BOND Custom is not like any other architecture event because of who comes, the mind-blowing projects they are working on and the quality of access that attending suppliers get to savour
October 24th, Newport Beach, CA, around lunchtime. Those walking through the lobby of the VEA Newport Beach will have noticed a group start to gather. The more observant would have noticed that some were looking wide-eyed, possibly a bit nervous but keen to catch someone’s eye and get chatting. And others, hugging and warmly shaking hands, visibly delighted to find themselves among treasured friends once more.
And this was the scene as some of the best-known names in custom residential architecture and design waited to board their bus for the Orange County Museum of Art for the pre-event tour before BOND Custom 2024 officially kicked off that evening. And among the more nervous were ambitious manufacturers attending for the first time as they started to put faces to the names they’ve been chasing for years. But nerves soon started to melt away as the bus filled with conversation and introductions were made and that thing called networking started to flow.
BOND Custom is not like any other architect event. It’s unique because of who comes, the mind-blowing projects they are working on and the quality of access that attending suppliers get to savour.
Having such talent in one place takes the whole feel and experience of the event to another level and does wonders for potential long-term ROI
Over the past 20 years, BOND has nurtured and developed connections at the very top end of custom luxury residential design to ensure that the quality of architects and designers you’ll meet at BOND Custom will simply not be found at any other ‘similar’ event. And, as far as we know, BOND is the only one in the architecture and design event space who guarantees the quality of attendees at all their events - each architect at Custom having to meet the following criteria:
- Be a Principal or above
- Work nationally in scope
- Evidence a portfolio of live, confirmed luxury custom home projects.
Having such talent in one place takes the whole feel and experience of the event to another level and does wonders for potential long-term ROI for the attending manufacturers. Here’s a small sample of the luxury custom home project leaders who downed tools for a few days and headed to BOND Custom this year:
- Landry Design, Brian Pinket, Partner
- Bruce Nagel & Partners, Bruce Nagel, Managing Partner and Founder
- Candelaria Design, Evelyn Jung, Principal CFO
- Stansel and Case, Maiju Stansel, Partner
- Damien Blumetti Architects, Damien Blumetti, Principal
- Forest Studio, Bob White, Owner
- Birdseye, Brian Mac, Principal
- LaRue Architecture Design, James LaRue, Principal
Top firms and impressive job titles is one thing (two things, actually). But what makes conversations get very interesting very quickly at Custom is, of course, the incredible projects that these decision makers are charged with bringing to life. Each and every architect is asked to provide details on confirmed (non-confidential) projects their firm is working on. This list is made available to all attending manufacturers as part of the detailed profile and remit info. they get on all the architects to help them choose their 1-on-1 meetings. Email us for the full project list.
The people and the projects are guaranteed. This is a strong start for any event and part of what differentiates a BOND event from your traditional trade show. But it’s the format that lets you realise the full potential of spending 3 days and nights in this rarefied company.
Those who took the tour (highly recommended, especially for first-timers) were delighted they did as their BONDing had already started before the Welcome Dinner on the Thursday night. It also meant that they already knew some people and those people knew other people who they’d be only too happy to introduce them to.
This is part of what we may call the BOND effect: when you take busy practice leaders away from the office to a relaxed setting for a few days, where everything is taken care of, they are less distracted and so they start to relax and open up and take more of a genuine interest in you. And this makes the conversations you can have with them so much more natural and interesting and this is far more conducive to making genuine connections that are much more likely to lead to meaningful business. BOND’s Family Games Night with classics such as sack races, Twister, egg-and-spoon races and the ever-thrilling musical chairs would have no doubt helped to oil the wheels…
What followed in a bit of a whirlwind were two packed days of 1-on-1 meetings, an inspiring and educational seminar programme and lots and lots of natural networking over meals, throughout the day, at the bar and way into the night for many.
BOND does the hard work of finding the top-end residential architects and designers behind the headline projects that ambitious manufacturers would love to be part of. And, like any other leaders in their field, these highly acclaimed and successful architects can only stay at the top of their game with the inspiration and support they rely on from the manufacturers they have come to trust and whom they will specify again and again. And that is ultimately what a BOND event is all about: spending quality, focused (and fun) time with the true project influencers in your sector so you get to know each other in a way that doesn’t happen at other events and this is where trust and friendships start to build and that’s when the real business happens.
And that's about enough from me - here's what the architects and suppliers had to say:
- Architects
How do you rate BOND Custom overall?
4.8/5
BOND is one of the most efficient uses of my time for finding and gathering information on products, materials, and processes. This is the one conference I never miss.
Rodney Kazenske, Owner/Architect, Yardstick Studio LLC
How do you rate the management and coordination from the BOND Team onsite?
5/5
The event was exceptionally well-managed, with a smooth, organized structure that facilitated meaningful interactions. The team curated a strong attendee list, ensuring each meeting was relevant and valuable, and every detail was thoughtfully handled to maximize productivity and engagement.
Rick Tomasetti, Tomasetti Architects llc, Principal
How do you rate the 1-to-1 Business Meetings that you had?
4.6 – 100% vg/excellent
Met some great new suppliers that I'm already in touch with.
Graham Smith, Altius, Managing Principal
How likely are you to recommend BOND Custom to your peers and colleagues?
9.6/10
2. Suppliers
How do you rate BOND Custom overall?
4.8/5
I discovered this was my 12th event that I attended over the years which is evidence of my thoughts on their return on investment. Recently I was planning my marketing spend for next year and know for certain that any trade show I put the large expense to attend will not deliver the quality interaction that I receive at BOND. Nor will I have as much fun.
Todd Clarke N.A. Sales Manager, HumiLife
How do you rate the management and coordination from the BOND Team onsite?
4.9/5
The entire BOND team was extremely helpful and the coordination was like nothing I have seen before.
Daniel Trebelhorn, Accsys (Accoya), Technical Sales Mgr.
How would you rate the customer service you received prior to the event?
4.9/5
As a first time attendee, there were nerves, but we could not have been better prepared by the staff leading up to the event. You gave all your energy to see the program was a success to all of us in attendance.
Stacie Dinwiddy, HLB Lighting Design, Associate Director
How do you rate the 1-to-1 Business Meetings that you had?
4.5/5
The best ROI based on the specification opportunities presented as compared to cost
Dean Moilanen, Director of Architectural Services, Noble Company
How do you rate the quality and variety of the Architects/Designers you met with?
4.5/5
This was of course a high-end custom residential event, so there was not a ton of variety in that regard (expected). However, the quality and variety of individuals and firms representing a vast geography was excellent.
Daniel Trebelhorn, Accsys (Accoya), Technical Sales Mgr.
How likely are you to recommend BOND Custom to your colleagues and peers?
95.5%
Enough said.
BOND Custom sells out earlier every year. If you want to find out what America's most in-demand high-end custom residential architects are working on and how you can help them to deliver better solutions for their clients, just fill in the enquiry form and we will be in touch to arrange a call.
