The New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID)’s annual trade show, now titled designXPO, once again broke recent records for attendance and included some 85 exhibitors that encompassed the breadth of the design trade. Held on Tuesday, September 29 at the historic Bell Works, the XPO featured two CEUs and a special Presidents’ Luncheon with the first-ever ASID NJ Legacy Awards and the “passing of the gavel” ceremony.
The Keynote CEU, “Neuroaesthetics in Interior Design,” was presented by Eryn Oruncak, founder of Elan Design | Interior Design & Fine Art. She is one of the first in the industry to be certified in applying neuroaesthetics to interior design, strengthening her belief that interior design has an enormous impact on how people live, feel and think. In the afternoon, Stacy Thorwart of The Intelligent Designer – an AI strategist and educator for the design community – presented a CEU entitled, “AI for Interior Design Visualizations: Tools, Workflows and Best Practices.” She also raffled off one of her highly sought-after courses on the topic.
The Presidents’ Luncheon began with recognition of the past presidents and sponsors in attendance. In the “pass the gavel” of the ASID NJ Board Susan Farcy, ASID Associate and President from 2025 to 2026, officially transferred responsibilities to incoming ASID NJ President Paul Sarrubbo, ASID Affiliate, and the outgoing Board of Directors welcomed the new.
Next up at the luncheon, the Legacy Awards where three individuals were honored for their dedication to the industry and the design community: Diane Goté, FASID, CGA, CID, the first certified designer in the state of New Jersey; Celeste Chirichello, ASID, IDEC, NCIDQ, CID and Design Department Chair at Brookdale Community College; and Kimberley Slater, ASID Allied, Associate IIDA, WELL AP and Commercial Consultant for Fessenden Hall Inc, the area Wilsonart distributor as well as two times Past President of the Pennsylvania East Chapter and Chair of the Design Connection Committee of ASID National.
“The ASID NJ designXPO was about connections and provided an exceptional opportunity for designers to be inspired by the latest products and to learn from industry experts,” said Sarrubbo. “It was a team effort with a special shoutout to the Co-Chairs Jule China and Cynthia Peralta-Brito. The Presidents’ Luncheon honored our Chapter’s legacy as well as looking to the future.”
Echoing the sentiment, Farcy concluded, “Months of thought and planning culminated in this very successful designXPO. I commend the volunteers who devoted their time and efforts to make this happen and our terrific sponsors as well.”
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