PAVE Gala sets fundraising record
Hollywood, FL --Record-breaking attendance and committed sponsors boosted proceeds of PAVE's 14th Annual Gala over the $110,000 mark - an unprecedented feat that will enable PAVE to continue its significant support of retail design education. PAVE grants have tripled over the last four years. Held at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, the fundraiser - an annual industry highlight - drew over 500 influential retailers, designers, and industry suppliers from the likes of Godiva Chocolatier, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Ralph Lauren, Shopko, J. Crew, 7 For All Mankind, Diane von Furstenberg, d-ash design, Chute Gerdeman Retail, Callison, and TPG Architecture, to name a few. Nine students with winning projects in the Student Design Competition and nine educators attended through seats donated by industry companies.

PAVE's mission of nurturing young talent was much in evidence at the reception, which sported mannequins, forms and shadowboxes created by students from the Fashion Institute of Technology, FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and LIM College. During the awards presentation, PAVE recognized the winners of this year's PAVE Student Design Competition, sponsored by Godiva Chocolatier, awarding $27,000 in grants to students and schools.
Other awards presented at the Gala included:

DDI Winning Windows Awards for the top holiday store windows in New York
Platinum Award - Anthropologie
Gold Award - Tiffany & Co.
Silver Award - Bergdorf Goodman

Rising Star Award, presented by PAVE
PAVE presented the fourth annual Rising Star Award to Leonard Barszap of d-ash design. Please visit here for complete information on the Rising Star Award.

Excellence in Visual Merchandising and Design awards, honoring retail design excellence in New York City, presented by VMSD.
The 2010 award recipients were Ralph Lauren and Aeropostale.

Nearly 60 companies contributed as sponsors or donors.
The 2010 PAVE Gala was co-chaired by Nancy Jackson, president of Architectural Systems Inc.; Linda Lombardi, vice president of global store design and visual merchandising for Godiva Chocolatier, and Bill Goddu, vice president of marketing for FLEETWOOD FIXTURES.

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.

SOURCE: Planning and Visual Education Partnership

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