Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Ethan Allen Congratulates Designer Award Recipients in First-Ever Virtual Celebration
December 16,
2020 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
In 1986, Ethan Allen’s Chairman and CEO, Farooq Kathwari, invited every Ethan Allen interior designer to company headquarters in Danbury, Connecticut, for a multi-day celebration. The tradition continued for 33 years and grew to include a slate of awards for exceptional interior design work.
When this year’s COVID-19 pandemic made a 34th gathering in Danbury all but impossible, Kathwari and his team orchestrated the company’s first-ever Virtual Celebration. The livestreamed event brought together over 4,000 Ethan Allen associates from all over the world, including designers, retailers, manufacturing, logistics, and headquarters, capping off a year of strong sales performance even in the midst of significant challenges.
The Virtual Celebration opened with a series of videos that chronicled the history of Ethan Allen and gave an overview of its current operations. The event also included livestreamed recognition of associates honored for decades of exemplary service, and awards for interior designers that recognized both exemplary sales performance and outstanding achievements in interior design. All award recipients received a signed copy of Mr. Kathwari’s memoir — Trailblazer: from the Mountains of Kashmir to the Summit of Global Business and Beyond.
“I’m proud of what our associates have accomplished during such a challenging year, and I’m pleased that we found the opportunity to highlight their achievements in a format that brought everyone in the Ethan Allen family together,” Kathwari commented. “Many offered feedback after the event, saying they felt it was our best celebration ever.”