The 12th annual Showroom of the Year Awards were held live on June 24 at the Virgin Hotel in Dallas, followed by the Big Texas Welcome Event for Lightovation. After a virtual ceremony in 2020 because of COVID-19, the popular Showroom of the Year Awards ceremony returned as part of the summer Lightovation show.
A collaborative program organized by Furniture, Lighting & Decor magazine and Lightovation host Dallas Market Center, the Showroom of the Year Awards recognizes three Showroom of the Year winners in different dollar-volume categories each year, along with three specialty awards.
“We were impressed with this year’s finalists, and choosing the winners was no easy task for our judges,” said Diane Falvey, Editor-in-Chief of Furniture, Lighting & Decor. “The winners of the 2021 Showroom of the Year Awards embody the resilience and ingenuity to thrive in retail, even in a difficult climate. Our winners are all so deserving of this recognition. Congratulations!”
From entries and nominations received between December 2020 and February 2021, there were five finalists in each of three dollar-volume categories: annual Revenue Under $2 Million, Revenue $2-5 Million, and Revenue $5 Million and Over. All 15 Showroom of the Year finalists were also eligible for three specialty awards: Outstanding Merchandising Display, Exceptional Community Involvement and Social Media Star.
“Honoring the best lighting retailers in North America was the perfect way to celebrate the lighting industry returning to its home in Dallas for Lightovation. These innovators truly exemplify what makes independent retail so tenacious and nimble,” said Cindy Morris, President and CEO of Dallas Market Center.
Winners of the 12th Annual Showroom of the Year Awards are:
- Revenue Under $2 Million: Lightstyles, Cornelius, NC
- Revenue $2-$5 Million: Dominion Lighting, Arlington, VA
- Revenue $5 Million and Over: Urban Lights, Denver, CO
- Outstanding Merchandising Display: Dominion Lighting, Arlington, VA
- Exceptional Community Involvement: Black Whale Home, Encinitas, CA
- Social Media Star: Guildwood Lighting & Fireside, London, ON, Canada
An accomplished panel of judges carefully reviewed the entrants in the 12th year of this esteemed competition: Patti Carpenter, Principal, Carpenter + Company; Tamara Day, Host of HGTV’s Bargain Mansions and CEO and Founder of Growing Days Home and Growing Days Design; and James Fleming, CEO of Camelot Group.
“Our partnership with Furniture Lighting & Decor magazine on the Showroom of the Year Awards has allowed us to celebrate exceptional businesses that bring out the best in their communities and our industry,” Laura Van Zeyl, Vice President of Lighting Technology Development and Marketing at Dallas Market Center, said. “It is a privilege to present these awards for 12 years running and we can all be inspired by the 15 finalists and five winning retailers in 2021.”
Additional finalists for the 2021 Showroom of the Year Awards included Crest Lighting, Chicago; Village Home Stores, Geneseo, IL; Wiseway Supply, Florence, KY; Gross Electric, Toledo, OH; Inline Lighting, Pelham, AL; Passion Lighting, Grapevine, TX; CR Lighting, Decatur, GA; Hermitage, Nashville, TN; Idlewood Electric, Highland Park, IL; and Muska Lighting, Eden Prairie, MN.
Winners will be profiled online at furniturelightingdecor.com and in the August 2021 issue of Furniture, Lighting & Decor magazine.
Nominations and entries for the 2022 Showroom of the Year Awards, which are open to all independent lighting retailers in North America, will be accepted starting in December 2021.
