Premieres
1998 to Present
Premieres is the annual training program that supports the spring launch of Hunter Douglas' new products. The original program provided display sets to multiple sales teams across the US and Canada. Each team would then set up, re-pack, and ship their sets to a number of trainings in their region. In 1998 the sets were small enough to fit into a mini van.
Today the program has expanded and the sets and support materials ship in semi trucks. Currently the program consists of 13 teams on the road at one time, each with its own set. Over a five week schedule the program averages about 100 events each spring in the US and Canada spanning coast to coast. The program reaches approximately 13,000 dealers each year. As well as designing the displays for the program, I managed the logistics and shipping. Premieres has won the Window Covering Manufacturers Association's best trade education award multiple times over the years.
I designed the first set of displays for the Premieres program for Hunter Douglas when I still owned Chameleon Studios in 1998. The original set of displays consisted of two bi-fold frames that were constructed of welded 1" by 2" aluminum tube. The space between the two frames created a place for a large vertical window covering. This display, and all subsequent designs, had about a five year life span.
1998 Original Design
The second Premieres design used an extruded aluminum component system. This made for "window" openings that were much more square. The anodized finish on the aluminum also gave the displays a much cleaner, finished look.
2003 Re-Design
In this iteration the towers were designed to be double-sided, in essence, doubling the number of shades that could be displayed. The same aluminum extrusion system was used in this design as in 2003.
2008 Re-Design
2014 Re-Design
The design in 2014 became a "plug and play" system. The towers did not have to be assembled and lighting was integrated. The towers were also on casters and had custom made covers for packing. This new design reduced the set up time by about 75%.
