See more about our sponsor, Hubbardton Forge. Thank you for sponsoring!

Fantasy Build is a fast-paced, creative opening experience that brings imagination, collaboration, and technology together.

Working in teams, attendees will dream, build, and bring a product to life using both physical materials and AI-powered thinking. From concept to story, creativity meets strategy as ideas take shape in real time.

This experience is designed to spark bold thinking, playful experimentation, and new approaches to innovation. It is less about rules and more about what becomes possible when human creativity and AI work together.

Fantasy Build sets the tone for the conference by energizing the room, encouraging connection, and pushing everyone to think differently from the start.

See more about our sponsor, Savoy House. Thank you for sponsoring!

See more about our sponsor, High Point Market.   Thank you for sponsoring!

See more about our sponsor, Savoy House. Thank you for sponsoring!

Join us for cocktails and a welcome dinner as we kick off the conference, connect with colleagues, and set the stage for an inspiring few days together.

This panel is a conversation about perspective, not perfection.

Featuring three respected leaders in our industry, What I Know Now explores what becomes clear only with time, experience, and having lived through the work. Not the lessons from books or stages, but the truths that surface after years of building, failing, succeeding, adapting, and choosing to keep going.

We will talk about what they see differently now. What they would release sooner. What they would protect more fiercely. How their definition of success has evolved, and what truly matters when the noise fades.

This is not about advice from on high or rewriting the past. It is about reflection, clarity, and honest insight that can only come from doing the work and staying in it.

A grounded, thoughtful conversation for anyone navigating growth, leadership, and the long view of a meaningful career.

The 2026 Conference service project is Esperanza.  Since 1989, Esperanza has been a pillar of support for homeless Veterans in Tucson. Founded by dedicated community members, the organization has grown into a comprehensive organization providing housing and social services on the 14-acre campus.

See more about our sponsor, Feizy. Thank you for sponsoring!

See more about our sponsor, Dallas Market Center. Thank you for sponsoring!

Christopher Todd Design provided the design and decor for this sponsored event.   More about Christopher Todd Design.

See more about our sponsor, Dallas Market Center. Thank you for sponsoring!

The Future is Custom:  Custom is no longer about more choices. It is about better ones.  This ART Talk explores how custom in-home furnishings and accessories are evolving as consumer expectations shift toward personalization, speed, and meaning. We will look at where custom truly adds value, where complexity has outpaced benefit, and how smart constraints can lead to stronger design, better margins, and better experiences.
A clear, future-focused conversation on simplifying custom while protecting craftsmanship, quality, and what matters most.

Balancing Beauty & Profitability:  Great design and strong margins are not opposing forces.  This ART Talk explores how brands can create beautiful, compelling products while building financially healthy, sustainable businesses. We will look at where tension typically arises between creativity and cost, and how smarter decisions around design, sourcing, and process can support both.  A practical conversation about aligning aesthetics with economics without sacrificing either.

The Power of Partnerships:  The strongest partnerships are built, not found.  In this ART Talk, dual presenters share firsthand insight into what makes partnerships work over time. From creative alignment to operational execution, this session examines how collaboration can unlock new opportunities, solve complex challenges, and create lasting value.  An honest conversation about what it takes to build partnerships that endure and evolve.

Beyond the Sale:  The relationship does not end when the product is delivered.  This ART Talk explores what happens after the sale, and why it matters more than ever. We will look at how service, follow-through, and long-term thinking build trust, loyalty, and brand reputation in the home furnishings and accessories industry.  A clear conversation about creating value that lasts well beyond the transaction.

See more about our sponsors, Uttermost, Gregory Socha Design and Kenneth Ludwig Chicago. Thank you for sponsoring!

This session brings together all ART Talk presenters for an open panel discussion that goes beyond the presentations to address the real questions shaping our industry.

Building on themes of custom, design, and profitability, partnerships, and what happens beyond the sale, this conversation creates space for deeper insight, honest dialogue, and audience-driven questions.

Attendees are invited to engage directly with the speakers, explore how these ideas connect in practice, and unpack the challenges and opportunities facing home furnishings and accessories today. 

A dynamic, interactive session focused on learning from experience, sparking new thinking, and continuing the conversations that matter most.