Reviews
“I had such fun and learned so much from your engaging presenters! I was so “Star-Struck” by Roger Thomas, I didn’t realize until days after he spoke, that it was his design, featuring an undulating, hardwood ceiling, in one of the restaurants at the Bellagio; that inspired my final project at the Interior Designer’s Institute, on which I received an A – BTW!” – Holly Bentley
“Back from Design Camp and loved it! …It’s a must-go-to event for every interior designer” – Alycia Wicker
“Thank you Kelli Ellis and Lori Dennis for an amazing Design Camp– Just keeps getting better and better!” – Karen Viscito
“Such an amazing few days! So inspired and so ready to rock it!” – Stephanie Taylor Josephson
“Thanks…for an amazing ride. Loved our time with our new buddies.” – Kelly Dunlop
“I had an amazing time at camp! I am definitely attending next year!” – Roberta Plumbly
You [Kelli] and lori did such fantastic job bringing us what we need in this industry – collaboration was the the takeaway and it was felt from day 1. Congrats to you both! ~ Julie Ann
“I want to thank you for the opportunity to attend Design Camp! I feel that it put me ahead for the year and I can graduate in 2 semesters with some important knowledge as I begin my career! Thank You!” -Austrie Meser
YES, Best thing I have done for my career ever. Without a doubt the shot in the arm I needed! – Kelly O’neil
“Hi Lori and Kelli – I cannot tell you both how much I enjoyed coming to Design Camp. What a great experience! Thank you both so much! I was just telling my husband about the scavenger hunt and how much it pushed me to get into every building and see all the different showrooms. I must admit it was sometimes a challenge finding those items. I felt like I was in a giant game of “Where’s Waldo”! It was great fun and also gave me an opportunity to meet and bond with other campers who were also on the hunt. Also, your speaker selection was great. I so appreciated hearing industry leaders like Roger Thomas and Sandra Espinet tell of their designing and inspirational experiences. Also, Bill Indursky and Adam Japko were a total riot and Phil Pallen was great and totally inspired and influenced my Twitter experience! (I read his book in one sitting on the red-eye home to NY!) You both did an amazing job as coordinators and leaders and hostesses. This was an experience that I would (and will) recommend and would like to participate in again. I already told Sandra to count me in on that exotic shopping expedition! I also want to thank you both for allowing me the opportunity to network my new website venture at Camp. I met so many great designers and hope to gather some valuable feedback from them soon. I really am trying to provide a great resource for designers to help them in their work. Thanks again for a fun, educational and really career broadening time. I truly was a happy camper! All the very best” – Oriana Cyprus
“I had such a great time, learned so much, and met so many wonderful campers and sponsors. I have been raving about it since I got back to Los Angeles. I’m so glad I was able to participate. Thanks again!” – Annette Vartanian, A Vintage Splendor
“Thanks SO much for a great camp experience!! I attended with 2 other fellow experienced interior designers and we all took a lot away from camp even thought we have been in business for some time-thank you for a great few days!” – Lygia Harkins
“I just wanted to…thank you for the amazing opportunity to work with you and the design camp team. It was a wonderful few days and very informative with the outstanding guest speakers. It has made me that much more driven and focused on my career goals.” – Justin Green
“Thank you again for an amazing camp. [We] were…blown away by how great this event was. Such a great group of engaged designers and the event itself was so well organized. Kudos to both you and Kelli!” – Jessica Dowling
“Hello Kelli and Lori… I just wanted to take a moment while everything was fresh in my mind to tell you how inspired I was by this week. The speaker lineup was fantastic and I took copious notes the entire time. Some of my favorites were:
- · Bill Indursky, I won the web site development and can’t wait to get my site up and running.
- · Aaron Danzig on positioning your brand and point of differentiation
- · Roger Thomas’s incredible images and design process
- · Kimberley Seldon’s dynamic “Business of Design” presentation where I probably learned the most and YES bought her books·
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- Katy Garrett’s Tech panel. I’m following up with Ross Barlett to learn more about his product and think I found my drawing solution.· Chris Kennedy’s passionate furniture presentation.
- · Phil Pallen’s humorous and hilariously funny approach to Twitter, and YES bought his book too.
