In January, Michael Boodro, the former Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decor,  CEO Alan Blaustein and founder Peter Sallick gathered to discuss design, digital and the latest at Dering Hall with Editor at Large.  They spoke of the recent enhancements to the Dering Hall offering, including the analytics dashboard, improved search functionality for sourcing products, and the continued growth of users both inside and outside the trade.  

When asked about the response to these initiatives, the trio felt it was largely positive.  Boodro spoke about the changing landscape in design and the fact that Dering Hall was a resource for the design community to showcase their talent in a digital space.

I think more and more, designers are realizing that Dering Hall is a great partner and collaborator in helping them not only to do their work, but also to market their talents and to reach a broader audience. So far, the response from the industry has been very gratifying. 

Sallick spoke to the impact of the dashboard specifically, saying it "changed the nature of the discussion."  Everyone who comes to Dering Hall or joins as a member is looking for results.  The dashboard allows them to see the results the platform is producing in real time.  

When asked what sites or platforms the group looked to for inspiration, they had many ideas:

• Business of Fashion
• Vulture from New York Magazine
• Curbed (real estate)
• Net-a-Porter (fashion)
• Artsy

Sallick thought the world of fashion was a great source of inspiration for Dering Hall.  

 As these examples show us, innovation specific to the unique needs of the market is needed. Dering Hall is working to be highly tailored to the specific, nuanced way our market functions by being built to service the large number of small to medium-sized companies in our market and creating tools for storytelling all the way to engagement.

The three men spoke of the small, tight knit team at Dering Hall and how everyone, from sales to business development shared a passion for design.  They ultimately see the web as a powerful resource for the design community and want to use the Dering Hall platform to help the whole industry grow.  Sallick finished the roundtable with this thought:

Our goal is to help our members grow. If they grow and the design market thrives, we will be very happy. The web represents access to a huge market of people who want to learn about our designers, artisans and brands. They want to be inspired by the best. Our job is to amplify the message of quality, creativity and passion that stand at the heart of the design market.

Visit Editor at Large to read the article in its entirety.