Icon Honors Secures Renowned Design-Driven Experts to Judge Awards
Atlanta, GA—A distinguished panel of judges drawn from the retail, fashion, design and education communities will review the field of submissions and determine award recipients in the inaugural ICON Honors, exclusively produced by Americasmart Atlanta in partnership with the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) and national media sponsor HFN.
The team of judges, comprised of individuals with more than 100 combined years of experience, includes four of the most respected and applauded names in the American design/retail arena: Alexa Hampton, president and featured designer of Mark Hampton, the world-renowned design firm founded in 1976. Under her direction, the firm has completed a wide range of designs for domestic and international projects, including apartments, large residences, private airplanes and yachts. Her work has been featured in House Beautiful and Architectural Digest, and she has been recognized as one of “America’s Best 100 Designers” in both magazines as well as New York Magazine.
Gloria Lang, adjunct assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology specializing and teaching within the Home Products Development department, leveraging her 40-year career and expertise in home fashions, product development and consultation to mentor and educate students from around the world.
Julian Tomchin, an industry veteran with more than 40 years of experience, has been influential and a major player in the home arena, working in textiles and retailing. He was on the forefront of several major home launches for companies such as Bloomingdales, Macy’s West and Natori. He has also been a visiting professor and guest lecturer at universities and colleges around the world.
Connie Post, CEO of Connie Post Global Media, has designed more than 19 million sq. ft. of retail space around the world offering affordable design solutions. She is the author of ‘A Beautiful Room Will Change Your Life” and a frequent speaker at industry retail events and seminars.
“We have created an unprecedented awards celebration to recognize and honor the industry’s leaders and those on the forefront of innovation and inspiration in the Gift & Home spectrum,” says Beth Lang, GHTA president. “To ensure that we reward the best, we have secured established leaders and the crème de la crème of the industry. With their expertise and experience, ICON Honors will discover and showcase companies achieving excellence in the designated categories.”
The ICON 2010 judges will evaluate a large field of submissions vying for honors in three awards categories—Innovation, Contribution and Achievement—with awards recognizing excellence in product design and packaging, technology applications, sustainability commitments and cause-product influence. Competition for the Honors will be by individual submission in the Innovation and Contribution categories, and by independent nomination in the Achievement category.
Created exclusively by AmericasMart Atlanta in partnership with GHTA and HFN, ICON Honors is the first international program fully embracing the gift and home categories in an independent recognition of exemplary achievement across the industry for product manufacturing, product sales representative businesses and retailing.