The other amazing thing about this week were the amazing people in attendance and the sharing and networking that took place. This is a career change for me and I met some amazing people who gave me confidence in my abilities and have volunteered to be there offering their assistance if I have any questions or doubts. Our little round table group is even planning a weekly call to inspire each other. Thank You again for a fantastic week. I look forward to the next Design Camp.” – Todd Henricks
“Hi Lori & Kelli! I wanted to thank you so much for…an amazing Design Camp experience! Your event was outstanding and I’m in awe of you both as I can only imagine the logistics that went in to orchestrating an event of this magnitude. The speakers were fabulous and I was able to take away invaluable nuggets from each and every one of them! Your energy was contagious and I could feel how everyone in the room was instantly infused by that electricity.” – Lori Gilder
“Just wanted to send a heartfelt thank you for including me at design camp. What a great and inspiring event. I was so impressed by [Lori], Kelli, and the speakers.” – Shirley Shivhon
“Thank you for such a wonderful Design Camp! I hope I can go again! I met so many people and learned so much. I am currently a 22 year old design student and this was an amazing jumpstart for me to be able to attend this and learn about pricing, trends, starting up a business, gaining inspiration and so much more. I had a wonderful time. Thanks for everything.” – Natalie Hayes
“I had a great time at Design Camp! …I met some fabulous people that I look forward to keeping connected to AND Phil Pallen is a gem! LOVE HIM!! Purchased and read his book, and plan to chat with him in a few weeks about branding my business.” – Maria Kovach
Social Testimonials:
“Back from Design Camp and loved it! …It’s a must-go-to event for every interior designer” – Alycia Wicker
“Thank you Kelli Ellis and Lori Dennis for an amazing Design Camp– Just keeps getting better and better!” – Karen Viscito
“There’s never been a camp quite like this. Way better than Barbies, funnier than a practical joke, and adults sharing what they LOVE. Keep your canoes, I’m retaining my seat at this camp!” – Susanne Andrey
“Had a fabulous time and it felt so worth-while business-wise. Thank you!!” – Janet Sweigart
“Had a great experience at my first Design Camp, I’ll be back! Thank you SO much!” – Jodi Janzen
“Fantastic experience! I’ll be back!” – Karen Moorman
“You guys are amazing! What a great community of campers. We loved taking part in it.” Jeanine Hayes
“Would like to attend another camp!” – Tabitha Douzat
“Fab experience. Indispensible info. Can’t wait to get the deets about the first camp abroad.” – Lisa Ellis
“Loved all the swag!…Looks like I’ll have two new recruits for next [camp]!”
“Just returned from Las Vegas World Market and Interior Design Camp….walked 10,000 miles and received enough inspiration to get me through til the next market in January. It might just take me that long to unpack and organize all the materials I collected!! What a great time we had. Being able to share the experience always makes it more rewarding. Thanks Becky Broeder, Carolyn Fawcett, Denielle Brockbank, Kelly Dunlop, Kim Daw, Maria Paspuel, Marianne Sax, Mario Varela, Natalie Bills, Sherry Taylor, and Stefanie Josepson for making time in your busy schedules to make this such a memorable and rewarding experience. The ASID Intermountain Chapter is proud to help support and promote your commitment that “Design Matters.” – Terry Ann Olsen
“Interior Design Camp is the best thing in the whole world!” – Natalie Berschneider Wiweke
“Best talk of camp, dare I say? Christopher Kennedy. His passion, his delivery, the usable content, and the fact that he moved us and reminded us that what we do is so special – it is indeed an honor that our clients allow us to assist them with making their homes a wonderful space.” – Tracy Gilmore
“Best camp ever” [return camper] – Yolanda Bess
“Such an amazing few days! So inspired and so ready to rock it!” – Stephanie Taylor Josephson
“Thanks…for an amazing ride. Loved our time with our new buddies.” – Kelly Dunlop
“I had an amazing time at camp! I am definitely attending next year!” – Roberta Plumbly
You [Kelli] and lori did such fantastic job bringing us what we need in this industry – collaboration was the the takeaway and it was felt from day 1. Congrats to you both! ~ Julie Ann
“It’s been three days and I’m still buzzing. When the chance to go to Interior Design Camp came up, I thought, “How fun!” I mean, who doesn’t want to drool over photographs of great design and beautiful things? I expected Interior Design Camp to have industry trends and, in that sense, it wildly exceeded my expectations. What I didn’t expect was to be blown away by the caliber of speakers and the must-have business advice. Today’s social media is moving so fast, and there were so many golden nuggets of practical information that I was able to put into use immediately! Camp is not just for designers, it is something every business person can benefit from. I am newly energized, inspired, motivated, but most of all, educated! Thank you Kelli and Lori for making this kind of conference accessible and fun!”
