On Thursday, March 10, design leaders gathered at the Hawaii State Art Museum to celebrate the official launch of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Hawaii Pacific Chapter. The association’s newest Chapter replaces the Honolulu City Center, previously part of the IIDA Northern California Chapter, in order to better serve a rapidly growing commercial interior design community in Hawaii with robust local programming and resources.
“On behalf of the IIDA International Board of Directors, I want to congratulate the IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter on a successful launch,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP, who attended the event. “The evolution of the Honolulu City Center into the Hawaii Pacific Chapter illustrates the increasing elevation and importance of the commercial interior design profession in the state and the region.”
“Our professional community has a true sense of ‘ohana,’ or family, because of the friendships formed while a part of this inclusive organization. Architects, interior designers, dealerships, and manufacturers have worked together to enrich the profession for all,” said outgoing Hawaii Pacific Chapter President Alana Yasui, IIDA, Director of Interior Design, at Next Design.
The IIDA Hawaii Pacific Chapter’s near-term goals include hosting a Leaders Breakfast, an annual international event series that celebrates design’s importance in the global marketplace, and facilitating a Principals Roundtable. The Chapter also plans to continue working closely with Chaminade University to ensure that emerging design professionals have access to mentoring and networking opportunities.
Also in attendance were Michael Skaar, IIDA, President of Skaar Furniture and Vice President of City Centers for the IIDA Northern California Chapter; incoming Hawaii Pacific Chapter President Colette Abe, IIDA, Senior Interior Designer at Architects Hawaii Ltd.; and several influential members of the Hawaii interior design community.
For more information, visit iida.org.
About International Interior Design Association
IIDA is the Commercial Interior Design Association with global reach. We support design professionals, industry affiliates, educators, students, firms, and their clients through our network of 15,000+ Members across 58 countries. IIDA advocates for advancement in education, design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of Interior Design as a profession that enhances business value and positively impacts the health and well-being of people’s lives every day. www.iida.org
