Join us for our Quarterly Webinar with Deb Barrett

Harnessing AI in the Custom Window Covering World

Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the world of interior design, with a focus on custom window coverings. In Part 1 Deb will delve into how AI can streamline the design process, enhance personalization, and elevate customer experiences. This webinar will help demystify AI, introduce tools and strategies that any design pro can implement. We’ll walk through the steps to get you started, define your AI plan and then build a foundation to be able to use AI effectively equipping you with actionable strategies to integrate AI into your sales and design processes to stay competitive and innovative in the custom window covering market. (P.S. AI helped write this description!) 

Members Register Here

Non Members Register here for $45

Creative catalyst, design confidante and industry presence for more than 30 years, Deb Barrett has a unique perspective. Her aim is to inspire and energize the design industry. Her design career has taken many paths and her fascination with what’s around the corner has led her to her current roles as a designer, speaker, educator, trend forecaster and consultant. As a design creative, Deb combined her twin passions—design and soft furnishings—by founding Window Dressings, a couture window treatment and soft furnishings firm near Chicago. She is an accredited speaker and a member of the Interior Design Continuing Education Council Board of Directors and WithIt. Most recently, she was awarded the Educator of the Year award by WithIt and the Window Coverings Industry Icon Award. As a trend strategist and High Point Market brand ambassador, she attends dozens of industry trade shows, design exhibits and design events to keep abreast of the hottest new trends and product innovations and to develop design intelligence and interior forecasts. She travels the globe, tracking developments in the ever-evolving world of design, providing designers with exclusive access to some of the world’s best design destinations through her company, Décor Tours.

Kickoff Event: National Virtual Celebration

Moderated by LuAnn Nigara, President of WCAA

We’ll kick off the week with an energizing live virtual event that brings the entire country together in one room—online.

What to Expect:

• Live keynote from LuAnn Nigara on how collaboration strengthens the industry as a whole

• Real member stories highlighting the power of community, connection, and shared growth

• Raffles & giveaways you can only win by attending live

• A first look at how WCAA chapters nationwide will be celebrating all week long

This is your front-row seat to the heart of WCAA—and the perfect introduction for future members.

Who Should Attend?

• Window covering dealers & retailers

• Interior designers

• Workrooms & fabricators

• Installers & technicians

• Industry partners & suppliers

• Anyone curious about WCAA membership

Members and non-members welcome.
If you’ve ever considered joining WCAA—this is the moment.

What do I put on my calendar?

Monday, March 9th, at 12:00 pm EST

 Additionally, visit this page for local events in your area.

How do I register?

Register Here!

Why “Stronger Together”?

Because no one builds a successful business alone.

WCAA exists to:

• Support professionals at every stage of business

• Create meaningful connections across roles and regions

• Advocate for the industry as a unified voice

• Share knowledge, resources, and real-world experience

This week is about opening the doors, extending the invitation, and reminding ourselves what’s possible when we collaborate.

Save your spot. Invite a colleague. Celebrate the industry.
Because when we come together—we’re Stronger Together.

Join the Atlanta Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

ADAC (Atlanta Design Center)

351 Peachtree Hills Avenue NE

Atlanta, GA 30305

See the agenda here!

Register here!

Speakers:

LuAnn Nigara is a leading business expert, keynote speaker, and media personality, known for helping entrepreneurs stop playing small and take decisive action. As the host of the top-rated podcasts A Well-Designed Business® and Window Treatments for Profit—with over 1,000 episodes and 9 million downloads—LuAnn has built an international reputation for delivering no-nonsense business advice.

A seasoned entrepreneur, she has successfully launched three businesses, including LuAnn Nigara Inc., where she provides business education through live events, LuAnn University, and bestselling books. Known as the go-to speaker for business owners ready to get out of their own way and step into profitability, LuAnn delivers engaging, actionable keynotes that inspire and challenge audiences to make bold, smart decisions in their business.

Topic: Understanding Your Financials is More than Reading an Income Statement 

Have you ever heard the phrase “understand your financials”? For many they interpret this as being able to read an income statement or balance sheet, as if that is enough. In this presentation, Michele will share with you not only how to read an income statement but how to apply the knowledge you gain for continued decision making so that the understanding becomes action.

