Right or wrong, Texas carries with it a strong image and conjures up certain descriptors: big, ambitious, and pioneering, just to name just a few. Stereotypes 
emerge from seeds of truth, and sometimes the truth hurts. In the case of METROCON, however, the truth feels good. Real good. The event, which was just held in Big D (a.k.a. Dallas) in August 2006, has emerged as the largest design industry-related regional expo and conference in the U.S. And the kicker is that this tradeshow rodeo is organized by volunteers from three different professional organizations. See what a little cooperation can do” Yee haw!
Read All About It
Beyond telling you that the three organizations putting in all the elbow grease to throw this shindig are…
- the Texas Chapter of ASID [American Society of Interior Designers],
- the Dallas / Fort Worth Chapter of IFMA [International Facility Management Association],
- and the Texas / Oklahoma Chapter of IIDA [International Interior Design Association],
…we’re not going to regurgitate the details. OK, we’ll mention that the show featured around 225 vendors in 350 booths. You can read all about it on the official METROCON website: www.metrocon.info.
Full Disclosure
PLiNTHandCHiNTZ.com founder, Laura McDonald, was one of the three presiding co-chairs of the 2006 event. Her incredibly capable cohorts (a.k.a. co-chairs) were Carl Bergauer (lead chair) and Karen Harrell, representing IFMA and IIDA, respectively. Representing ASID, Laura will rotate in as the lead chair for 2007.
Listen Up
P&C co-conspirators, Laura McDonald and Amy Johnson, report the post-show via podcast*. Click on the player below to listen to the who, what, where, and why. See the next section for vendors mentioned in the podcast. Click here for a listing of all exhibitors (except the few who missed the listing cut-off date).
*Don’t have time to listen to the podcast now” Just follow Odeo’s easy steps to download it to your computer or MP3 player to listen to later. Click here and then click on the Download MP3 button.
See And Be Seen
Contract furniture: Steelcase, Knoll, Allsteel, Herman Miller, Teknion, OFS
Carpet: Atlas, Milliken, Pacificrest, Masland
Flooring [vinyl / rubber / laminate]: Mondo, Wilsonart, Mannington
Lighting: WAC Lighting, Architectural Lighting Associates, Lighting Alliance
Wallcovering: Koroseal, MDC
Art & Photography: Canvas Press, Sacred Pause
High-end Appliances & Fixtures: Sub-Zero / Wolf & Capital Distributing, Elegant Additions
Paint: Kwal, Benjamin Moore
Leather, Fabric, & Fabric Treatment: Edelman, Crypton, FiberSeal
Outdoor Furniture: 
Landscape Forms
Window Treatments: MechoShade, Gulf Coast Window Coverings
Acoustical Products: Archoustics South (P&C sound-masking article), WIUSA.com (division 9, 10, & 11 products – see the WIUSA.com site for explanation)
Property Restoration Services: Belfor USA
Publishers: Luxe, DFW Design Guide
Regional Furniture Dealers, Distributors & Manufacturers’ Representatives: T&L Distributing, RWA Flooring, Reid Cooper, Carpenter-Smith Southwest, Tusa Office Solutions
For The Children
As per the podcast, don’t forget Furniture 4 Kids! (Look for a photo of PLiNTHandCHiNTZ.com’s super cute, wee painted table and chairs in next month’s issue.)
Notes On The Keynote
Metropolis magazine generously put together one fantastic keynote event. The highly-respected, far-reaching design magazine turned 25 this year, and 20 of those years were under the knowledgeable eye of Editor in Chief Susan S. Szenasy. This passionate lover of thoughtful design opened up her Rolodex and hand-picked experts in a field that is not only captivating her and our industry, but also infiltrating the minds of media, government, and concerned citizens all over the world: Sustainable Design.
Moderated by Susan and titled “Green Advocacy vs. Green Literacy,” the dynamic panel of four had a multifaceted discussion about sustainable design. Go here to read their bio info, check up on their credentials, and understand why Susan wanted them to share their smarts with attendees.
Are You Listening”
Flying solo, Laura McDonald gives you the lowdown in her keynote recap podcast*. Click on the player below to hear what the panelists chatted about and which panelist she had a little academic crush on.
*Don’t have time to listen to the podcast now” Just follow Odeo’s easy steps to download it to your computer or MP3 player to listen to later. Click here and then click on the Download MP3 button.
Expert Testimony
Here’s but a smattering of the erudite points made by each of panelists.
Kendall P. Wilson, AIA, IIDA, LEED™ AP – Envision
- spoke from the perspective of commercial design (primarily corporate)
- showed several examples of LEED certified projects that he has worked on
- emphasized green materials and how far along they’ve come
- sustainable projects using materials that have been recycled, reclaimed, and/or “certified” don’t have to look “granola” – they can still be sleek, modern, and sexy
Anne Stelmack, ASID – Associates III Interior Design
- spoke from the perspective of residential and light commercial design
- been involved with green design for a long time
- has come from the approach of working with local materials and local craftsman
- emphasized the importance of educating your clients about the benefits: energy savings, cost savings, improved health
- has found contractors, vendors, and artisans who share her philosophies and worked with her on projects
James Weiner, AIA – Collaborative Project Consulting
- spoke from the perspective of a “recovering architect” with an economics background (that’s self-proclaimed title)
- now consults on projects, working to promote healthy practices such as natural daylighting, fresh air exchanges, and low- (or no-) emission interior materials
- captivated the audience with his engaging, approachable, and philosophical intelligence
- advocated that sustainable building practices be the norm, not the progressive
Christopher Hodges, P.E., CFM, IFMA Fellow, LEED™ AP – Facility Engineering Associates
- spoke from the perspective of engineering and facility management: maintenance, operations, employee productivity and retention, a company’s bottom line
- dazzled the audience with charts and graphs that were taking into account the life-cycle cost of the average building
- emphasized that the on-going operating costs, which primarily relate to energy consumption, are huge when compared to the initial building cost
- pointed out that it doesn’t matter what your reasons are for implementing sustainable design practices – i.e., true concern for the future of the planet, improved finances, better public relations, simple guilt – as long as it spurs action, who cares”
The idea is a holistic one: get all disciplines / team players – i.e., owner, architecture & design, facility management – together to plan better projects from the beginning. Though this plan of action is sometimes easier said than done, it’s worth trying.
