Welcome - Grace note

The cover of this issue is quite meaningful for several reasons. Most importantly, it shows the excellent project completed by VISION Design Competition Awards winner Carl Sly of Creative Windows. It is a photo of the Detroit airport taken prior to the pandemic but is oh-so-appropriate for the moment. Congratulations Carl for this unintentionally relevant entry and photo.

Along with Carl, we are honoring and recognizing the first group of winners of this year’s VISION Design & Workroom Competition Awards. It was another year where we were presented with outstanding work from members of our industry. As has been our tradition for decades, the awards were scheduled to be presented at the International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE) in Charlotte in March. Although there is nothing like the human aspect of a live ceremony, we didn’t want to delay announcing the winners, so we held a virtual awards ceremony on June 24. If you missed the excitement of the presentation, be sure to check out a list of all our winners at wf-vision.com.

In the last issue of Window Fashion VISION, we pivoted to address the effects of the pandemic, which had just come upon us. We didn’t know when this situation would end and what it would do to our business and economy. We still don’t know the answers to these questions. The good news is that I’m hearing many great success stories from dealers and designers who have shifted their businesses— restructuring their business models, offering virtual consultations, changing suppliers and executing reopenings with extreme safety precautions in place. Very few of us dodged moving in a different direction, at least in some parts of our business.

The pandemic had quite an effect on our business as well. Our business is supporting the window covering industry through this magazine and IWCE. Having to cancel IWCE on the eve of the show because of decisions by the governor of North Carolina was indescribable. It was a blow not only to us, but to the suppliers and attendees that so look forward to this important event. That spiraled into the economic downturn that hurt the manufacturing end of our industry, those great companies that support this magazine with advertising.

Some of you may be getting this edition in a digital format. That’s because we have expanded our efforts to reach more industry members digitally than we are able to do when we print and mail. Most of you are getting Window Fashion VISION complimentary thanks to the advertising support, which has decreased due to the economic situation. We know this is temporary, but we have to make adjustments, just as many of you have had to do. To guarantee a print issue, we will have a paid option available to you soon on wf-vision.com.

The great news is that we will continue to bring you great content, including business tips, new products, and design and trend updates digitally, which you can conveniently view on your phone, iPad and any device that works for you. We will supplement the magazine on our website where you can click on the ads and go directly to the company’s website.

In addition, we will be developing new digital products, such as a “Help Wanted/ Business for Sale” function on our website and a comprehensive new online Buyer’s Guide. Please be sure to opt in on our website to receive our latest digital products.

We have connected the industry for 34 years and we will continue to do so. We are resilient and I have no doubt we will make it through this challenging time and come out stronger on the other side. We’re here for you and always appreciate your feedback. Please let both Sophia Bennett and myself know what you want to see more of. Send us the great projects you are working on and share your success stories.

Grace McNamara Publisher grace@wf-vision.com