Michele Williams is the visionary owner of Scarlet Thread Consulting and Metrique Solutions, two companies dedicated to empowering creative professionals – especially interior designers, workrooms, and window covering specialists – to thrive as business owners. With a sharp eye for detail and a passion for innovation, Michele has built a reputation as a trusted advisor who helps design entrepreneurs navigate the financial and operational complexities of running a business. 

At Scarlet Thread Consulting, Michele leverages her deep expertise in finance and business strategy to provide tailored coaching and mentoring. Her focus on financial clarity and operational efficiency equips clients to make confident, data-driven decisions that fuel sustainable growth. 

Through Metrique Solutions, Michele bridges technology and consultancy, offering software tools designed specifically for small business owners. By harnessing financial metrics and data analysis, she enables clients to refine pricing strategies, strengthen profitability, and build resilient businesses. 

Recognized as both a thought leader and advocate in the design community, Michele is known for her commitment to excellence and her unwavering support of her clients. Her work not only transforms businesses but also sparks creativity, confidence and long-term success – making her an indispensable guide for design professionals who are ready to elevate their businesses.

Erika Ward is the founder and principal designer of Erika Ward Interiors, an Atlanta-based residential design studio with over 20 years of experience designing refined, livable homes nationwide. Known for her tailored yet approachable aesthetic, Erika specializes in guiding homeowners through renovations and new construction with clarity, confidence, and thoughtful attention to how families truly live. 

A published designer, speaker, and industry advocate, Erika is passionate about elevating the client experience, mentoring fellow designers, and helping professionals build sustainable design driven businesses. Her work blends timeless design principles with modern functionality —always rooted in intention, process, and long-term value.

Dana Faler is the principal designer and founder of Dana Faler Interiors, a Chattanooga-based design firm recognized for its disciplined, architecture-led approach to residential interiors. Georgia-born and grounded in classical design principles, Dana’s work draws from traditional foundations while confidently integrating transitional and contemporary elements, always with an emphasis on enduring quality.

Her firm was voted “Best of the Best Interior Designer” by the Chattanooga Times Free Press Readers’ Choice Awards (2024–2025), and Dana has been recognized by Modern Luxury Magazine for excellence in transitional and contemporary design across the Southeast and Nashville markets.

Dana brings a collaborative, execution-focused perspective to design and is known for understanding how details—like window treatments—play a critical role in how a space ultimately feels and functions.

Sponsored By:

Join the Richmond, VA Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

McKinnon & Harris

McKinnon and Harris
1722 Arlington Road
Richmond, VA 23230

Registration: Coming Soon!

Join WCAA Richmond at the McKinnon & Harris showroom for an in person gathering centered on conversation, connection, and inspiration.

As part of the national WCAA Membership Drive, this event provides an opportunity to engage with industry professionals in a setting that reflects craftsmanship, quality, and thoughtful process.

Attendees will experience a guided look inside the McKinnon and Harris showroom and workshop, connect with professionals from across the industry, and gain insight into WCAA as a professional community and resource.

Sponsored by:

Join the Northern Virginia Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Sheffield Furniture & Interiors Design Studio

9912-A1 Georgetown Pike

Great Falls, VA 22066.

Topic: The Stoplight System: A Simple Way to Prioritize, Communicate, and Reduce Overwhelm

REGISTRATION COMING SOON!

Rebecca Munster is the owner of RMD Luxury Window Treatments, where she leads a growing team delivering custom window solutions for clients’ most important spaces—their homes. With a background that bridges design, operations, and corporate project and organizational management, Rebecca brings a deep passion for building clarity, structure, and systems that actually work in real-world, creative businesses.

Through years of hands-on experience—learning what worked and what didn’t as her business grew—Rebecca developed Simply Managed, a practical approach to leadership and operations designed specifically for small, service-based and trade-focused companies. She is passionate about helping business owners move out of survival mode, simplify how they run their businesses, and create environments where both people and creativity can thrive.

