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For Immediate Release November 20, 2000 IFDA CONFERENCE ASSESSES BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES; PREDICTS LIFESTYLE, FURNISHINGS CHANGESWASHINGTON, DC, NOVEMBER 2000 — The increasing speed at which change is happening and its impact was an over arching theme of the biennial conference of the International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), held at the Mayflower Hotel here. It is expected to significantly affect both broad world economic trends in an era of globalization and the more personal directions of lifestyles and furnishings. Business sessions and awards presentations reinforced the conference theme, ""Honor the Past; Envision the Future." IFDA's prestigious Trailblazer Award was presented to world renowned architect Michael Graves, FAIA, noted not only for his architectural achievements, but also for his innovative product designs, including those recently introduced for the mass market Business conditions and the global marketplace was addressed by two keynoters, John J. McDevitt, corporate economist, Corporate Marketing and Public Affairs, 3M, and by Ambassador Craig Johnstone, senior vice president, International Economic and National Security Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Both stressed the importance of globalization and its impact on business, whether exporting, importing or sourcing abroad. McDevitt predicted a slowing economy and emphasized that in a tougher competitive environment where space and time are shrinking, "managing business is managing change." Encapsulating the steps needed for business to survive and prosper, he particularly cited containing costs, providing extraordinary service and differentiating one's company. "Prudent persons manage costs, control spending," he cautioned. Johnstone recommended that business try to profit from the big opportunities being offered. He suggested eliminating some areas of distribution and said that "winning is being on top of the issues. Globalization is inevitable, he confirmed, and business will be very much impacted by it. Answering criticisms of off-shore employment standards, he insisted that what is important is that "proven standards, not exact standards" be maintained. Focusing on the association's landmark survey, "20/20; IFDA's Vision for the Future," a panel of experts predicted that our interior architecture and, inevitably, furnishings will change to adapt to new or altered ways of using rooms and spaces by the year 2020. Gale Steves, vice president and editor-in-chief, Home Magazine, suggested that we "will be leaving behind products that furnished our houses and helped to raise our children. They will have little meaning to Gen X and Y." She predicted that, while many rooms will revise or expand functions, technology will be driving interior design, with kitchens most affected by demographic changes. Furniture product development is already changing tremendously, Valerie Moran, CEO, Grange Furniture noted. She believes buying trends will change, also, with every person owning a computer system by 2020. Among the items on her "hit list" that she believes will be most important for product designers to develop are furniture that is multifunctional, multi- purpose, time saving, provides storage and organization. With a significant majority of the population aging, Patricia Moore, Arizona State University and president of Design Moore, a firm specializing in universal design, urged a re-thinking of our approach to ageing, a process that cannot be stopped. "We must advocate against clustering by age," she said, "inclusion must be the key to everything we do." Members were honored at various events thorough out the conference for their contributions to IFDA. At a gala Saturday night banquet Jeanne Marie Byington, FIFDA, J M Byington & Associates, a New York communications firm, was named recipient of IFDA's National Honorary Recognition Award, only the 17th person in the Association's 53-year history to be so honored. Claire K. Coleman, FIFD |
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