by HIGH POINT — Whoever observed that the best things in life are free, must have gotten a sneak preview of IHFRA’s 2021 Furniture Industry Awards Gala, only a few short days away!
With a theme of ‘Hooray for Hollywood’, a slate of star-studded honorees and a mission to support The Malouf Foundation this year, The International Home Furnishings Representatives Association (IHFRA) is planning to pull out all the stops for this year’s FIAG Gala, set to air on Sept 23, at 7:00 pm, EST.
This year’s honorees made it easy for IHFRA to decide on a Hollywood theme says IHFRA Executive Director Ray Allegrezza. “Each of our honorees is a star in his or her own right,” he said referring to Shan Huei “Samuel” Kuo, co-founder and chairman of Samson Holding, Ltd., who will receive the Pillar of the Industry award, Andrew Koenig, president of Top 100 City Furniture, who will be presented with the Retailer of the Year Award, Kathy Ireland, chairman, CEO and chief designer of Kathy Ireland Worldwide, who will receive the coveted Icon Award, industry veteran Kevin O’Connor, who currently serves as a consultant to Samuel Kuo of Samson Holding, slated to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award, Geoff Weed, former IHFRA president and longtime rep for Ashley Furniture, who will be presented with the Distinguished Service Award, Marty Libowsky set to receive the Legacy Rep Award and Joseph Montero, who will receive the Rising Star Award.
As a non-profit, IHFRA has traditionally counted on sponsorships and ticket sales to attend the event to help the association stay in the black. “While our decision to go virtual will likely challenge this year’s operating budget, we will always put the health of our friends in front of our finances,” Allegrezza said, adding, “and thanks to the incredibly generous support of our sponsors, we will make the show available for anyone to watch, free of charge,” he said.
To register to watch the FIAG gala at no charge, click here.
