Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Bienenstock Furniture Library Kicks off Fundraiser for Designers Summit Event
February 9,
2022 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
The Bienenstock Furniture Library has announced its new fundraising campaign to support student scholarships and event programming for its second annual Bienenstock Future Designers Summit by soliciting industry sponsorships and donations now through March, in preparation for the fall event.
Set for September 21-23, the next Future Designers Summit will provide a curated, three-day experience, including keynote presentations by industry professionals, educational breakout sessions, and facility tours. Up to 40 students from U.S. colleges and universities will participate, representing a variety of academic disciplines, including interior design, furniture design, industrial design, textile design, interior architecture, and fashion merchandising.
This year’s keynote speakers include Caroline Hipple, president, Norwalk Furniture; Patti Carpenter, principal, carpenter + company and Trendscope; and Jane Dagmi, editor in chief, Designers Today.
For a second year, The Broyhill Family Foundation is sponsoring a $5,000 scholarship to be awarded September 23, during the event’s closing session at the Universal Furniture Showroom in High Point.
Last year’s success provided impetus for planning the 2022 event, according to the summit organizers and student attendees.
“The most impactful moments came from forming connections with other industry members,” says Ethan Barbour, a Savannah College of Art and Design student who attended the inaugural event last fall. “In school, it is so rare that students can connect with professionals outside of an academic setting. Those conversations have stuck with me and have been the main thing I share with friends and classmates at SCAD.”
Outside of the scholarship funding, event sponsors and industry contributors will help to offset the costs of travel, accommodations and meals for each student attendee, as well as to cover expenses for program development and marketing.
To learn more, and to make online payments for company sponsorships or individual donations using the library’s PayPal account, visit the Future Designers Summit page located on the Bienenstock Furniture Library website.