NASFM celebrated the 35th anniversary of its awards presentation on Sunday, March 26, during an awards ceremony at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando following the end of the first day of GlobalShop. In total, 38 awards were recognized for their inspirational design and store fixtures. During the event, 10 projects were awarded Grand Prizes onstage. In addition, Fixture of the Year was awarded to Oliver People’s Full Store Fixture Grouping. FILA was named the Store of the Year. Fifteen Outstanding Merits were presented in the Winners Circle following the presentation.

Eleven individual and store fixture groupings were recognized as recipients of Store Fixture Awards during a special audiovisual presentation. In all, 21 NASFM member companies contributed to 34 winning projects. NASFM members Giorgio Borruso Design of Marina Del Rey, Calif., and Toronto-based fixture manufacturer Eventscape contributed to Store of the Year winner FILA. Moon Design Manufacturing, based in Vista, Calif., manufactured the store fixtures that earned Oliver People’s Fixture of the Year status.

Also at the Retail Design Awards presentation, DDI recognized J.C. Penney’s Michael Cape as winner of the 2006 Markopoulos Award. By coincidence, Cape was already set to emcee NASFM’s awards presentation before learning of this honor. In addition, NASFM presented its first-ever Above & Beyond Award to fixture manufacturer and member, PIN, based in Irving, Texas, for the company’s dedication to helping a franchisee of Merle Norman Cosmetics get back on their feet in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. PAVE raised more than $5,000 toward student scholarships through a silent auction.

Judges for this year’s Retail Design Awards competition included Jackie Bonic, Vice President-Store Development & Real Estate, Liquor Control Board of Ontario; Ray Ehscheid, Vice President-Brand Manager, Bank of America; Ted Jacobs, Creative Director, Gensler Retail/Studio 585; Tom Jowett, Vice President, Design & Development, Bass Pro Shops Inc; Paul Loux, Retail Design Director, Nike; RoxAnna Sway, Editor, DDI; Marianne Wilson, Senior Editor, Chain Store Age; and Carole Winters, Associate Publisher, VM+SD.

The winners were selected from projects submitted from around the world that were completed between January and December 2005. A complete list of winning projects and the companies that contributed to them, including photos and descriptions, are available online at www.nasfm.org and in a special supplement in the April issue of DDI Magazine, the Presenting Sponsor of the NASFM Retail Design Awards.

Winners from this year’s awards program, as well as programs dating back to 2000, can be located in NASFM’s new online awards database throughout the year. Search by project name, company, category, or awards status to see who won this year and in years past.

Check NASFM’s web site after July 1 for information on entering your project in next year’s competition. The early-bird entry deadline is Dec. 15, 2006.

About NASFM
Founded in 1956 and based in Hollywood, Fla., the National Association of Store Fixture Manufacturers has stood for quality and professionalism for 50 years. NASFM members are proven industry leaders—companies that are well known for excellent craftsmanship, topflight service, and cutting-edge innovation. Member products encompass a full range of materials and store fixture types. Member capabilities now extend beyond fixture manufacturing to include importing, exporting, consolidating, installing, project management, engineering, design, and more. It is estimated that NASFM members are responsible for 85 percent of all store fixtures made in North America. More information about NASFM is available by calling 954-893-7300.

Note: High-resolution digital images and electronic lists of winning projects, descriptions, and project contributors are available for publication upon request. Please contact Karen Doodeman, 954-893-7300, ext. 21