Mohawk Group has officially announced the speaker lineup and schedule for its inaugural Design Forward Virtual Summit, styled DesignFWD, which takes place exclusively online July 15–17. The free digital event will broadcast programming that features industry experts, inspirational speakers, roundtables, webinars, podcasts and more, all thoughtfully curated to inspire attendees — many of whom continue to work remotely.

“DesignFWD allows us to continue important conversations around design and sustainability so that we can be inspired, challenged and compelled to act in unprecedented times,” said Jackie Dettmar, Mohawk Group’s vice president of design and product development. “We are excited to share this engaging new series with our community as a meaningful way to unite in spirit and in purpose to stay connected until we can gather again.” 

DesignFWD’s inaugural theme is “A New Path Forward,” which includes directions for summer and fall 2020, and a look ahead to 2021 through the lens of exciting, interactive content across three distinct but interwoven paths: people, sustainability and product. Registration for the three-day virtual summit is free. Using the interactive platform found at MohawkGroup.com/DesignFWD, registered guests can customize their schedules and set reminders for each session.

One of the summit's featured guests will be empowerment speaker, life strategist and author Sheri Riley, who will be presenting on the notion of exponential living as part of the personal path of the summit. Riley’s central message on the final morning of the summit will demonstrate to attendees how to define and successfully move their personal paths forward, even in the midst of unforeseen circumstances. The award-winning life coach and author of “Exponential Living: Stop Spending 100% of Your Time on 10% of Who You Are” is based in Atlanta. Riley previously worked for two decades creating innovative marketing strategies for Usher, TLC, Toni Braxton, Converse, the NBA, BMW, and Turner, among others.

Other special guests and collaborators that will make appearances during the summit include designers Anastasija and Martin Lesjak of 13&9 and INNOCAD, and Jason F. McLennan, together with members of Mohawk’s design and leadership teams.

During the summit, Mohawk Group will debut two new CEUs. “Integrating Health and Wellbeing into the Foundation of the Built Environment” will be presented by senior sustainability manager Rami Vagal on Thursday, July 16, at 11 a.m. On Friday, July 17, at 11 a.m., A&D design director Royce Epstein will present “Color & Design Vision 2021: The Visual Age.” Both sessions offer industry-recognized accreditation to those who watch live during the virtual summit.

Additional programming will include a virtual NeoCon showroom tour and networking breaks, as well as FWD Speak, a special storytelling segment focused on the intersection of human-centered design and sustainability.

Mohawk Group will also be highlighting its p.s. (Personal Studio) visualization tool. P.s. is the first of its kind as a single consolidated carpet personalization design tool that can handle every construction type and allows for real-time rendering of carpet during the recoloring process. Three-dimensional virtual environments enable users to more accurately scale flooring products and shadows as a better simulation for visualization purposes. Outputs include digital, paper and physical samples of the chosen designs.

DesignFWD will culminate with a Friday afternoon Instagram Live party featuring sets by DJ Protégé, a Chicago-based artist that has worked alongside such musicians as Drake and Cardi B.

To access the full schedule, register and sign up to receive the latest information, visit MohawkGroup.com/DesignFWD. Once the event has been broadcast, all webinars, podcasts, presentations and other content will be archived for registered users to reference at their convenience between the event’s close and NeoCon 2021.