Thoughts From the ICFF: How Showrooms See the Internet The recent ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) in New York featured a conference designed to explore the impact of the Internet and e-commerce on the brick-and-mortar world of home furnishings. paola lenti, meda, italy Most of the showrooms exhibiting see the Internet as an extension of their businesses. "With e-commerce, it's almost as though I can set up a store for the entire U.S. without having to be in cities across the country. What will be difficult is getting seen without spending a lot of money on advertising," said Chad Jacobs, designer/owner of Bone Simple Design. Showing how the business model of StyleForLiving.com is so relevant in this marketplace, Stephanie Odegard, president/owner of Odegard Inc. said. "We don't expect to be selling off a Web site in the near future. Our customers are really into experiencing rugs in person, not only in our showrooms but in their homes, before they purchase."

philip watts design, nottingham, uk Echoing those sentiments, Michael Manes, president of M2L Inc. was quoted as saying. "Our whole strategy with the Web site is really to drive people into our showrooms. We still believe that personal relations is the name of the game. The relationship can begin on the Internet, but personal service is still the key to our success." boffi, lentate sul seveso, italy Almost everyone noted the drawback of shopping for something you can't touch or test before purchasing. Many larger companies are only displaying their products, not selling them, online. In true dot-com spirit, however, designer Christopher Poehlmann suggested that putting yourself in the screen might eventually be a way to break through the virtual barrier. Editorial adapted from original feature by Kristi Cameron, Assistant Editor, Metropolis

BRITISH INVASION, Y2K This year's ICFF conference featured CreativeBritain, a consortium of 31 participants entering the US market for the first time, including Philip Watts Design of Nottingham. The multiultural talent and international success of British and British-trained designers in the last decade has helped change the world's perception of a nation that had mostly been admired for its heritage and tradition. The designers and culsultants represented embraced design disciplines from serious product design to witty, often disrepectfully controversial experiments by the young British avant-garde, who have chosen to work outside mainstream contemporary design services.