Hollywood, Fla. — Retail luminaries will gather to celebrate the next generation of retail designers at the Planning and Visual Education Partnership's Annual Gala, to be held Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013. The Gala will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. This celebratory industry-networking event includes cocktails, dinner, music, and awards. Now in its 17th year, the Gala is a major fundraiser for PAVE, which will award over $77,000 to students and schools throughout 2013 in support of retail environments studies.

Chairing the 2013 event is PAVE Gala Vice President Bill Goddu of Fleetwood Fixtures. Joining Goddu as co-chairs are PAVE Vice President Harry Cunningham of Saks Fifth Avenue, and PAVE Director Denise Waldo of Leggett & Platt Store Fixtures Group.

During the Gala the winners of PAVE's 2013 Student Design Competition, sponsored by Sephora, will be recognized. PAVE will also present the 2013 Rising Star Award to acknowledge young visual and retail design professionals in the retail environments industry. The event will distinguish the best in New York City retail design and visual merchandising as VMSD presents awards for Excellence in New York Visual Merchandising and Design and DDI presents the Winning Windows Awards honoring top holiday windows in NYC.

“Thanks to the momentum of our supporters and their passion for student’s creative successes, the 17th edition of the PAVE Gala promises to be a fantastic event,” said Goddu. “We have some fun student decor in the works and look forward to celebrating young talent and the art of retail with each of our faithful guests and generous sponsors. Bring a new friend and share the gifts of PAVE on December 4 in New York City.”

This year’s Gala provides several ways to support PAVE. You can sponsor the event with options ranging from $350 to $35,000, sponsor a student to attend, reserve a table, and purchase individual tickets. When you sponsor the PAVE Gala, you receive recognition before an audience of high-profile retail and design industry professionals as well as students and educators. To make purchases or see complete event details, visit www.paveinfo.org.

The PAVE Gala will be held during A.R.E.’s Retail Design Collective, Dec. 4-6, 2013. For details about the Retail Design Collective, please visit www.retaildesigncollective.com.

About PAVE: Founded in 1992, the Planning and Visual Education Partnership's (PAVE) objective is to encourage students to study in the field of retail design and planning and visual merchandising. Additionally, PAVE seeks to encourage retail management, store planners, visual merchandisers, architects, and manufacturers to interact with and support design students. These objectives are accomplished through competitions, projects, seminars, workshops, and grants and scholarships funded by the annual Gala and other fundraising activities. PAVE is a 501(c)(3) educational foundation administered by A.R.E. More about PAVE.

Source: Planning and Visual Education Partnership