September 25, 2023
Black Interior Designers Conference Makes Its Mark On The West Coast
After three years, the Black Interior Designers (BID) conference has returned. Black interior designers were on the scene for the conference held at the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, California.
Black Interior Designers, Inc., established in 2010, is an international organization for members of the professional Black interior design community. This year marked the organization’s first West Coast event. From September 20 to September 23, designers such as Justina Blakeney, Nikki Chu, Adair Curtis, Carmeon Hamilton, and Brigette Romanek were among the top-tier Black designers at the three-day conference that kicked off with a meet-and-greet.
The organization is a supportive network that encourages personal and professional growth for members through community and educational resources.
The event had over 20 speakers present and gave attendees the opportunity to receive mentorship from the best and brightest in the design industry through interviews, networking, and other learning opportunities. The BID conference was created by Keia McSwain, president of Black Interior Designers, Inc. and an award-winning interior designer.
This year’s conference was an all-encompassing event focused on sharing a wealth of knowledge geared toward awakening new ideas and inspiring people who are new to the industry as well as people with years of experience and professional backgrounds in design.
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McSwain and her team coordinated the event and featured some of the greatest talents in interior design across the U.S. The BID conference was established to formulate an experience where attendees would receive information and feel supported and encouraged to pursue their dreams of growing in the industry.
“The mission of the Black Interior Designers conference this year is to inspire, uplift, and create resources and networking. So that designers, both novice, working, and vetted, can all be inspired by the experiences of others,” said McSwain. “So we’re here to produce for these designers, partners and sponsors the reality of what interior design is, what it means for Black interior designers, and how we bring life to the interior design community.”
Her vision is to break barriers in the design industry and enable marginalized communities to take part in interior design.
“It’s no secret at all that minorities have been put at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to their talent and culture,” McSwain said. “We want to catapult these resources for these designers and put them right before everyone. We want to let consumers and homeowners know that we are truly talented, gifted, and ready to make some homes their total sanctuary.”
A plethora of topics were discussed at the empowering event, such as brand building, virtual design, unlocking social media opportunities, and optimizing kitchen and bath design.