Getting specified for commercial interior projects
Getting specified for commercial interior projects is a long-game, right? Try to find an ‘in’ with any one of North America’s most in-demand A&D firms and you will be hit square in the face by just how competitive this marketplace is. Unless somebody senior inside already has you and your product in mind, you’re in for a long, tough ride.
So, how do you penetrate the firewall? How can you get yourself and your products in front of the people who call the shots on America’s headline commercial interior projects? First, you need to know who the real project influencers are – that’s Principals, Practice Leaders, Design Directors – the people who run things studio-side.
(If you’re not sure who specifies what, this will help: Architects v Interior Designers: who specifies what?)
These are the people with influence across the whole firm and who have the authority to not only decide who and what gets specified but to protect those spec. choices once they make them. THESE are the ones you want fighting your corner and Arc Interiors is perhaps the only place on earth where you’re guaranteed exclusive access to so many of them for three whole days and nights.
Take a good look at the firms and job titles...
And so, on September 18-21, 2025, 77 of North America’s leading interior designers left their projects and offices behind and headed to the Ritz Carlton, Florida for Arc Interiors. For many of these time-pressured decision makers, it was the only time this year that they got to catch up with their true peers from the other top A&D firms and to meet 1-on-1 with a select group of solutions experts who were there to meet them.
If you want to see exactly who was there, ask Jenny for the full, confirmed attendee list. And, when you get the list, please take a good look at the firms and job titles and think about the cost and effort behind setting up a meeting with just one of them and you’ll start to appreciate the potential value here…
Pre-Event Tour on a U.S. Coast Guard airboat
Those who got there in time were able to take part in the pre-event tour, giving them a chance to hang out and get to know some faces before the event officially started. This year’s was a beauty: Run by Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures (anyone remember The Legend of Boggy Creek?), those who took part in the (free) tour shared a silly grin-inducing ride on a U.S. Coast Guard airboat. With plenty of wildlife to spot including alligators and eagles as they charged through the headwaters of the Everglades, BOND'ing with America’s commercial interior project influencers was never so much fun.
Dropped back at the hotel, they had plenty of time to freshen up and share the experience with those back home before the Welcome Dinner officially kicked things off later. A relaxed evening of natural networking over a refreshing beverage or two and some delicious food, accompanied by the suitably classy sound of live Spanish classical guitar set a highly convivial and civilised tone for the days ahead.
The most fair and effective meeting schedule possible
A late night for some (happens to the best of us), coffee comes to the rescue at breakfast where faces are more familiar now with nods, smiles and handshakes duly exchanged. Final meetings schedules* are picked up before you’re heading to the seminar ‘Designing Harmony’ on how one can get creative about acoustic solutions for interiors. A gentle ease into the day before your first meeting with the man from HOK.
*A month before the event, all confirmed manufacturers were given access to BOND’s delegate portal where they can study detailed profiles on all confirmed interior architects and designers, including project details. They then select their ‘top 20’ – the ones they most want to meet. BOND’s system then produces the most fair and effective meeting schedule possible from designer/architect and supplier requests. These provisional schedules can be tweaked and approved before the event.
Do your research and turn up relaxed and genuinely curious
Fast forward a month and the meetings room is buzzing with conversation, suppliers with laptops/tablets and latest products are introducing themselves to the interior designers first on their schedules. Those who took the time to review BOND’s pre-event materials are especially prepared – they arrive relaxed, genuinely curious, and ready to engage. In just 30 ‘speed-dating’ minutes, they can quickly gauge whether and how to take the conversation further.
That first morning of meetings seems to fly by, and suddenly you find yourself at the buffet lunch, talking to someone you don’t have a scheduled meeting with about a project that just might benefit from your particular blend of specialist knowledge… (This happens a lot at BOND).
The people whom BOND promised would be there were there indeed
One delicious buffet and a round of business card swaps later and you’re heading back to the seminar room for the one you didn’t want to miss about indigenous knowledge in interior design, appropriately delivered by a Citizen of the White Earth Nation of Ojibwe who also happens to be a highly experienced architect and designer.
A lot can happen in a morning and as the meetings room fills up again for the first afternoon session, the vibe is more relaxed as people find their flow and first-timers are palpably relieved and delighted that the people whom BOND promised would be there were there indeed. And they’re so much more open and approachable here – something about being away from the office for a few days where they can actually relax and enjoy the experience of discovering new products and innovations and getting to know the people behind them.