Sponsored by:

Join the Charlotte Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Location:

United Supply Company

10701 Texland Boulevard

Charlotte, NC  28273

Panel discussion with Sara Lynn Brennan, Cheryl Luckett and Amanda Smith

Designer–Workroom Partnerships: Building Profitable, Long-Term Relationships
Focusing on communication standards, expectations, and mutual accountability.

Lunch is included

Register Now!

Sara is a highly respected interior designer celebrated for her thoughtful, family-centered approach that beautifully blends sophistication with everyday livability. Her work has earned both national and local recognition, including features in Architectural Digest and Traditional Home, being named a Women to KNOW in NC, and being voted 2025 Charlotte’s Best Interior Design, Woman-Owned Business, and Window Treatment Provider. Beyond her design work, Sara is a trusted voice in the industry who loves sharing her knowledge through education, workshops, and community involvement. With a genuine passion for people and design, she continues to create spaces that feel as meaningful as they are beautiful.

Like Cheryl’s southern roots, her love for design runs deep. Since 2012, Dwell by Cheryl Interiors has kept clients raving about Cheryl and her team’s ability to transform their homes into classic, colorful, cultured and cozy spaces. 

For over 15 years, Cheryl worked at a Fortune 500 company, initially as a Registered Dietitian and subsequently as a human resources professional in diversity and inclusion. Eventually, however, those seeds of creativity took root. They collided with her faith and she realized her true calling was in design. She hasn’t looked back since. 

Along with designing for her clients, Cheryl also brings the classic style, cultured details, and charming flair she’s known for to collaborations with major brands in the home furnishings and design industry. Her product designs feature everything from lighting to textiles with no end in sight.  You can find her lighting, furnishings and home décor collection available at Wildwood and her premiere textile collaboration at Revolution Fabrics. 

Cheryl and her work have been featured in Southern Home, Traditional Home, HGTV Magazine, AD, Forbes, The Washington Post, and Southern Living to name a few.

Amanda D. Smith is the founder and owner of Sew Unordinary, LLC, a full-service, to-the-trade workroom specializing in custom window treatments and soft furnishings for the interior design industry. With a background in education and a lifelong foundation in sewing and upholstery, Amanda launched her workroom in 2001 and has grown it into a trusted resource for designers nationwide. In 2017, she co-founded Seamless Workroom, an industry-specific management system designed to improve efficiency and productivity for fabricators and designers.

Sponsored by:

Join the Virtual Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

"Don't Lead the Witness" - Jessica Harling

This presentation explores the art of interviewing through three critical lenses. We will dive into effective question-asking techniques, knowing what they're listening for, and how to avoid failure in finding the next rockstar employee. Attendees will learn how to structure their interviews to uncover genuine insights and achieve their desired outcomes.

Register Here!

Jessica Harling is a process architect turned people strategist who helps creative businesses scale with clarity, confidence, and heart. As Founder and CEO of Behind the Design, she blends deep operational expertise with emotional intelligence to build high-performing teams without sacrificing culture.

A proud fourth-generation window covering professional, Jessica was raised in her family’s Chicago-based business founded in 1936 that is still thriving today. She earned her expertise the long way, holding roles across sales, business development, and operations, giving her a rare, firsthand understanding of what it takes to grow and sustain a trade-based business. Today, she helps firms systemize success by aligning people, process, and purpose, proving that structure and soul can coexist.

Sponsored by:

Join us in Chicago for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Location:

7549 Graber Rd

Middleton, WI 53562

Hosted by Jessica Harling with behind the Design

Click here to see the agenda!

Register Here!

Speaker: Jessica Harling

Jessica Harling is a process architect turned people strategist who helps creative businesses scale with clarity, confidence, and heart. As Founder and CEO of Behind the Design, she blends deep operational expertise with emotional intelligence to build high-performing teams without sacrificing culture.
A proud fourth-generation window covering professional, Jessica was raised in her family’s Chicago-based business founded in 1936 that is still thriving today. She earned her expertise the long way, holding roles across sales, business development, and operations, giving her a rare, firsthand understanding of what it takes to grow and sustain a trade-based business. Today, she helps firms systemize success by aligning people, process, and purpose, proving that structure and soul can coexist.

