The Buzz from Vision10

The team at Grace McNamara Inc, producers of Vision10 and WF Vision Magazine, would like to extend a big thank you to all the attendees, exhibitors, designers, students, speakers, and sponsors for coming together as an industry at Vision10 this year in Atlanta, GA. We look forward to seeing you next year in Tampa FL for Vision11.

Vision 10 IWCE was great...classes, showroom, energy & meeting old friend and making new ones. So disappointing, as both you & Carol said, not to see the big name vendors there. Will they die like Artmark Fabrics did because they are letting us forget they exist?
-Rissi Cherie-

"We at Orion thought the show was super -- lots of good traffic all three days. We introduced 2 new VERY COOL products: Clip-A-Crown - a metal valance for blinds to enhance the look, and SleekFascia--iron traversing system with rings, which can also be motorized. And, I can add that we won WCMA awards for both! I think it was one of the best shows we've had. Grace is certainly to be commended for all her hard work in keeping this show going."

- Kay Blair/Orion-

"Somfy Booth Cocktail Hour:My first tweetup, but not my last!"

-Sarah McKeel Youngblood

~WFCP Advisory Board~
"What a GREAT time we had at IWCE! Grace put on an exceptional event!"

-Judy Soccio-

Gather a bunch of creative people at a creative event called a "tweet up" - add wine - brilliant! A very fun and creative end to a great day on the EXPO floor.

-Kathy Broderick Cragg-

"What a show! The Buzz is out; this was the best show in years. Great energy, people, new people and lots of interest all around. Attendees stayed for at least 2 to 3 days, because there was something going on all the time to hold their attention."
-Margi Kyle, IDS-

"Attending the Expo is like being able to attend our industry's family reunion, it so Energizing and meaningful!"

- Lurene Darnell Ulrich-

"It was great being at the Expo. Grace McNamara is doing a real service to the industry. The Roellchen family found their first visit a huge benefit, as will all large and small business owners."

-Steve Bursten-

"I had a wonderful time at the show this week. What is important to me is not the size of the show, but the fact that I had over 100 quality conversations with customers old and new. That is why I go. To get out from behind my desk and spend time with customers. Keep up the good work and I will see you next year. http://www.awardfabrics.com/"

-Mark Steinbaum-

"Thank you for everything Grace! We had a great show, much more action than we had expected, and our suppliers are very happy. Hope to see you again next year for another great Vision IWCE! "

-Travis Storch-

"Loved seeing many familiar faces and connecting with new attendees & vendors. DraperyPro will continue to help Vision10 strengthen our industry. Looking forward to Tampa next year!"

-Dian Hunt Garbarini-

"LexMar Wholesale Window Fashions would like to thank Grace, Shannon, and the rest of your team, for an awesome show for 2010. We will be back for Tampa 2011!!"

-Anthony Lauer-

Segs in The City

Our friends at Helser Brothers sent us this awesome invite!
Helser Brothers have booked a 2 hour Segway tour of downtown Atlanta and have room for six more friends!
As a fun way to encourage folks to sign up for our Facebook fan-page and subscribe to whyhelser, we are offering two ways to enter:
You will find a form here at whyhelser.com and another form on the Helser Brothers Facebook page. Each form submitted will serve as an entry and another name in the hat.
We will be pulling six names from the hat on Friday May 7th and announcing the winners at both locations at 12 noon, Pacific time.

Good luck- See you in ATL!!

Jackie Blue Home: New Media Day at IWCE in Atlanta, Friday, May 14

I’m thrilled to be hosting an all day New Media event at this years VISION 10"’, International Window Coverings Expo in Atlanta, on Friday, May 14th. The days activities focus on the explosive growth in the world of social media and it’s effect on the interior design industry today and in the future.


I will be starting off the day at 8:00 am with a seminar on the basics of social media: GET CONNECTED: Grow Your Business with Social Media

I’ll be talking about the basics of Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, you Tube, etc. and how to adopt them for your design business success.


The highlight of the day is the Design Perspectives Panel at 4:00pm. We are so happy to have a great group of influential bloggers representing designers, manufacturers, and vendors on our panel.





Brian Patrick Flynn is an interior designer and founder of the online decorating magazine, decordemon.com. He gained attention for his bold, glamorous spaces created almost entirely with garage sale items and flea market finds. Formally educated in television production, Brian made the leap to interior design after working as a producer on various hit home makeover programs. Décor Demon was created as an online outlet for Brian to produce original editorial lifestyle content from a witty and practical male point-of-view. From modern home renovations to the latest baby toy craze, Décor Demon’s features aim to be both inspiring and entertaining.





