1-on-1 Meetings and Networking with America's Top Interior Architects
“This was the most rewarding event I have experienced over the 28 years I have been in the design / manufacturing profession.... my first BOND Event.”
Brandon Winn, Director, National Sales - Snowsound USA
This past September (21-24 September 2023), the people behind North America’s most spectacular commercial interior projects downed tools for a few days and headed to Arc Interiors in Texas. That’s America’s most sought-after A&D firms with the projects you’d love to be a part of.
Here’s a little taster of who was there - all Design Principals from the Top 100 Interior Design firms as specified by ID magazine, and all with bulging project portfolios and the clout to decide who gets specified and who doesn’t:
- Principal & Mixed Use Leader, Gensler
- Interior Design Principal, Perkins and Will
- Design Director, AECOM
- Principal & Director of Interiors, HOK
- Principal, IA Interior Architects
- Associate Vice President, CannonDesign
- Director of Design, Page
- Sr Principal & Director of Design, SmithGroup
Quality Time with the Commercial Interior Project Leaders
Having these commercial interior project leaders in one place for a few days is an exciting enough prospect for any building product manufacturer. But it’s having the time and space to get beyond the sales pitch and get to know each other properly that makes this so special. Here’s what went down:
First-time nerves usually start to kick in on arrival at the BOND welcome desk as the neatly laid out name badges start to make it real. Wow! Some big hitters here! One or two familiar firms and names help to reassure, and you finally get to meet that very helpful person from BOND who always answered your emails quickly and she seems genuinely pleased to meet you at last. Nice start.
Those who opted for the pre-event tour could get straight down to networking or ‘saying hello and see what happens’ before the event officially starts with the Welcome Dinner that evening. A coach whisks you off for a guided tour of The Alamo, through the original footprint of the Spanish mission complex (today called Alamo Plaza), describing the events leading up to and including the Battle itself. Your guide brings it all to life as you start to find yourself getting into all sorts of interesting conversations as you settle into America's Leading Interior Design Forum.
Back at the hotel, stack of new business cards on the table, you’re glad you took the tour as you look forward to seeing some now familiar faces at the Welcome Dinner that evening. And, every single human being probably finds the prospect of being in a crowd of largely unknown people a bit daunting, but you grab a beer or whatever you fancy and before you know it you’re having a deep and meaningful conversation with someone who knows someone, who then introduces you to someone else and this thing called networking seems to take on a life of its own and you’re starting to enjoy the ride.
Never attended before. You did what you promised - put me in front of designers who need our product.
Paul Downs, Paul Downs Cabinetmakers, President
Meetings were well paced; presentations were interesting; facilities were very nice; delegates were delightful; Bond staff was outstanding
Lindas Brown, Corgan Senior Specifier
1-on-1 with America's Top Interior Architects
Your alarm goes off just that little bit before you want it to and you’re soon navigating the breakfast buffet, letting more nods, smiles, handshakes and little exchanges bring you into your first business day as the coffee starts to kick in. And the seminar gets your grey matter firing as your first one-on-one meeting looms. Breathe. You’ve got this.
And this is where your prep’ comes into its own. You’ve actually read the stuff about getting the most out of these precious few days. You’ve done your research. You know something about this person you’re about to meet and you’re curious to know more and that curiosity is all you need. And these ‘star buyers’, as it turns out, are surprisingly friendly and approachable and appreciate your interest in what they’re up to and in what they might actually need. And you’re glad you started by asking them some questions and in 30 superfast minutes you get a genuine feel for the person in front of you and for any potential to explore things further over the coming days.
Then lunch. And those first morning nerves have already been replaced by something a lot more pleasant as that fear of the unknown melts away and you look around you and take in some of the names on badges and you smile to yourself. Because you start to realise that the hard work is done. The people are here. BOND have delivered what they said they would. You’ve already made more promising connections than you thought you would. It’s a welcome surprise. What a relief! Very different to a trade show. There’s a community feel here. People are helpful and there’s time to talk. Your network is growing. The potential here is mind-blowing. Food’s tasty too. And there’s cake!
Well-fed and watered, the atmosphere in the meetings room is different from this morning. More relaxed. Everyone feels it. First morning done. We know what we’re doing now. This isn’t about nailing the perfect sales pitch in 20 minutes. You remember that every single piece of long-term, meaningful business that you’ve nurtured and won has taken time. It’s a long game. And it all starts with a conversation. And, as you relax and properly come into the room, you get into your flow and the conversations find their own way and that’s when the magic starts to happen and those conversations bring timely introductions, uncovering promising leads from totally unexpected sources. And that’s just how it works.
First day of meetings done. Time to call the office and catch up with things back home and freshen up for the evening ahead. Much less daunting than the first night. You’re looking forward to a bit of a mingle. A good old Texas barbecue. ‘Tex Mex with a twist’ and the best Texan sounds to go with it. Sounds like fun. And you're hungry again already!
My first experience at BOND Events and it was definitely one for the books! The opportunity to engage in meaningful and real conversations with the A&D community and show what Tamlyn can do to help is what it's about.
Milton Lozano, Specifications Team, Tamlyn
DAY 3
And your second day of meetings goes by in a flash of warm handshakes, lots of talking, nodding and smiling and pages of hastily typed notes and valuable new contacts (too much to try and remember). There’s a real buzz in the room now as genuine connections and friendships start to form and the prospect of new business brings a glow of excitement inside and you can’t wait to talk to the office later.
It is the BEST way to meet and discuss projects with suppliers. My 1-on-1 meetings were great.
Heather Kleman, KZF Design, Studio Lead - Private Client division
Top designers from top firms...what more can you ask for?
Carol Hildebrand, Sales Leader, Windfall Architectural Products
Top level architects from large Architectural firms.
SIMONSWERK, Whitewater, WI Regional Sales Manager - North
Good to meet interior specific A/D - those focused on what we offer - good to talk with principals who had greater context and decision making capabilities.
Michelle Parisi, Director of Sales, Paul Downs Custom Conference Tables
‘Official’ business is over. What a few days it’s been! You had an idea of who would be here, of how things worked and of what you hoped to achieve before you got here. But there was no way to get the potential of what was on offer here without taking that leap of faith and getting here to experience it for yourself. And, as you head down in the elevator for the final night, it stops on the first floor. And you recognise the face that’s there as the doors open. Someone you said hello to on the tour the day you arrived. Feels like weeks ago. And, before you can say anything, he re-introduces himself. Turns out he knows someone who just happens to be looking for that very thing that your company does better than anybody else. No need for the elevator pitch here as you walk and talk and another introduction is made as you take your place at the very heart of North America’s most prolific and helpful commercial interior project community.
Arc Interiors delivers America’s true commercial interior project leaders with time, space and opportunity to meet them all. The rest, frankly, is up to you.
Arc Interiors 2024 is happening on September 19-22, 2024. If you believe your products deserve their place in America’s best commercial interior projects, this is the place to get to know the people who can make that happen. For more info. on who comes, how it works and the packages available, just ask us: enquiries@bondevents.com