 Sponsored By:

Join the Indiana Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Location:

Indiana Design Center

200 S Rangeline Road

Carmel, Indiana 46032

Topic:

She Thinks Big®: Drop the Drama—Make Faster Decisions, Hold Better Boundaries, and Lead Projects With Confidence

In the window coverings world, everything is custom—which means variables, handoffs, and client emotions can quickly turn projects into decision fatigue and unnecessary stress. In this practical, high-energy keynote, Andrea Liebross shows you how to “drop the drama” by upgrading the way you make decisions, communicate across the trade, and lead clients and partners with clarity.

You’ll learn a simple framework to stop overthinking, reduce scope creep, and hold boundaries around pricing, timelines, and expectations—without damaging relationships. Whether you’re a designer, retailer, workroom, installer, vendor, or newer professional, you’ll leave with tools you can use immediately to keep projects moving, protect your time, and lead every project with calm confidence.

Key takeaways:

• A repeatable process to make faster, clearer decisions (even when details are still evolving)

• Boundary language that protects pricing, scope, and timelines while strengthening trust

• Practical strategies to improve handoffs and communication between designers, workrooms, installers, and vendors

Bio:

Andrea Liebross is a keynote speaker, bestselling author of She Thinks Big®, podcast host, and strategy-driven business and leadership coach. She helps leaders strengthen decision-making so growth feels clear, grounded, and sustainable—at work and in real life.  

Sponsored by:

Join the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Location:

Boston Design Center

The Martin Group Showroom, Suite 215

One Design Center Place

Boston, MA 02210

Registration: COMING SOON!

Behind the Curtain: What’s in Your Designer Toolbox for a Profitable Window Treatment Business? 

Do you have all the pieces in place for a successful design or window treatment business, or are you relying on talent and hustle alone?

In this keynote, Christa O’Leary, Founder of Home in Harmony Designs, takes attendees behind the curtain to reveal why window treatments are one of the most powerful (and often under-leveraged) drivers of revenue, client satisfaction, and design impact.

Using her signature Designer’s Toolbox™ approach, Christa shows how the most successful businesses create consistent results by designing with multiple lenses - not only aesthetics, but the psychological, physiological, and emotional impact of a space. 

Attendees will leave with a clearer framework for how to elevate window treatments from a “final detail” to a profit center, strengthen their process, and create a client experience that feels effortless, premium, and referral-worthy.

Founder and CEO of Home in Harmony Designs, Christa O’Leary leads a distinguished design firm renowned for crafting exquisite interiors that elevate both aesthetic beauty and the wellbeing of her clients. With a rare combination of expertise—holding dual degrees in psychology and human development—O'Leary’s foundation in marriage and family therapy uniquely informs her philosophy of “Design Inspired Living,” where interiors not only reflect personal style but also foster emotional and physical wellness.

A celebrated figure in the world of interior design, O’Leary has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Design Firms by Designer’s Today magazine and hailed as the “One to Watch” by Modern Luxury Magazine. Her insights and innovative approach have positioned her as a thought leader in the industry. She has shared her expertise as a keynote speaker at the prestigious High Point Market and participated as a Market Pro, further solidifying her influence in the design community. Additionally, she has been a featured speaker on the Traditional Home panel at HPMKT, offering her unique perspective on creating spaces that nurture and inspire.

A celebrated author and advocate for design psychology & sustainable living, Christa’s work has captured the attention of national media, with appearances on CBS, NBC, and The Hallmark Channel. As a sought-after motivational speaker, she has inspired audiences worldwide, appearing on renowned radio shows and podcasts. Her signature designs, regularly featured in prestigious publications such as Modern Luxury, Designer's Today, New England Home, Luxury Interiors, and by the acclaimed international fabric house Kravet, encourage a life of elegance, harmony, and vitality.

