Closets Conference 2016 will focus on business and design. It takes place March 22 at the Pasadena, California Convention Center.

The program, developed in partnership with the Association of Closets & Storage  Professionals, opens with a keynote address by John McDonald, founder of Semihandmade, a custom cabinetry shop based in Duarte, California.

8:00 a.m. Going Toe to Toe with IKEA - John McDonald, a former Hollywood screenwriter, opened a custom cabinet shop and soon found many prospects enamored with IKEA. Like it or not, customers enjoy the IKEA shopping experience, according to a JD Powers study. He soon found a way to exploit that popularity - and a perceived weakness in IKEA offerings: their limited range of surfaces, colors and textures.

So McDonald developed his own catalog of high-end custom doors and drawer fronts built to match the IKEA catalog. Customers order their boxes from IKEA, and McDonald builds the drawers and doors of fine or reclaimed woods, built to match the IKEA numbering system. Launching the offering as an outsourced service to other closets, home storage and cabinet businesses KBIS 2015, McDonald's business, Semihandmade, has blossomed - and he will share his experience with attendees in the Closets Conference.

Lisa Adam's March 23 Keynote sponsored by

9:10 a.m.  Designing High End Closets Lisa Adams is truly the Closet Designer to the Stars. Adams has designed and built closets for actor Eddie Murphy, New York Knicks' Derek Fisher, singer Jewel, TV personalities Giuliana Rancic, Kris Jenner, and trainer Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser. Her project for Billy Crystal famously includes room for a collection of black tuxedos he wore as the Oscars host and a mock locker room for his collection of baseball jerseys. While these projects all have an interesting back story, they also form a part of her business strategy. Adams will share how she has done it, and where she is headed. (Lisa Adams returns March 23 at 9:00 a.m. for the show opening keynote.)

10:05-10:55  High End Closets on a Budget - In the big reveal, past winners of the national Top Shelf Closet Design Awards will share projects they developed that were both stunning, and came in on a budget.

11:00-11:50   Accessorizing Closets -  Very popular last year, this panel will draw from exhibitors and other developers of unique add-ons for closets, including a look at what's trending.

Noon - 1:00 -    LUNCH - included in registration. A great opportunity to network.

1:10 - 2:00 Marketing Your Closets Business - Lisa Adams returns to share more of her strategy behind developing her business. For all the glamour of working with the stars, Adams is a serious business person. She will share her strategies for success.

2:05 - 2:50 Closet Design Software - What better opportunity

3:00-5:30   Plant Tour Sponsored by Stiles Machinery - bus transportation provided. But seating is strictly limited. You must register early to be assured a place on the tour.

The only trade show catering to the closet industry, for designers and managers alike, the 2016 Cabinets & Closets Conference & Expo, to be held March 22-24 in Pasadena, California, is a must-attend event.

The Closets Conference sessions are tailored to help home design and improvement professionals learn best practice tips from industry peers, and they cover every aspect of business from design and manufacturing to marketing and management. They are part of a three-track educational event: Closets, Finishing and Cabinets. Attendees registered for any track are free to move from session to session. in other tracks, and will have the opportunity to attend sessions on how to design high-end closets, how to apply finishing techniques and how to build a cabinet business.