GET DOWN TO BUSINESS | A DEEPER DIVE

Trade Only Event

Join ADAC for a deeper Get Down to Business experience designed to help you build a stronger, more profitable firm through expert-led presentations, interactive workshops, focused breakout sessions, and practical business strategies.

This year, ADAC is expanding opportunities for interactive learning, meaningful conversations, and personalized engagement. Building on the longstanding success of Get Down to Business, the program will be offered as a ticketed event with attendance intentionally capped at 75 participants, creating an intimate setting for collaboration, networking, and focused discussion. Through expert-led presentations, interactive workshops, and dedicated time with industry leaders, attendees will gain valuable insights and strategies to strengthen and grow their design firms.

In addition to thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions, attendees will participate in interactive breakout sessions designed to foster peer-to-peer learning, deeper conversations, and practical business insights.

The day will conclude with the Sherwin-Williams Colormix® 2027: Rewild HSW CEU (1.0), providing attendees with an opportunity to gain valuable insights and inspiration to apply to their design practices.

Highlights include:

• An insider’s look with Ericka Saurit of Saurit Creative at what it takes to position your firm for the market ahead, including defining what sets your firm apart, communicating your value, building visibility, and staying relevant as client expectations and an increasingly AI-driven landscape reshape the design industry

• Strategic guidance on operations, leadership, team structure, and the systems that support sustainable success

• A compelling case study featuring Margaret Donaldson of MDI Luxury Design and Gail Doby and Erin Weir of Pearl Collective, sharing the real story behind transforming an established firm into a business experiencing exponential growth

• A candid conversation with Dwayne Bergmann on scaling a design business, diversifying revenue streams, and building a multifaceted brand

• Interactive roundtable discussions designed to foster peer-to-peer learning and meaningful connections among industry professionals

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your firm’s foundation, prepare for growth, or gain fresh perspective from industry leaders, this event is designed to help you move forward with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Info: Being good at design is no longer enough to ensure the right clients find you. In a crowded, rapidly changing market, visibility, relevance, and perceived value are business advantages—and how your firm shows up matters as much as the work you produce.
In her session, brand strategist Ericka Saurit of Saurit Creative explores what it takes to build a firm that gets noticed, remembered, and chosen. She’ll unpack the strategic decisions that shape perception, from defining what sets your firm apart to communicating your value in ways that resonate with your ideal clients. You’ll examine how changing client expectations and an increasingly AI-driven landscape are reshaping visibility, then identify opportunities to sharpen your positioning, stand out, and stay relevant in the market ahead.

Info: Connect with the speakers + refresh and reset for the next session

Info: Join Gail Doby and Erin Weir of Pearl Collective as they share the proven systems that help successful interior design firms thrive. Having coached hundreds of design professionals across the country, Gail and Erin understand what separates firms that simply stay busy from those that build sustainable, profitable businesses.
This session explores the operational framework behind high-performing firms—from leadership and team structure to financial management, strategic planning, and creating systems that support long-term growth. Attendees will gain practical insights into building a business that is not only creatively fulfilling but also scalable and financially resilient.

Info: Sponsored by: Edgar-Reeves Lighting, Ernest Gaspard, Kravet, Made Goods, and Schumacher

Info: A candid conversation between Margaret Donaldson of MDI Luxury Design, Gail Doby and Erin Weir of Pearl Collective on what it actually looks like to evolve and scale an already successful firm.
With over three decades in business, Margaret will share how working with the Pearl Collective team helped double her firm’s growth through shifts in mindset, structure, and strategy. Together, they’ll discuss operational changes, leadership decisions, and the disciplined focus required to move from steady success to significant expansion.
This is not theory—it’s a real-world case study in growth.

Info: Enjoy coffee and informal conversation with speakers while connecting with fellow attendees.

Info: Featuring Dwayne Bergmann of Dwayne Bergmann Interiors, this session dives into what it really takes to scale—from increasing revenue to launching new ventures and expanding beyond traditional design services. A candid look at growth that is both ambitious and strategic.

Info: Presented by Kamilah Morgan, MBA, Designer Account Executive for Sherwin-Williams
Led by Kamilah Morgan, Sherwin-Williams’ Designer Account Executive, this directional color journey and CEU course explores the future of color through a global trend lens, examining the cultural, technological and environmental forces shaping design for 2027. Participants will explore a curated palette of 48 colors alongside key macro drivers influencing color, material and finish directions across interiors, architecture and product design. We will explore three overarching design stories for 2027—Revive, Reignite and Reconnect—which highlight themes of heritage and craftsmanship, expressive creativity, and human connection to nature. Through these narratives, the course examines how emerging social behaviors, sensory experiences and sustainability considerations translate into actionable design strategies and forward-looking color concepts that create spaces that are meaningful, adaptable and aligned

Info: Enjoy prosecco, light bites, and continued conversation after the Colormix® 2027 CEU presentation.

Event venue & nearby stays

Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, 351 Peachtree Hills Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, United States

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