IFDA Trailblazer Award

The IFDA Trailblazer Award is presented annually to a person who has been responsible for an innovation that meaningfully alters the way some aspect of the furnishings and design industry functions or is perceived.

Qualifications and Nomination Requirements:

Nominees may be a member or a non-member of IFDA.  A Trailblazer is a person who in the last five years has consistently demonstrated leadership qualities and who will continue to affect the industry in blazing future trails.

A Trailblazer is:

Creative and innovative
An influence on a national/international scale
A recognized leader in the profession
A contributor to the industry at large

For consideration the following material must accompany each nomination:

1) A statement summarizing what the candidate has done to merit consideration as a Trailblazer
2) An outlined business biography or resume listing professional background, business affiliations, honors and awards (with dates, if possible.)
3) Substantiating documentation

Chapters or individuals (members and non-members) may make nominations.

Nominations are evaluated by the Award Committee. 

The IFDA Trailblazer Committee will evaluate nominations and select a candidate.

The Trailblazer Award is usually announced annually.  IFDA President Janet Stevenson presented the 2011 Trailblazer Award to renowned product designer Joe Ruggiero at the Symposium Awards Dinner on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Past Trailblazer Award Recipients: