Trip to Dallas This Week

I will be heading to Dallas tomorrow evening to attend Metrocon 09 at Dallas Market Center. The conference can be described as a regional Neocon, featuring many of the same exhibitors on a much smaller scale. I'm pretty excited about it after having worked on the Steelcase open office system project last semester.

The main reason I decided to attend, though, was because, as an ASID and IIDA member, I could take as many continuing education courses as I wanted to for a flat $35 fee. I signed up for six courses and plan on attending the keynote address as well. I'm not required to take these classes until after I graduate, but I think they will be extremely beneficial. "Hard Facts about Soft Surfaces" will allow me to apply "real world" textile facts and understand they impact the selection and application of surface material life cycles in the residential or commercial environment. "Socially Responsible Design....When LEED Isn't An Option" focuses on conserving energy, water, waste and natural resources even if the project does not pursue LEED certification. "The Influence of Design" conveys the idea of experience and the importance of designing toward an end experience that lifts client emotions and remains in the memory of those who experience it. "Bright Ideas: Office Lighting 101" will build on my lighting expertise and focus it more towards the office setting as opposed to residential. "Case Study: Using Client Feedback to Enhance Project Success" will help me to create an effective feedback system for my own company. "Revolve 2009" is an inspirational look at color trends drawing on parallels with the Maison d'Objet housewares show.

I also plan on checking out some of the permanent designer showrooms while I'm there. I've never been to DMC during non-market times so I'm curious to see how things operate on a regular day. I didn't realize that the Apparel and Accessories Market was going on this week so I'm not sure how normal it will be, but it will be different than what I've experienced to date. It might be kind of fun to check out the fashion stuff too while I'm there if I have the time!

So, in summary, it will be a very busy couple of days, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'll try to post some pictures while I'm there so stay tuned!