Press Releases

DCOTA Announces Winter Market 2008—
“Home Away From Home - Designing for Florida’s Vacation Home Market”
Features keynote presentations by
Architectural Digest Editor in Chief Paige Rense & Distinguished Panel of Experts

DANIA BEACH, FL—Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA), the premier one-stop design source for all home interior needs, is holding its fifth to the trade market, WINTER MARKET 2008, on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 and Wednesday, January 30, 2008. This amazing two day design happening is the second in a series of major to-the-trade design market events that are the result of a partnership between Architectural Digest and Cohen Brothers Realty Corporation. The series began at the Decoration and Design Building (D&D) in New York City and after DCOTA, will continue at the Pacific Design Center (PDC) in West Hollywood, CA and the Decorative Center Houston (DCH) in Texas.

As sponsor for Winter Market programs, Architectural Digest will showcase the AD 100, its selection of the industry's top designers and architects whose works have been featured in the magazine over the past several years.

Themed “Home Away From Home - Designing for Florida’s Vacation Home Market”, this exciting two-day major market event will feature two keynote presentations led by Architectural Digest Editor in Chief Paige Rense, who will moderate a distinguished panel of experts, many of whom are members of the AD 100, covering a multitude of fascinating topics tailored for regional design professionals.

Winter Market will include a spectacular program of inspired showroom presentations, open houses, and receptions hosted by a number of showrooms, as well as new product introductions, all geared toward keeping design professionals on top of the latest design trends.

DCOTA will also take the opportunity on the evening of Tuesday, January 29th, to present the awards for the 2nd annual “Stars of Design”, one of Florida’s most prestigious interior design industry awards. Design professionals will be honored for their significant achievements and contributions to their profession, including interior design, architecture, product design, photography, graphic design, landscape design, urban design, and art, with special recognition of their talent, ideas, creativity and business savvy. There will also be a special award for lifetime achievement. The jury for the Stars of Design awards is comprised of leaders in their chosen field for their accomplishments and the esteem of their peers.


Keynote Panel Discussions will include:
Winter Market Keynotes:

Tuesday, January 29th, 2008

TOPIC: “Celebrity Home Getaways”

Moderator: Paige Rense, Editor in Chief, Architectural Digest
Interviewer: Nancy Collins, Writer

Description: Architectural Digest contributing writer Nancy Collins and editor-in-chief Paige Rense chat about celebrity homes away from home. Collins, who has interviewed such luminaries as President Bill Clinton, John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Diane Keaton, and Jack Nicholson will join
Rense, whose magazine has featured the vacation homes of movie stars, political movers and shakers, titans of industry, crowned royalty and sports figures for the last 35 years, to go “behind-the-scenes” of celebrity vacation getaways.


Wednesday, January 30th, 2008

TOPIC: “Home Away From Home”

Moderator: Paige Rense, Editor in Chief, Architectural Digest
Panelists: Campion Platt, Interior Designer
Cecil Hayes, Interior Designer
Thad Hayes, Interior Designer
Stephen Shadley, Interior Designer

Description: No matter where they are headquartered, successful decorators have the knowledge and expertise to create interiors for any location, any environment, and any climate. Keynote panelists Cecil Hayes, Thad Hayes, Campion Platt and Stephen Shadley are interior designers with a platinum-edged roster of clients, most of whom have vacation homes as well as a primary residence. These AD 100 speakers have envisioned and designed all modes of interiors from big-city dwellings to country estates and ranches to tropical getaways utilizing structural materials, furnishings, fabrics and decorative pieces uniquely suited to a particular setting. Moderated by Architectural Digest editor-in-chief Paige Rense, the keynote panel will discuss designing for the home away from home, particularly in Florida.

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST OPEN AUDITIONS
A truly exciting aspect of this year’s Winter Market is the Architectural Digest Open Auditions. Design devotees, up-and-comers and pros will flock to Design Center of The Americas (DCOTA) in Dania Beach for the opportunity to show their work to Paige Rense, editor in chief of Architectural Digest. This will be the second open audition in a nationwide search for new design talent, which kicked off in New York on October 10 & 11 with more than 400 participants. Semi-finalists will be chosen from auditions in New York, South Florida, Houston & West Hollywood, CA. Finalists will be featured in Architectural Digest and the public can vote on their favorite at www.architecturaldigest.com.

DCOTA, a unique facility that will shortly celebrate its 22nd Anniversary, is the preeminent design center serving design professionals in Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean regions. DCOTA is the largest design campus of its kind, showcasing 775,000 square feet of extraordinary interior design needs for any home, yacht or office project. Fine furniture, fabrics, flooring, lighting, kitchen, bath, art, antiques, accessories, appliances, window treatments, decorative hardware, paint, surfacing and so much more can be found throughout the 150 showrooms at DCOTA that display and sell interior product lines to professional interior designers, architects, decorators and dealers.

DCOTA is located at 1855 Griffin Road, Dania Beach. For additional information, please call (954)920-7997.







Back to Media