Hey ladies,
Just wanted to mention that after Design Camp Austin I felt super encouraged to take a few more risks with my business, especially my blog. I decided for a blog feature, I would love to interview the set designers of some of my favorite television shows. I simply started asking, and people said yes. Next week I will be flying to L.A. to tour the set of Modern Family and interview the set designer! Thanks, girls for giving me the extra confidence that I needed!! ~ Keri Peterson
“Thank you so much for producing Design Camp and allowing us to be a part of it, It was an exhilirating experience, especially for novices. Lane kelly and I learned so much in such a short period of time! The love you have for your craft and the industry is contagious! Best to you and your partner in the future!!” ~ Rosemary Raysor
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“I had such a GREAT time listening, learning & mingling with other designers from around the country! Many thanks to Ronda for hosting the giveaway that brought me to camp!”~ Margaret Norcott, Milieu Design Group
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“Sort of like a great book or a fantastic film that just won’t leave your thoughts I am finding it hard to think of anything else besides Design Camp Atlanta. It was 3 days of being a kid in a candy store! With over 100 fellow campers, both Interior Designers and enthusiasts alike I floated around listening to world famous designers and industry leaders who dropped some serious design knowledge on us. Over the next few days and weeks I will do my best to share with you what I’ve learned but it’s going to be kinda tough. What I got out of Design Camp is far more than just a few lectures and some meet-n-greets. To explain to you my adventures in Atlanta will be like bearing my soul. Sounds a bit dramatic I know, but no less accurate.
My experience at Design Camp was like nothing else I’ve ever done in my life and I am without a doubt a better person/blogger/wife/mother for it. It exceeded all my expectations and brought me a sense of well-being that I was sorely missing. Instead of finding elitist designers and corny brand ambassadors I found leaders and speakers who were genuinely interested in enhancing our lives. Not only professionally but personally as well. I didn’t network, I made amazing friends. We didn’t compete, we collaborated. There was no haves and haves not’s but instead a group of people who were serious about their craft and making the design world better by sharing their accomplishments right along side their mistakes.
Even though I am not a designer I gained tremendous knowledge about all manner of industries associated with design. There was something valuable for everyone there from bloggers to design aficionados to best selling authors, socialites, TV personalities, online retailers and everyone in between. At the end of each day all the “Happy Campers” shared their feedback and take away’s over cocktails and the overall feeling was that everyone was having the time of their lives. We all agreed that the speakers were out of this world insightful and shockingly real down to earth individuals who made time to personally address each campers questions or accolades.
Now that I know what that kind of wonderful feels like, I implore you to find your Design Camp and go. Whatever industry you’re in or whatever your passions/hobbies are in this life find out where they’re holding a workshop and go feed your soul. If you passion is Interior Design then by any means necessary register for Design Camp like yesterday! You’ll be so grateful that you did. ( BTW the next camp is in Seattle this May, I’m just saying)”
~ Ryan DiSalvo, The Life and Style Guild
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“I attended your Design Camp in Austin. I loved every minute of it! Design camp was fantastic and really set me on the right path in social media, blogging, design, etc. I took everything I learned at Design Camp Austin, applied it to my blog and social media plan and was I just nominated for top new design blog of the year. ” Leslie Wood, Hadley Court Blog, Design Blogger’s Convention Hall of Fame Award Nominee
~ Leslie Wood, Hadley Court
“I just owe you the BIGGEST thanks for Design Camp. It’s changed the course of my business for the better!” ~ Keri Peterson KP Spaces, Seattle
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012
Design Camp recap – spilling some of the tips and tricks I learned
I had the exceptional privilege of being a guest at Design Camp in Austin TX from Oct 24th – 26th. Design Camp was created by celebrity interior designers Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis. Aside from two days of on-trend interior design education, the people – speakers and guests – were all awesome!!! Lori and Kelli were so sweet and made the conference feel more like a party where people discuss great ideas to expand and grow your design business.I felt the most useful and inspiring speakers were those that covered information of social media and using it to get your designs and creativity out there! Leslie Carothers, CEO of The Kaleidoscope Partnership, shared with everyone the amazing “Olioboard,” a site that allows you to create 2 and 3D rooms that you can share with others, shop from, and save. Most design campers agreed this was one of their favorite presentations.
A sample Olioboard
All The Best‘s Ronda Rice Carman spoke about the necessity of defining your brand, which includes having a website that reflects your philosophy and services. ( I don’t usually like to push my other business, web design, but I can definitely hook you guys up with a gorgeous website!) She also recommends staying focused on what you want to accomplish – avoid having too many branches of your blog/business. Find your niche and stick to it!
Design expert Susanna Salk spoke about getting published and her experiences creating beautiful design books.
Susanna’s tips include not being afraid to get out there and introduce yourself and your work through various social networking platforms (twitter, facebook, olioboard, pinterest, etc.), and to editors and bloggers.