“We’re getting the band back together...”
 

Over the last 5 years or so, one of the most popular topics of discussion whenever you get IDSA members together is:

“What happened to the District Conferences? When are they coming back?”

The five IDSA District Design Conferences had been a mainstay and important part of the member experience for decades. For many of us, the District Conferences were where our careers started—either in our first student portfolio review or meeting our first employer. And for most of us, we met our friends and colleagues at a District Conference, and we've been part of a family for decades.

If you're a student or recent graduate, you have most likely never attended a District Conference, but the District Conferences were the primary venue for student portfolio reviews, the Student Merit Awards, and introducing ID students to the professional design community. For the professionals, the District Conference was a cost-effective, local networking event where the Industrial Design community could gather to celebrate with friends, build their networks, and meet new young talent. But citing issues regarding cost and complexity, IDSA discontinued the District Conferences after the 2018 season.

We want to (re)unite the local professional ID community because we miss our friends and colleagues.
 

We want to (re)connect students and young professionals to the professionals and ID community because we believe you've missed out on that experience.