ART Conference Co-Chair Mindy Lowack of the Dallas Market Center is joined by members of the 2008 Conference Committee for opening remarks at the Welcome Party.	Connie Rayburn of Artisan House; Caroline Hipple, HB2; Sharon Davis, ART; Maura Murphy, Austin; and Kim Barnes, Carolyn Kinder International.
Lynni Megginson of L&M Designs received the 2008 Member of the Year Award.	Pat Mayfield spoke on negotiating techniques and the power of body language.
Mary Emery of Emelie Rose and Mary Jane Cashman of Casa Bella.	Miriam Fatheree and Donna Maxwell of M. Fatheree Interiors, with Bill Fortson and John Clements, BJ's Home Accents.
Workshop participants pay close attention to the hand movements, facial expressions and body posturing of one another while negotiating during one of the team activities.	Susan Andrulis, Art Dreams Home, with George Bartelme, spouse of AmericasMart's Kathy Bovey, and Onecoast's Monica Loving.

Highlights included a creative team competition that incorporated merchandising and marketing ideas and expertise to make over four local retailers' window and storefront displays as well as provide them with new marketing and advertising plans. Participating retailers included Morris Sokol Furniture, Vieuxtemps — Objets De Charme, Mountains to the Sea Collection and Ellington.

Business author and consultant Pat Mayfield led a seminar and workshop on negotiating techniques including a session on body language interpretation. Other speakers included Patricia Bouley of Bouley Design, Caroline Hipple, former president of Storehouse Furniture and now a consultant with her own company, HB2 Resources, among others.

At night, the attendees and their guests enjoyed several social events including “Spirits of the Low Country,” cocktails and a Low Country feast followed by a guided walking ghost tour. On the final evening, the group donned their fringe, zoot suits and fedoras for a “Roaring '20s/Do the Charleston” themed dinner dance in the restored Art Deco Riviera Theater.

Lynni Megginson of L&M Designs, Gaithersburg, Md., and a columnist for Home Accents Today, was named “Member of the Year” at the group's membership meeting during Friday's luncheon.

This year's conference co-chairs were Kristine Clary of Onecoast and Mindy Lowack of the Dallas Market Center.