Valorie Hart of Visual Vamp is a vivacious personality, experienced designer, writer, and tango dancer and teacher among other things. Her blog is a lively reflection of her fascinating life in New Orleans. Valories work and her own eclectic home is a favorite among other bloggers and online publications.





Skyla Freeman, author of the home and style blog Sanity Fair (sfair.blogspot.com), learned to love design from an early age. Her mother, a former decorator, and her father, a self-taught architect, raised their family in a Southern home filled with art and Asian antiquities. After working at the White House for nearly four years, she left in 2009 to write full-time at SkylaFreeman.com and founded Sanity Fair. Since then, the blog has grown a steady following, received several blogging awards, and been featured in the January/February 2010 issue of Atlantan Magazine as a "Fab Five" design blog. An entryway to stylish living for all budgets and lifestyles, Sanity Fair provides everyone from renters to professional designers with fresh decoration and fashion inspiration. From Parisian couture to the local Target, Sanity Fair is about discovering the lovely things in life - wherever they are found.



Debbie Green from Minutes Matter - In The Loop Blog, is an industry innovator and educator who has spearheaded the inclusion of technology and social media in the window covering industry. Debbie’s company Minutes Matter Solutions Inc. produces Studio software, a graphic design software program for the interior design industry.





Jay Helser of the Why Helser blog is one half of the fabulous Helser Brothers team of drapery hardware manufacturing fame. Widely recognized and acclaimed for their fabulous customer service and beautiful and innovative product line, the Brothers Helser are forging new ground in the world of social media through dream giveaways and raffles to their customers via their blog. They even gave away a trip to Paris last year!


This promises to be an eye opening and inspiring event so please sign up early and don’t miss it. The panel discussion will be followed by a networking event for all attendees.

Sign in for the TweetUp HERE

See You in Atlanta!

Jackie

Lutron to Roll Out a New Experience at the International Window Coverings Expo

Lutron to Roll Out a New Experience
at the International Window Coverings Expo


Coopersburg, PA (May 3, 2010) – Lighting control manufacturer Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., will be featuring its latest innovations at the Vision 10: International Window Coverings Expo and Southern Building Show in Atlanta, Georgia, May 13-15, 2010, via its 43’ Mobile Experience Center. The residentially-designed mobile unit will be parked inside the Georgia World Congress Center at booth 1024.

New Lutron products on display include the Kirbé™ vertical drapery system, Roman shades with CERUS™ (Cord-Eliminating Roman Uptake System) safety technology, cornice top treatments, Sivoia® QS Wireless, plus new shade and drapery fabric options from the Avant Collection™.

The Kirbé vertical drapery system allows homeowners to operate draperies up and down, instead of side-to-side, all at the touch of a button. This state-of-the-art system contains an intelligent roller drive that silently draws the fabric up and completely out of the way, giving homeowners full access to a window or door and the view beyond by completely eliminating stack back.

Lutron’s CERUS safety technology allows for a safer Roman shade system by eliminating lifting cords typically associated with their construction. This system utilizes color-adaptive mesh uptake bands instead of smaller exposed inner cords, which can potentially pose a strangulation hazard to small children. CERUS also improves performance and reliability, offering smoother, more even travel of the shade and eliminates the possibility of cords tangling with each other.

The New Avant Collection includes a variety of fabrics for use with the Kirbé system, traditional drapery, or cornice top treatments, as well as a new line of soft fabrics and woven woods for Roman shade systems. The collection includes a variety of contemporary and traditional fabric options to complement any décor.

Sivoia QS Wireless is the latest in automated shade control from Lutron that is beautiful, scalable, and reliable. By eliminating communication wiring, sophisticated shade control can be easily installed into new or retrofit applications with more versatile control options. The shading system utilizes Lutron’s proprietary RF technology, ClearConnect™ that allows the system to reliably scale from one-room to an entire home.

For a preview of Lutron’s Mobile Experience Center, visit www.smarttodim.com and learn about the entire breadth of Lutron product aboard.

About Lutron Electronics (www.lutron.com)
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures lighting controls and automated window treatments for residential and commercial applications. Lutron products save energy and make light bulbs last longer, making them an eco-friendly addition to the home and office.
# # #

Corporate Contact Agency Contact
Melissa Andresko Stephanie Herzfeld
Media Relations Manager Media Relations Specialist
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. Carmichael Lynch Spong
610.282.6440 212.414.6844
mandresko@lutron.com stephanie.herzfeld@clynch.com

Somfy is offering 50% off a motorized shade sample case!

For a limited time Somfy is offering 75% OFF a motorized shade sample case! This effective selling tool is the best way to demonstrate the benefits of window covering motorization to your clients. The case is compact, lightweight and also features over the door rubber hooks to provide a hands- free demonstration without damaging the client’s property. Bring the motorized sample case to every consultation and watch your profits grow!

