As pioneers in the textiles distribution space, Trivantage is committed to driving the industry forward. We provide the tools, support, and hassle-free ordering experience your business needs to thrive, while also offering educational initiatives to help you excel in your craft.
In 2024, we successfully relaunched our traveling marine-fabrication focused seminar, Performance on Deck, which has visited cities across the country and steadily gained momentum. Building on our mission to inspire creatives, foster connections, and offer business resources, we recently introduced an all-new event geared toward workroom and upholstery professionals: The Makers Meet.
We invited guests to the Sunbrella headquarters in Burlington, North Carolina to celebrate the skill, creativity, and community that drive great workrooms and upholstery shops. For a day and a half, they soaked up exclusive insights from industry leaders, saw product demos, and gathered practical business tips. They also enjoyed fabric previews and behind-the-scenes access, networked with peers and vendors, and much more.
Beyond education, the experience was designed to champion creativity. Lindsay Shakarjian, Marketing Director at Trivantage, described The Makers Meet as "a celebration of artistry, helping workroom professionals refine their skills, reimagine their potential, and lead with confidence in a fast-evolving industry.”
The highlight was a series of workshops, led by experts like Susan Woodcock, Grant Trick, and Charlene Clark. In an intimate setting, attendees got to learn from the best on topics like luxury drapery construction, precision and process, and resilient-business building.
Jessie Lee Miller, owner of Winston's Workroom in Winston-Salem, NC, found these demonstrations especially valuable as a unique way of learning.
“I've tried really hard to take all the opportunities I have to learn new techniques and methods, but there's a real difference between hearing in a lecture format versus watching somebody sew in a hands-on capacity,” Miller shared.
Miller also particularly enjoyed taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sunbrella Novelty Yarn Plant, where the first yard of Sunbrella fabric was famously woven in 1961.
“Being able to come on site in a manufacturing facility is really a gift, because it helps me be a better advocate for the products that I'm working with,” Miller said. “Our clients feel that we're the expert when we're talking about a window treatment or product that we're providing, so being able to talk about the technical details and say ‘I saw that manufactured’ gives us a little bit more credibility.”
We’re proud to have had the support of industry associations like the Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA) and the National Upholstery Association (NUA) at The Makers Meet. Renee Garganus, Executive Director of the WCAA, encouraged others to attend educational events like this when they have the opportunity, noting the significant return on investment for businesses.
“People often say to me: 'I can't take time out of my business to go to an event like this,'” Garganus stated. “To that I would say, 'Yes, you can, because you're not just leaving—you're investing back into your business by attending.'”
Ultimately, the goal of events like The Makers Meet and Performance on Deck is to empower makers with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration to unlock their creativity and elevate their craft.
“Our mission is to go beyond supplying materials and tools and serve as a partner and thought leader—helping shape the future of our industry,” said Bret Kelley, President of Trivantage.
Written By
Katelyn P. Bell
