Beyond software:
CET Designer User Conference will discuss workplace solutions, collaborative user community

When users and manufacturers gather for the first North American Configura CET Designer Users Conference Oct. 1-2 at The Luxor hotel in Las Vegas, they’ll hear two recurring themes.

One theme: CET Designer software is not just software; it is a complete design-specify-render-order solution.

The other theme: Configura, the maker of CET Designer, is building a user community – an environment in which users can share, collaborate and connect. The conference is a first step in this vision. Manufacturers’ representatives from Haworth, Steelcase and Teknion also will be in attendance at the conference where roundtable discussions, idea-generating and networking will take place.

“Our goal is to learn as much as we can about what our users and manufacturing clients want next – and our goal is also for participants to learn from each other – so we can help each other to mutually grow and succeed,” said CEO Johan Lyreborn.

Another keynote presentation features CET Designer’s technology guru, Göran Rydqvist, discussing what to expect soon from CET: the ability to handle very large projects and complex drawings.

Success stories

Users attending the conference will also hear how Las Vegas-based Haworth dealer Faciliteq used CET Designer to design the interior of the iconic $60 million Lou Ruvo Brain Institute in collaboration with interior designers from the renowned Frank Gehry Partners architectural firm.

“The software let us collaborate with Frank Gehry’s design team early in the planning phase – we were able to create concepts and typicals on the fly, which accelerated the decision-making process,” said Damon Andrews, vice president of operations for Faciliteq and a presenter at the User Conference. “I think Gehry’s designers appreciated that we use a highly visual software similar to what they use to design buildings and interior spaces.”

Faciliteq is also hosting a wine and cheese reception at its showroom during the conference; a free shuttle bus will take users to and from the reception.

Call for renderings

Attendees also will have the opportunity to share their own success stories and renderings. Users are encouraged to send their high-res jpeg images and brief information about their success story using CET Designer by Sept. 22 to tracy.prevost@configura.com.

CET Designer Academy at the User Conference

The Users Conference will also include a CET Designer Academy with such advanced training sessions as:

• ProjectSymbols: What’s new, what’s on deck, how it works
• Tips for using CET Designer with AutoCAD
• Rendering training: where form meetings function
• Specifying, calculating and printing tips

Well-known independent trainer Cate Sword along with Configura’s Tracy Prevost, Johan Lindholm and Amy Glowicki will be conducting training. ProjectMatrix’s Steve Ulstad will present on ProjectSymbols updates.

Manufacturer Extension presentations and discussions

During breakout sessions, dealers will be able to meet with their respective manufacturers to share ideas, updates and best practices.
View the complete conference schedule.

The conference is free – but space is limited

All sessions and the conference lunch, receptions and a special dinner hosted by Configura’s CEO are no charge to User Conference registrants. Attendees can take advantage of a $129 per night room rate (plus tax) at The Luxor by booking through the hotel by Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

Each dealer who registers and attends the conference will receive a one-year subscription to CET Designer, a value of $750 (Extensions not included, limit of one subscription per dealer/company).

Online registration, hotel booking and schedule details are available at the conference Web site. Space is limited to the first 75 attendees.

Congratulations, Don Monk!

Don Monk, IIDA, is the winner of the free trip to the CET Designer User Conference in Las Vegas. Don visited Configura’s booth at NeoCon last June and won the random drawing for the trip, which includes hotel stay and airfare.

Don is the design manager for Bodine, Inc., based in Birmingham, Alabama. Don supports the sales staff with specifications, drawings and presentations for clients and has been involved in A&D development. He is excited about the capabilities of CET Designer.

“The renderings capabilities are just what we need to help win business in these competitive times,” Don said. “I'm really looking forward to the conference along with some additional hands-on use of the software. I look forward to seeing other users in Las Vegas in October!”

CET Designer wins Best of NeoCon Gold
Extensions for Haworth, Steelcase, Teknion available for download

CET Designer 2.0 received top honors at NeoCon in June 2008, winning a Best of NeoCon Gold Award. Two years ago, CET Designer received a Best of NeoCon Silver along with collaborator Haworth when the software launched in North America. Today, more than half of all Haworth dealers use the CET Designer Extension, known as Canvas. CET Designer now also offers a Steelcase Extension, SmartTools; and a Teknion Extension, Storyboard. A collaboration with ProjectMatrix offers an Extension, ProjectSymbols, which has 80 percent of the industry’s products, making Configura CET Designer a complete design, specifying and rendering solution for designers and dealers. Visit www.cetdesigner.com for more information.

Rendering made by Amy Glowicki. You will find more renderings here.

Thank you to Kelly Scheidecker

Thanks to Kelly Scheidecker, a project designer with Color Art Integrated Interiors based in St. Louis, Missouri, for providing some project drawings to Cate Sword, one of our presenters at NeoCon.

To all CET Designer users: We value your input! If you have renderings or success stories or ideas that you would like to share, please contact Tracy Prevost at tracy.prevost@configura.com – plus, we’re having a Wall of Fame and Success Stories presentation at our upcoming User Conference! See www.cetdesigner.com for details.

OFDA - 2008 Dealer Strategies Conference & Expo

Attending the Office Furniture Dealers Alliance Conference in New Orleans this November 12-15? If so, be sure to stop by the Configura CET Designer booth! Demos and mini-training sessions will be offered. OFDA is an official sponsor of the CET Designer User Conference this Oct. 1-2 in Las Vegas.

For more information about the OFDA conference, visit www.iopfda.org.