Event Schedule
Lightovation Design + Build Day
January 13, 2026
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DESIGN + BUILD DAY offers interior designers and other trade professionals an unparalleled opportunity to explore, learn and connect as part of Lightovation, North America’s largest showcase of residential and hospitality lighting brands and manufacturers. From interactive designer-led seminars to curated showroom experiences and a closing networking reception, this exclusive day of programming will engage and empower the entire design/build community.
DMC EVENTS
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
DMC Events
2 pm
Interior Design Magazine Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen Keynote
January 13, 2026
| 2 pm
TM 4 - Elevator Lobby
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Cindy Allen is widely lauded as one of the most influential advocates for the interior design profession. With almost two decades as Editor-in-Chief of Interior Design, she champions the industry, promoting both the giants of design and its rising stars. Allen has published more than 10 books on design, with the latest edition covering the industry’s best. An early adopter of alternative platforms to share Interior Design’s content, she has also made nearly 100 short documentaries on industry icons that are featured on DesignTV by Sandow. Allen received an Honorary Doctorate from the New York School of Interior Design in 2010 and from the San Francisco Academy of Art in 2012. She is the recipient of the 2009 Alpha Award from Alpha Workshops, the 2010 Circle of Excellence Award from the IFDA, the 2014 Open House New York Honoree Award, the 2015 Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation’s Scroll Award, the 2019 AIA Stephen A. Kliment Oculus Award and was honored at the 2020 LongHouse Winter Benefit. Allen has served as a juror for the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Awards and the Gensler Design Excellence Awards, among others.
DMC Events
3:30 pm
Design + Build Day Lunch
January 13, 2026
| 3:30 pm
TM 1st Floor
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Enjoy complimentary lunch and cross-disciplinary networking.
DMC Events
4 pm
Metropolis Editor-in-Chief Avinash Rajagopal Keynote
January 13, 2026
| 4 pm
TM 4 - Elevator Lobby
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Avinash Rajagopal is the editor-in-chief of Metropolis magazine. He is an advocate for sustainable architecture and design, leading Metropolis's initiatives and programs for decarbonization and equity in architecture and interior design, including the Climate Toolkit for Interior Design, the Interior Design Pledge for Positive Impact, and the Planet Positive Awards. Rajagopal is the author of Hacking Design (Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2013), has contributed to numerous volumes on architecture and design, and has lectured at the National Institute of Design in India; the University of Texas at Austin; the School of Visual Arts in New York; the New York School of Interior Design; and Parsons School of Design. He was one of the jurors for the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards 2023.
DMC Events
5:30 pm
Guided Tours of Lightovation
January 13, 2026
| 5:30 pm
TM 4 - Elevator Lobby
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Metropolis Editor-in-Chief Avinash Rajagopal and Interior Design Managing Editor Helene Oberman lead tours of select exhibits within Lightovation’s 1 million square feet of lighting resources. Tours will include both decorative and architectural brands, representing the show’s comprehensive offering of interior and exterior lighting solutions.
DMC Events
7:30 pm
Interior Design Magazine Panel
January 13, 2026
| 7:30 pm
TM 4 - Elevator Lobby
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Interior Design Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen curates a panel of thought leaders to discuss timely topics in the world of design.
DMC Events
8:30 pm
Design + Build Day Closing Reception
January 13, 2026
| 8:30 pm
TM 1st Floor
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Meet chief editors from Interior Design and Metropolis magazines while enjoying refreshments and cross-disciplinary networking with other trade professionals.