Each motorized sample case includes a motorized window covering, power supply, Telis 1 RTS Pure remote and carrying case with over the door hooks. All product samples feature Radio Technology Somfy® (RTS) and are available in a variety of options such as a roller shade, cell shade or wood blind.

Visit Somfy at booth 1016 to learn more.

WFCP and Minutes Matter are in the Clouds

WFCP and Minutes Matter are in the Clouds
Contact: deb@gracemcnamarainc.com

St. Paul, MN, April 1, 2010—Working “in the clouds” sounds like a fairytale, doesn’t it? Cloud computing is far from a fairytale, but it’s still just as exciting! So, “why would I want to move my company to cloud computing?” There are many advantages, but here are the top three:
1. Cost Effective: Cost effective way to organize your company and reduce software costs.
2. Time Efficient: Easily schedule tasks, appointments and group meetings, and control who has access to the various calendars.
3. On The Go: Easily retrieve information using your mobile device or another computer, making you more efficient even when you’re on the go!

Join Window Fashions Certified Professionals (WFCP) and Debbie Green, CEO of Minutes Matter, as we demystify cloud computing in a complimentary presentation on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 8 a.m. at Vision10: International Window Coverings EXPO, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Find out how your company could easily move its email, calendar, documents, spreadsheets and even presentations to the Clouds. Learn how you can work with clients by sharing a specific folder and keep them constantly updated on the progress of a job.
For more information, visit www.wf-vision.com and click on “Shows.”
About Window Fashions Certified Professionals Window Fashions Certified Professionals is the window coverings industry premier certification program. WFCP is a community of more than 4,000 members driven by a common passion for window fashions, committed to the belief that this element of interior design is a powerful multi-faceted profession that can positively change people’s lives. The group works to promote window fashions as a critical element of interior design and a powerful multi-faceted profession, and enriches members’ careers by promoting the value of certification through education, knowledge and experiences.
About Minutes MatterMinutes Matter is the leading provider of digital solutions and organizational systems. They provide tools to streamline your business and increase your profits. They are passionate about the importance of systematizing every business: doing the same thing … the same way … every time. Minutes Matter now offers more than 100 different products and services to interior designers, fabrication specialists and other design professionals. Minutes Matter also developed Studio, which is a graphic design software program that saves time during consultations and eliminates costly communication errors.

Networking 2.0: Social Media Insight at Vision10

WFCP Sponsors New Media Day at Vision10

WFCP Sponsors New Media Day at Vision10
Contact:deb@gracemcnamarainc.com

ST. PAUL, MN, March 30, 2010—Are you aware how social media and Web 2.0 will be making a difference to interiors in the next year? Adobe just released “What Shopper’s Want,” a study to identify and analyze e-commerce “visual merchandising” experiences. They found that 68 percent of women—our industry’s key demographic—purchased home furnishings online in the last year. And this wasn’t just teens, Millennials or Gen Xers. This was core home-owning, 50–64 year-olds—61 percent of women in that age group purchased home decor online.
We’re on top of this at WFCP. We’ve recognized the importance of Web 2.0 and social media and have dubbed Friday, May 14 “New Media Day” at Vision10. WFCP is sponsoring events throughout the day, including a variety of events in the WFCP Lounge focusing on the web, social media and how it can work for you. Watch for citizen bloggers walking the aisles and tweeting real time the excitement of Vision10—and we have three special sessions scheduled throughout the day, all designed to inform, educate and connect.
Start the day at 8 a.m. with what new media maven Jackie Von Tobel, WFCP Specialist, considers to be Social Media 101. She’ll introduce you to the range of free social media tools available to everyone, explain the differences between them and demonstrate easy-to implement first steps. This early-morning free session is sponsored by WFCP but is open to all. Look for “Get Connected: Grow Your Business with Social Media” in the Vision10 show planner.
At 4 p.m. you can look forward to the Design Perspectives panel discussion. This lively discussion featuring in-the-know design and industry bloggers will give perspectives on what’s going on in the design world today and segue into a discussion on how to capitalize on social media as a design pro. The panel, moderated by Von Tobel, will demonstrate specific examples of how to use social media to engage your customers, grow your career or business and drive social change. To close out this session, we’ll announce the first Blogger’s Choice awards for products and services from the show floor. Well-known design bloggers participating on the panel include Tobi Fairley, BeachBungalow8.blogspot.com; Valorie Hart, VisualVamp.blogspot.com; and Skyla Freeman, Sfair.blogspot.com.
The final “official” event for New Media Day will be a blogger’s meet-up, immediately following the panel discussion. It will be a fantastic opportunity to network, exchange information, discover new contacts and make valuable connections.