Through her visionary leadership at Home in Harmony Designs, O’Leary continues to push the boundaries of traditional interior design, blending her deep understanding of aesthetics and human psychology to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also deeply enriching for those who inhabit them

Presentation by Marisa Guttmacher (creative director at Samuel and Sons) talking about their line of trimmings and passementerie, how it gets created and most importantly, how it can be used - provided samples - whether in person or on presentation - beautiful, inspiring ideas about ways designers/workrooms can use their trimmings for the “wow” factor on their finished goods.

Join the SEPA/NJ Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Location:

DEL Motorized Solutions

2075 Byberry Road

The Atrium Suite 108

Bensalem, Pa. 19020

Speakers:

Dennis Lister - CEO of DEL Motorized Systems

Don't Fear Motorization !

*Learn sales, programming, and installation “tips and tricks” from Lutron experts

*See demonstrations of Lutron shading, Controls, and Ketra lighting

*Unlock untapped revenue by adding simplistic lighting control to your product offering

*Discover architectural angled and arched window shades solutions by DEL Motorized Solutions

*Learn about DEL Motorized Solutions white glove services which include measuring, product design, installation, programming, all at aggressive wholesale pricing.

*All members who attend the event will have access to Lutron’s and DEL’s full line of labor, shading and lighting solutions.

LuAnn NigARA

REGISTRATION: COMING SOON!

Sponsored by:

Join the Triangle Chapter for a special event celebrating WCAA! This event is open to everyone including designers, workrooms, retailers and installers.

Location:

The Green Chair Project

1853 Capital Blvd

Raleigh, NC 27604

Sandra VanSickle will share “Through the Eye of the Fabricator: What Fabric Really Reveals”—a behind-the-scenes look at how fabricators evaluate pattern, scale, and balance to bring your design vision to life.

register today!

Sandra VanSickle, an esteemed leader in the industry, strives to educate, inspire and promote others in the window covering industry. With her 30-plus years of knowledge and workroom experience, she’s committed to passing along what she has learned through online and hands-on classes, articles and speaking engagements for those seeking professional training in the custom window treatment segment of the industry. In Apex, North Carolina, Sandra is the proud owner of Sew What’s New, LLC, a wholesale custom window treatment workroom and training center. She’s also the director of IWCE’s Artisan Atelier

Sponsors:

Stronger Together: Closing Celebration & National Town Hall

Live Virtual Event and Final Day of the WCAA Membership Drive Week

We’ve celebrated. We’ve connected. We’ve grown.
Now it’s time to come together one last time—to reflect on what we learned, to listen where we're headed, and to discover how you fit into what’s next.

Join us for the final virtual event of the Stronger Together Membership Drive Week, a powerful national conversation led by Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA) leadership and members from across the country.

Moderated by LuAnn Nigara

Featuring WCAA Board Members Nationwide

This live, interactive session brings together WCAA leadership and members for an open, honest discussion on:

• Key lessons learned during Membership Drive Week

• What chapters across the country experienced and discovered

• How member voices are shaping the future of WCAA

• What’s next for the association—and the industry

If you care about the direction of the window coverings industry, this conversation matters.

Raffles You’ll Want to Stick Around For

To celebrate the week and thank our community, we’ll be giving away exclusive services and experiences from industry leaders, including:

• Jessica Harling, Behind the Design

• LuAnn Nigara, LuAnn Nigara Inc.

• Vin Nigara, Exciting Windows

• Michele Williams, Scarlet Thread Consulting

• …and more to be announced

✨ Must be present to win—this is one meeting you won’t want to leave early.

Additionally, visit www.wcaa.org/membershipdrive for local events in your area.

Register Here!

Why You Should Be There

This isn’t a wrap-up—it’s a launch point.

• Connect with peers from across the U.S.

• Hear directly from WCAA leadership

• Understand how WCAA is evolving to better serve members

• Be part of a community that believes we are stronger when we work together

Whether you joined WCAA this week, have been a member for years, or are still deciding—this conversation is for you.

Join us for the Stronger Together Closing Celebration & National Town Hall.
End the week where it began, together. Because community doesn’t end when the event does—it’s just getting started.