Registration is now open for the inaugural Vacation Rental Design Summit. Presented by High Point x Design and High Point Market Authority, the summit will bring together an emerging community of professionals passionate about the booming short-term rental industry and highlight the growing opportunities for interior designers in that market.
“This is not residential design. This is not hospitality design. Vacation rental design is cultivating a luxury experience in a residential setting while anticipating the needs of the guest, owner, property management and housekeeping,” says interior designer Jessica Duce, founder of JDuce Design and co-owner of Vacation Rental Designers, who originated the idea for the summit and serves on the leadership team for the event. “There is no other design niche quite like this.”
The summit will be April 20-21 in High Point. Planned in conjunction with the Spring High Point Market April 22-26, it leverages the city of High Point’s reputation as a global design destination.
The summit is open to architecture and design professionals, as well as hospitality groups, developers, property managers, real estate/investors and the media. The cost to attend is $299. There is an early-bird rate of $249 through Feb. 28. Included in the cost of the summit are educational sessions (plus a pre-summit webinar), access to all hospitality events (including a kick-off mixer April 19) and plenty of swag. The link to register is here.
The agenda for the summit will be tailored to interior designers seeking to enhance their short-term vacation rental design services and unlock new streams of revenue. Education will include a mix of panels and presentations on topics such as the business of vacation rental design, logistics, sourcing, technology, branding, photography, collaborations and more. Building a diverse group of speakers and experts, the summit team invites those who are deeply engaged and connected to vacation rental design to reach out via the online Call for Contributors before Jan. 6.
Interest from a growing number of colleagues wanting to pick her brain about vacation rental design prompted Duce to propose the summit to Jane Dagmi, HPxD’s managing director, who in turn reached out to High Point Market Authority to partner.
“We are so excited to host this new event in High Point,” Dagmi says. “The idea is that after two days of absorbing great information, the designers will stay in town for High Point Market and venture into the showrooms feeling inspired. Of course, with High Point x Design, they can visit many of their favorite vendors here year-round.”
Tammy Nagem, HPMA president and CEO, sees the opportunity aligning well with her vision for High Point Market. “High Point is well-versed in executing large events and is also accustomed to catering to the shifting needs of the home furnishings industry. We are uniquely qualified to host this event both in terms of infrastructure surrounding High Point Market but also in terms of the resources we have here for designers diving into this niche. The product base is here, the expertise is here and the inspiration is endless.”
For partnership and sponsorship opportunities email Jane@hpxd.org or visit HPxD.org/VRDSummit.