Say hello to some folks and see what serendipity has in store
And, as the sun sets over the lake, there is an Italian flavour to the evening’s Amalfi Coast-themed festivities and an invitation to ‘dress to impress’ sees you squeeze into your sharpest suit for a night of mingling under the stars. With everything meticulously brought together by BOND – the people, the setting, the food and drink and the whole vibe, it’s time to relax, be yourself and say hello to some folks and see what serendipity has in store.
Your sales pipeline is already looking a whole lot more exciting than when you arrived
Another late one for many, breakfast is more rushed today with just time to grab a croissant and a coffee before you head to the seminar room for the rather harsh sounding one about putting buildings on a low-carb diet, poor things.
Your second day of meetings is much like yesterday but it feels different –you remember that you’re good at this stuff and you’ve got a good product and BOND have done a great job at bringing the decision makers together who can open doors for you. And your sales pipeline is already looking a whole lot more exciting than when you arrived with some extremely interesting and totally unexpected openings on there!
You have already managed to achieve more in a couple of days than you otherwise would in months
That combo of hard work, initial nerves followed by relief and a satisfaction to your bones that you have already managed to achieve more in a couple of days than you otherwise would in months in terms of building bridges, opening doors and getting to know the folks behind the job titles that you’ve been chasing forever. A final afternoon of sitting down, asking some simple questions and getting into whatever comes up now feels like the most natural thing in the world.
Back at your room, you kick those shoes off and touch down on the bed. Tempting to stay there but you know your hastily scribbled notes won’t makes sense for long and as you sit there typing, you start to smile, recalling those moments of laughter and common grounds as you make your plans to catch up in the coming weeks.
North America’s most influential and helpful commercial interior project community
Pushing the definition of ‘smart casual’, you head to the elevator in your special shirt, looking forward to a couple of cold ones and whatever this final night of mingling with those surprisingly friendly, interesting and well-connected characters who make America’s biggest and best commercial interior projects happen. And, as always, it’s the quiet ones you need to look out for on that dance floor…
Once a year, BOND brings North America’s most influential and helpful commercial interior project community together. The number and quality of attending interior designers and architects is guaranteed, as is the access you’ll have to them. In a business built firmly on relationships, BOND is where the clever money is. Arc Interiors 2026 is happening on September 17-20, 2026, venue tbc. If you want to know more about who’s coming, how it works and what you could achieve here, please get in touch right now.
Feedback
The following stats and comments are taken from this year’s onsite survey that all attendees were asked to complete and from comments posted around the event on LinkedIn.
Suppliers
How do you rate Arc Interiors overall? 4.8/5
In short, it was a great experience. The quality and quantity of the meetings was fantastic. The BOND staff was attentive and well organized. Lastly, the venue was tremendous.
Chip Skop, Rigidized Metals Corporation, Director of Sales and Marketing
Targeted and focused conversations resulting in many next-steps.
JN, Strategic Account Executive, Moss
What stood out as the single biggest highlight of the event?
Connections and quality of architects and designers.
Wally Berry Sr. Manager Business Development
Hearing that the architects we had met with in previous years were evangelizing for us in their firms.
Paul Downs
How would you rate the customer service you received prior to the event? 4.9/5
The BOND staff is professional, friendly, and available.
Chip Skop, Rigidized Metals Corporation, Director of Sales and Marketing
Amazing and hugely beneficial. The BEST. Thank you!
Victoria Katharine Player SIMPLY OAK™ President & Owner
How do you rate the quality and variety of the Architects/Designers in attendance? 4.7/5
Great mix of interiors leads and principals
Michelle Parisi - Director of Sales and Marketing, Paul Downs Cabinetmakers
The new attendees were of the quality that I have come to expect.
Mike Brabham, SIMONSWERK, VP of Sales
Interior Designers/ Architects
Very well planned and curated experience
Naoko Oguro, IA Interior Architects, Design Director
BOND has consistently proved to be a great event to meet suppliers and learn about products efficiently. Typical tradeshows are overwhelming and poorly managed. BOND has both meaningful engagements with suppliers and other design professionals.
Heather Kleman KZF Design Studio Lead
What stood out as the single biggest highlight of the event?
Developing great relationships with high quality, knowledgeable and enjoyable people
Jennifer Peters Fusion Design Consultants Principal / Partner
The casual, non-pressured approach makes the event very easy. You guys do an excellent job of screening vendors too.
Andrzej Czech, NBBJ, Principal - director of Sports & Ent.
How likely are you to recommend Arc Interiors to your peers and colleagues?
94%
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