue will be a full report with photos on our fall conference: The Designer & Workroom Conference in Springfield, MA. In the meantime, we’ve been going through the “conference comments” (as we always do) submitted by attendees.
    This is a very important exercise. We ask attendees many written questions (several of them open-ended) and their responses help guide us and shape future events. We place a lot of value in these comments. We don’t just ask about their overall impressions of the conference. We ask about specific events, what they thought about them, and what suggestions they might ha...more

One of the things I am hearing is that workroom owners and experienced window stylings designers need appointments. For the first time in memory good people are available because retailers don't have enough appointments to keep their decorators busy. At the same time interior designers selling furniture, accessories, and draperies don't have enough new customers to keep workrooms busy. What is the impact? More and more window treatment consultants are learning a new skill: how to find customers! I have written many times that the fastest, lowest cost way to get business is to knock on doors and introduce yourself. Never was it more ...more

We are all watching every dollar we invest. We are all keeping a watchful eye on our return on investment when we invest that dollar. In two weeks Draperies & Window Coverings Magazine will host its Eastern Designer & Workroom Conference. It is a conference that will give you the attended the information and ideas that will give you the edge through the first half of 2009 on your competition and on the marketplace in general and don’t forget, you are there to have a good time!

The D&W...more