Apr 6, 2022 | Press Releases
Charlotte NC, 03/30/2022. ART launches its data standard toolkit to help support its members with technical and educational resources around data standards in the furniture and home design industry. The toolkit is aiming to get retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers on the same page when it comes to exchanging product information for catalog and inventory management. “We’ve heard this numerous times during our ART Conference panel sessions: retailers are frustrated with creating their own e-commerce website, manufacturers and wholesalers are frustrated with trying to provide the information the way each platform needs it. There is a flood of options and a drought of agreement on what information is required. We wanted to create a standard that is vetted by all these end users.” Sharon Davis, the Executive Director of ART said. “Companies in this field should compete on products, not on the tools they are using. This toolkit aims to help retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers reduce the manual labor that comes with creating and distributing multiple datasets,” Edi Muresan of step-up.today, one of the tech companies that supports ART in the development of this toolkit, said.
What is the data standard toolkit?
A common language for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers to describe products.
- Simple and straightforward. Use the same dataset for all your business partners.
- It’s easy to use and easy to interpret. It incorporates extensive attribute options per category allowing the individual end-user to make the choices appropriate for their business.
- Best practices that will clarify which data is important for manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.
Who is the toolkit for?
Manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers who want to have a clear understanding of what information about physical products their partners need and who aim to do better e-comm business. “Whether you are an industry veteran or a new hire, the tool can ease your workload of completing the dataset, updating it, or distributing it,” Dan Wieczorek of Amber Engine said. Amber Engine is a tech company collaborating on the toolkit.
How can your company contribute to the ART data standard toolkit?
ART welcomes input from members and anyone else interested in data standardization in our industry. “The more we hear from you, the stronger the toolkit will be,” Davis said. “We are currently working on a data standard certification for all contributing companies and we hope this will become a coveted recognition in our industry,” she added.
* * *
About ART: Founded in 1988, ART is a network of home decor professionals who collaborate and combine their vast experience and diverse backgrounds into resources that will educate, promote and support the home furnishings industry. ART members are leaders in the home furnishings industry. We are manufacturers, importers, retailers, sales representatives, product designers, interior designers and industry support professionals.
Mar 23, 2022 | Press Releases
DALLAS/CHARLOTTE – March 21, 2022
Dallas Market Center and ART, the creative home furnishings network, have announced that nominations are officially open for the 33rd ARTS Awards. The event will take place during the January 2023 Total Home & Gift Market. The ARTS Awards is the premier international awards program dedicated to home industry excellence and achievement.
“Nominations are the first step toward an exciting event honoring the best in the business,” said Cindy Morris president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. Added Sharon Davis, executive director of ART: “Please help us recognize individuals and companies from across the country and internationally. We have seen incredible innovation, creativity, and leadership over the last year that deserve to be recognized.”
The ARTS Awards process begins with the nomination of retailers, manufacturers, designers, and sales representatives. Nominations are received online at dallasmarketcenter.com/ArtsAwards/nominations/ through June 28, 2022.
After nominations are received, a nomination committee of industry peers evaluates the entries and determines finalists. A separate judging panel then convenes in the fall to review and score finalists’ materials. Winners will be announced during a gala event on Friday, January 6, 2023. Neither membership in ART nor representation at Dallas Market Center is necessary to nominate or to be a nominee.
The 33nd ARTS Awards Nomination categories are:
• Manufacturer
• Retailer
• Sales Representative
• Product Designer
• Interior Designer
• Academy of Achievement
Sponsors for the ARTS Awards include Aspire Design & Home; Business of Home; Designers Today; Décor News Now; Furniture, Lighting & Décor; Furniture Today; Gifts & Decorative Accessories; Home Accents Today; Home Textiles Today; Interior Design Society, and Sustainable Furnishings Council.
Use #ARTSAwards to stay connected.
Mar 16, 2022 | Press Releases
March 16, 2022 – Charlotte, NC – ART, the creative home furnishings network, welcomes five new board members to the ART Board of Directors.
• Colleen Daly, Vice President, Howard Elliott
• Dan Wieczorek, Director of Business Development, Amber Engine
• Rachel Fleischer, Senior Purchasing Agent/Buyer, Hermitage Design Center
• Shelia Butler, Chief Operating Officer, The Arrangement
• Jason Phillips, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Phillips Collection.
All will serve on the board through October 31, 2023.
“We are honored to welcome these talented and committed leaders to the ART Board and look forward to working with them. These new board members bring a unique prospective to our board and we know their contributions will be valuable to our programs and mission, said Colleen Visage, Progress Lighting and president of ART.
The all-volunteer ART Board has the responsibility to steer the direction of the organization, foster partnerships, direct programming and for the overall viability of the organization. To view the entire current board of directors, click here.
Feb 24, 2022 | Press Releases
ART Conference Announces 2022 Community Service Project
Alpha Home – May 13, 2022 – San Antonio, TX
February 24, 2022 – Charlotte, NC – ART Conference Committee 2022 announced today that the beneficiary of our annual service project will be Alpha Home. Alpha Home will be ART’s seventh service project in the conference host city. ART Conference 2022 will be held at The St Anthony Hotel in San Antonio, TX May 12-15, 2022.
Alpha Home, Inc. is a substance use treatment center in San Antonio, Texas, transforming lives for over 55 years. In 1966, Alpha Home began providing residential substance use treatment to WOMEN only (18 years +), and still, today, it is the only such program in the area. The residential facility that ART will be working on houses up to 31 women at a time. Their vision is a provide a community in which recovery is always possible. The organization offers the clients compassion, integrity, respect, spirituality and inclusivity to help aid their journey to recovery.
Conference volunteers will work on the residential facility to freshen up the existing sleeping rooms, common areas and the outside gathering spaces. Home industry companies will be asked to donate furnishings for installation to enhance the property or to replace damaged goods.
To see the full conference schedule and to register to attend and participate in this rewarding service project, visit the conference website here.
For more information on Alpha Home, please visit: alphahome.org
For more information on ART membership and other ART programming, please visit our home page or menu offerings.
Jan 18, 2022 | Press Releases
ART Announces 2022 Conference Registration is Open
Charlotte, NC – ART, the creative home furnishings network announces that registration is open now for their annual conference on May 12-15, 2022 at the St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio, TX. The 2022 program will feature programming that includes seminars, hands on workshops, social events ART also plans a community service project in the San Antonio area during the conference.
The 2022 program will be led by co-chairs, Santhi Yarlagadda, KAS Rugs and Colleen Daly, The Howard Elliott Collection. “We’ve put together a curated schedule that we believe addresses challenges many home furnishing businesses face today”, said Santhi Yarlagadda, KAS Rugs. “We’re excited for the opportunity to build productive relationships among our members and the industry.”
“We are grateful for the support of a stellar group of sponsors so far”, said Colleen Daly, The Howard Elliott Collection. “Our current list of sponsors are: Dallas Market Center, Juniper Commerce, Generation Lighting, Visual Comfort, Amber Engine, High Point Market, Currey & Co, Global Views, Jola, Progress Lighting, Varaluz, Cyan Design, j douglas, Howard Elliott Collection, My Samm, Crystorama and Furniture Lighting & Décor.” Other available sponsorships are listed here.
The conference details are available here. Registration will be open through April 14, 2022.
