Dare.To.Design: The Designhounds “Changemaker” Conference at KBIS 2024

Dare to Design. This is our inspiration for the upcoming Designhounds-exclusive event: The Changemaker Conference. Meet us on February 26th from 9AM to 4PM at the Wynn Las Vegas, Chambertin Room. The event features special guest lecturer and founder of The Bertrand Williams School of Design Visualization Shannin Williams.

We are so excited for all the KBIS 2024 programs such as the NKBA Global Connect Lounge, the Luxury Lounge, KBIS DesignBites, and more! Over 1000 exhibitors with endless product offerings and design ideas will be at the show- a wealth of information and inspiration. The Changemaker Conference however, was created to take things back a step. Away from transactional design focus, we want to reconnect the Designhounds community with their “why.”

The growth of our industry is dependent on design pros leading the way through innovative projects and visionary design. Perhaps even moving from a transactional to a purpose driven project approach. This shift will help (re)establish the design professional as authority in the design process in a competitive world of online design tools, services, and e-commerce solutions. When design and creative vision lead the way, they establish the value of the designer. Clients, profits and growth opportunities will follow this value. Veronika Miller – Designhounds Founder

Join us as we gather round the design-campfire, and take a deep-dive into why we dare to design. We hope you will come out of this conference feeling inspired and connected to what makes your projects special: YOU.

Please note:

Our day will start at 9AM with mimosas and breakfast. Lunch will be served at 12:30PM and we will end the day with bubbly and challenge presentations at 4PM. If you do not plan to attend all of the conference, please notify us so we can adjust catering numbers. We keep this event free for our Designhounds, but we’re still covering Las Vegas priced catering. 🙂

Program:

The conference keynote will be presented by our very own Designhound-In-Chief, Veronika Miller. She will share more about her vision and mission for the Designhounds Dare.To.Design concept, before we dive into a number of engaging activities and workshops:

• Designhounds SOAPBOX: We want to hear your thoughts on “Positive changes you want to see in our industry.” During this 20 minute session we invite you to stand up and share your ideas.
• Designhounds Sponsor Roundtable: We have invited our conference sponsors, Mr Steam, Westlake Royal Building Products, Grohe, and Signature Kitchen Suite, to take a seat with Veronika. They will share their vision for our industry and tell us about their own “why.” Yes that’s right- we’ve asked our sponsor brands to move from transactional thinking, to their own vision and raison d’etre and engage with audience members. We can’t wait to hear what they have to say! We may have just re-invented the format for event sponsorships! 🙂
• Shannin Williams – Sketching Workshop: Shannin will be taking the entire audience through a presentation of her one-point perspective sketching and marker workshops. Materials will be provided for you to get creative including lots of paper to ball up and start over. This is about HAVING FUN and about exploring your own CREATIVE MIND. No judgement allowed. The goal is to explore and and grow your own creativity through playful learning.
• Design Challenge: After lunch, fueled with lovely Italian food and a glass of wine, we’ll roll back our sleeves get to our challenge for the day.

The Dare.To.Design – Design Challenge

We want to stress that this event is about having fun and about igniting your creativity. We believe that confidence does not come from success, but the true confidence in ourselves and our professional abilities. This is what creates success AND we believe that:

Creativity + Curiosity + Community = CONFIDENCE

So, let’s play:

• Each table/team is randomly assigned an interiors style.
• Each team member draws a space that they will create a concept for.
• The entire team decides on a concept for their Dare.To.Design Project. This could be anything, a house, an apartment, a palace – you decide!
• Each team member creates a design concept for their space, and supports it through sketches. Loose sketches, tight sketches, floor-plans, elevations – whatever you need to illustrate your vision

Then what?

• After 90 minutes of conceptual work each team decides on the best concept at their table and nominate their best concept as finalist
• 8 finalists present their concepts to the entire audience in quick 5 minutes presentations
• The entire audience votes for their favorite project in an anonymous voting process – we will be asking you to download our voting app for this

And then?

Then we have bubbly and enjoy each other’s company – which is more important than anything else 🙂

• Our winner will be invited to present their concept on Feb 27th at 3PM, during KBIS Uncorked at Signature Kitchen Suite
• Our 8 finalists, will be invited to share their concept on Designhounds YouTube and social media channel in short interviews with Veronika – scheduled between March 15th and May 15th.

Our sponsors:

Westlake Royal Building Products

Westlake Royal Building Products Westlake company is a leader throughout North America in the innovation, design, and production of a broad and diverse range of exterior and interior building products. Products include Siding and Accessories, Trim and Mouldings, Roofing, Stone, Windows and Outdoor Living. Westlake Royal Building Products™ manufactures high quality, low maintenance products to meet the specifications and needs of building professionals, homeowners, architects, engineers, and distributors. They provide stunning curb appeal with an unmatched array of colors, styles and accessories.

Mr. Steam

Steam is in MrSteam’s DNA. With over  100 years of experience in steam manufacturing, they know a thing or two (or hundreds) about making the highest quality steam shower products. MrSteam is not just about the products it offers; it is about a mission they want to share with people around the world. One that reminds, empowers and enables us all to be healthy, live happy, and feel good. MrSteam lives by, “we feel good when you feel good.” 

GROHE

GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings. Since 2014 GROHE has been part of the strong brand portfolio of LIXIL, a manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products. Every product is based on the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability. With water at the core of its business, the brand contributes to LIXIL’s Impact Strategy with a resource-saving value chain. From CO2-neutral* production, the removal of unnecessary plastic in product packaging, all the way to resource saving product technologies such as GROHE Everstream, a water-recirculating shower.

Signature Kitchen Suite

Signature Kitchen Suite embraces a new generation of forward-thinking cooks, combining their passion for food with their appreciation of innovation. They are called, Technicureans.™ Kept “True to Food” with the best built-in appliances, SKS features leading-edge technology that provides more flexibility to prepare food in the best possible way.

The Designhounds Changemaker Conference is poised to challenge the status quo of our design professionals, influencers, and the sponsoring brands. Understanding our original brand vision and mission as individuals is important for everyone. In this industry we MUST be driven by a passion for creative, innovative, and intelligent solutions. This is more essential than processes and profits, if we want to remain competitive, impactful, and exciting. See you there!