Chicago, IL (August 30, 2017) –

Program registration is now open and complimentary for trade professionals only. Seating is limited. RSVP now to secure a spot.

 Design Chicago will welcome thousands of leading interior design, architecture and luxury custom homebuilding professionals from across the Midwest, as well as coast-to-coast. All programming in the more than 120 showrooms across 600,000 square feet on theMART’s 1^st, 6^th and 14^th floors is complimentary to the trade-only audience.

“Design Chicago opens the door to exclusive presentations and CEU programs; a wide array of product debuts from our many showrooms; and networking opportunities with design icons and leadership from industry leading kitchen, bath and home furnishings brands,” said Susan McCullough, Senior Vice President at theMART. “It’s truly a can’t-miss two-day experience for trade professionals.”

Attendees can register to experience presentations and CEU-accredited seminars given by celebrated designers, media executives, manufacturers and associations. Highlights include:

Tuesday, October 3, 2017:

• Vern Yip’s Design Wise: Your Smart Guide to a Beautiful Home, (Fabricut, Suite 6-117)
  Interior Designer and Author Vern Yip
• Five Digital Trends Radically Changing Business Today, (HOLLY HUNT, Suite 1428)
  Pamela McNally, Vice President of Digital for Sandow Media
• 20^th & 21^st Century Handcrafted Wallcoverings, (Maya Romanoff, Suite 6-167)
  Joyce Romanoff, CEO of Maya Romanoff

Wednesday, October 4, 2017:  

• Jonathan Adler Discusses Collaborative Design, (The Shade Store, Suite 105)
  Interior Designer Jonathan Adler, along with Business of Home
• #IHaveThisThingWithFloors, (Artistic Tile, Suite 105A)
  Pamela Jaccarino, Editor in Chief of Luxe Interiors + Design, along with interior designers Elizabeth Krueger, Owner and Principal, Elizabeth Krueger Design; Megan Winters, owner, Megan Winters Design and Lauren Buxbaum Gordon, Co-Design Director, Nate Berkus Associates
• Iconic House III, (Pella Crafted Luxury, Suite 100)
  Architect Julie Hacker, FAIA, Partner, Cohen & Hacker Architects LLC, with Kathryn Quinn, Principal, Kathryn Quinn Architects; Elissa Morgante, Principal, Morgante Wilson Architects; Dirk Denison, Founder, Dirk Denison Architects; and Chip von Weise, Principal, von Weise Associates

In addition, 14 media partners from coast to coast will be on hand, presenting another compelling reason to attend Design Chicago. Media will offer their deep knowledge of the industry and years of expertise, including representatives from: Architectural Digest, Chicago Agent, Chicago Magazine, Coastal Living, Business of Home, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Luxe Interiors + Design, Metropolis, Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago, Interior Design, Sophisticated Living, Traditional Home and Veranda.

Also, Design Chicago features two exclusive celebratory ticketed events:

Chairs for Charity, October 3, 2017, 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM – This signature event from Splash, in conjunction with Chicago magazine, features the best that Chicago’s design community has to offer. The event challenges area designers with the task of bringing a vintage chair back to life – all in the name of charity. Registered attendees to Design Chicago will receive a special discount toward the purchase of tickets. Details are available as part of the registration process.  For more information and to receive the special discount, visit www.designchicagoevent.com.

Chicago VIP Luxury Gala, October 4, 2017, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM – Design Chicago culminates with the ninth annual Chicago VIP Luxury Gala, where a who’s who of the design industry will come together to celebrate the best of Chicago and Midwest design. The event will feature the induction of four residential design industry icons into the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame. The 2017 Chicago VIP Luxury Gala is generously sponsored by exclusive Media Sponsor, Luxe Interiors + Design; Platinum Sponsors, Gaggenau, Thermador and Bosch; Gold Sponsors, Pella Crafted Luxury and Sherwin Williams; and Silver Sponsors, Gary Lee, Vicostone and Wood-Mode. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.designchicagoevent.com.

For more information, and to register for programming, please visit www.designchicagoevent.com.

Design Chicago welcomes trade professionals from across the country, including members of trade organizations; such as, The American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago (HBAGC), Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), International Interior Design Association (IIDA), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).

About the Design Center at The Merchandise Mart (theMART)
The Design Center, located in Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart, is home to four floors constituting the world’s largest and finest design center. As a leader in the $65 billion residential home furnishings market, the Design Center offers the largest presentation of high-end, customizable, residential and outdoor home furnishings worldwide, all under one roof. Encompassing 750,000 square feet, boasting more than 125 showrooms and featuring more than 2,500 product lines, it is the ultimate resource for designers and design enthusiasts of luxury furniture, fabrics, floor coverings, wall coverings, lighting and much more. For more information, visit designcenter.com. Visit Design Center on Facebook and Instagram.

About LuxeHome^®
LuxeHome is the world’s largest collection of premier boutiques for home building and renovation located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. With more than 125,000 square feet of showroom space featured in over 35 boutiques, LuxeHome is host to the finest products for home building and renovation from the most recognized and respected manufacturers worldwide.

LuxeHome offers discerning homeowners and trade professionals one-stop shopping convenience with access to the finest kitchen, bath, tile, lighting, cabinetry, appliances, countertops and much more. LuxeHome displays the widest selection of products to suit all upscale design styles, from modern European to classic American to traditional English. In addition to the extensive lineup of premier brands, each boutique offers knowledgeable designers who are available to assist with all phases of each design project. LuxeHome’s boutiques are open for shopping Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.luxehome.com. Follow LuxeHome on Facebook, Houzz, Instagram and Twitter.

Vornado Realty Trust, owner of the Merchandise Mart, based in New York City, is a fully integrated equity real estate investment trust. Vornado’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are traded under the symbol VNO. www.vno.com