Pinnacle award provides more than bragging rights
Gary Evans, Senior editor -- Furniture Today, August 31, 2009
When they start naming names at this year's Pinnacle awards, will your company be one of them? Not if you didn't submit a nomination. And many of you didn't.
I've been around this industry for a while, and know there are reasons for everything, some of them apparent, some not. But for the life of me, I can't understand why more people don't submit nominations for the industry's highest design awards.
The Pinnacle Award is sponsored by the American Society of Furniture Designers to select the best of the best among several product categories — bedroom, dining rooms, accessories, outdoor, upholstery, entertainment, lamps, accessories and just about everything anyone can think of. And, of course, there's the big major collections award.
The competition is stiff, and there are always a significant number of entries from well-known designers and big-time companies. But there's always room for more, and I know there is a lot of good stuff out there that should have been submitted, and wasn't.
For full disclosure, I have been a member of the judges' panel off and on for the past several years. And Furniture/Today is an underwriter of the awards, which are presented every year at the fall market in High Point. The judging is done for this year, and the awards will be presented at a banquet Monday, Oct. 19.
But this has nothing to do with that. There are just too many good — and sometimes better than good — designs out there that should be getting recognition. I know from the beat I cover that many, many deserving products should have been submitted. So why weren't they?
I know times are tough and money is tight but the rewards are good. The Pinnacle is the Oscar for the furniture industry, a major achievement in design. It says this is an industry that not only talks about being one of fashion and flair, it honors the notion. And the cost to participate isn't really all that expensive, even if you're not a member of the ASFD.
Not only are award winners recognized by their peers, the Pinnacle also provides a great tool for marketing and public relations. Salespeople are always looking for something to talk about, to romance and sell the product, and to impress the consumer — who isn't that easy to impress even in good times.
There's a lot of product sitting out there on those retail floors, all saying, “Look at me, buy me, take me home.” Pretend you're the consumer walking by. Wouldn't you be more apt to take a second look if there was a hangtag on the product that read, “Winner of the 2009 Pinnacle Award?”
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