Las Vegas Design Center Announces May & June First Friday Seminars

Furniture World Magazine

Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center, a resource in Las Vegas for the interior design community, will present “A Narrative in Glass" with Martti Rytkönen on Friday, May 4, 2007 and “Deciding What You Are Worth And Charging It,” with Lloyd Princeton of Design Management Group on Friday, June 1, 2007. Both seminars will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at 495 South Grand Central Parkway in Las Vegas. Martti Rytkönen To Present ‘A Narrative in Glass’ on May 4, 2007 When he came to Orrefors on a scholarship in 1994, Finland-born Martti Rytkönen began creating a body of work that projected a hip, modern sensibility while evoking the narrative work of Edwar Hald and other masters who shaped the Orrefors style of the early 20th century. He is a storyteller who also loves pure form and color. His works are executed in classic Orrefors techniques, even as he, like all Orrefors artists, constantly experiments with design and process. Sophisticated and high-concept, yet as charming as folk art, Rytkönen’s works incorporate stylized images from nature, history, myth, urban life, graffiti, TV, movies, comics, the art of children-and his own playful imagination. “When it comes to glass, I’m a babbler,” Rytkonen says. “I have so many ideas and so many stories to tell that I find it hard to keep up. But working with glass was the best decision I ever made.” Some of his more well-known works include the heady crystal collection "Triangle and Drop" and also "Papillon" that floats on the table like a butterfly with outspread wings. Lena Walther, president of Scandanavian Collection, LLC. said, “Martti Rytkönen is a breath of fresh air in the unique way he designs his glass pieces. His love for story telling is clearly transformed into his work. I am delighted to have the privilege to display and sell his pieces in my Scandanavian Collection Showroom here at World Market Center and we are honored to have him joining us to speak about his work at our First Friday event on May the 4th.” Lloyd Princeton To Coach First Friday Attendees on Business Skills June 1, 2007 Lloyd Princeton owns the New York and California-based Design Management Company and works closely with interior designers and architects. He guides business owners to greater profitability and satisfaction through marketing, pricing, and staffing solutions. While design professionals know how to design, they do not always understand what or how to charge for their services, Princeton said. Add to this the issues of dealing with long-term clients verses new prospects, and the situation is perfect for losing money. Attendees can earn .02 Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) for Princeton’s presentation, which he said is ideal for designers, retail store owners who offer design services and other trade professionals. “A large percentage of designers are less comfortable with this aspect of their business than the actual design process,” Princeton said, adding that as competition increases for designers, demonstrating value through the business side of the design process becomes more important than ever before. Attendees will learn how to determine the best way to charge for their creativity and incorporate it into a solid letter of agreement, with confidence. Princeton will also cover the interview process and how to screen clients, determining whether or not to meet with them or just say “no”. A not-to-be missed shopping day for local and out-of-market design professionals, “First Friday” at Las Vegas Design Center features educational opportunities, unique showroom specials, hospitality and other exclusive offerings for the trade. To R.S.V.P. for this seminar, please email LVDC@LVDesignCenter.com or call (702) 599-3093. On-site seminar registrants will be asked to make a $20 donation to Safe Nest. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Las Vegas Design Center at World Market Center (495 South Grand Central Parkway) is the first of its kind, year-round, professional design resource in Las Vegas. Offering 400,000 square feet of the newest products, trends and styles in furniture, lighting, floral, accessories, rugs and wall décor. World Market Center is a trade only facility. To access The Design Center at World Market Center please consult a design professional. For more information on World Market Center or the next Las Vegas Market, visit: www.LasVegasMarket.com. The Summer Las Vegas Market will take place July 30 – August 3, 2007 at World Market Center’s Buildings A and B, the Pavilions; the temporaries will be featured at Sands Expo & Convention Center, opening on Tuesday, July 31.