Finalists for the 2022 Showroom of the Year Awards, honoring outstanding lighting retailers across North America, have been decided. The annual awards program, now celebrating its 13th year, is presented in partnership by Furniture, Lighting & Decor magazine and Lightovation at Dallas Market Center.
Each year, showrooms are judged on a number of criteria, including merchandising display, marketing and advertising, customer service and engagement, employee education and motivation, and community involvement. Five Showroom of the Year finalists are named in each of three dollar-volume categories. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, June 22, at Lightovation, which runs June 22-25, 2022.
“We look forward to uniting the industry in Dallas at a celebration for these exceptional showrooms,” said Cindy Morris, President and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “They are an inspiration to us all, and we are honored to recognize them with an in-person event taking place inside the home of lighting.”
The finalists in all three categories — Revenue Under $2 Million, Revenue $2 Million-$5 Million and Revenue $5 Million and Over — will be profiled in Furniture, Lighting & Decor’s May issue.
Showroom of the Year Finalists
Revenue Under $2 Million category:
Georgia Lighting - Sugar Hill, GA
Guildwood Lighting & Fireside - London, ON
Lightstyles - Cornelius, NC
One Source Lighting - Billings MT
Tidewater Lighting & Design, Madison, CT
Revenue $2 Million-$5 Million category:
Accent Lighting Galleries - Lake Oswego, OR
Design House - Houston, TX
Lights Fantastic Pro, Dallas, TX
Light Source Lighting, Plainfield, IL
Pace Lighting - Savannah, GA
Revenue $5 Million and Over category:
Amini’s Galleria - Chesterfield, MO
Dominion Lighting - Arlington, VA
Galleria Lighting - Greenwood Village, CO
Magnolia Lighting - Hernando, MS
Ultra Design Center - Denver, CO
“This year’s Showroom of the Year finalists have learned innovative ways to stay connected to their customers during what continued to be a trying year for retail,” says Diane Falvey, Editor-in-Chief of Furniture, Lighting & Decor. “From embracing more product categories to delivering robust online experiences, these retailers have leveraged creative ways to keep their businesses flourishing. It was a pleasure to learn about these amazing showrooms.”
All finalists are also eligible for three specialty awards: Outstanding Merchandising Display, Exceptional Community Involvement and Social Media Star, an award that industry members help select.
Again this year, 50 percent of the scoring for the Social Media Star Award will be determined by “likes” posted to finalist profiles within the Showroom of the Year Social Media Star Event on Furniture, Lighting & Decor’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/furniturelightingdecor), starting May 2 and continuing through May 13. Official judges’ scores complete the remaining 50 percent of scoring for that category.
Judging this year’s competition is an esteemed panel of industry professionals: Jeffrey Alan Marks, Interior Designer/Lighting Designer and Principal of Jeffrey Alan Marks, Inc.; Robin Baron, Interior Designer, Lighting Designer and Principal of Robin Baron Design; and Randy Eller. Retail Consultant and Owner of Eller Enterprises.
Keep watching www.furniturelightingdecor.com and the Lightovation Facebook page and the Lightovation - Lighting Industry Discussion Group on Facebook for additional details about the June awards presentation and the May 2 kickoff for the Social Media Star Award voting. And follow the #SOTYAwards hashtag for all of the latest news regarding the Showroom of the Year Awards.
