07.30.13

The History of Leader's Breakfast

The event season is ramping up as planning for Leader’s Breakfast on September 20th continues. The morning conference is a key event in the year, offering a chance to mingle and network with members from all corners of the design industry, but while many will attend the event to learn about current issues in the community, the breakfast holds a long history of honoring influential names of the time.

Held annually, Leader’s Breakfast gives the Los Angeles design community the chance to celebrate their region’s success. The morning is led by a keynote speaker who each year engages the audience with a personal look into their field while a selected honoree receives acknowledgement for their achievements within the community. A Charles and Ray Eames designed molded plywood splint is presented to the honoree which symbolizes a creative and fresh approach to design that is continues to advance each with each new innovation. While there are currently nine different IIDA chapters holding their own Leader’s Breakfast, the event kicked off in 1989 in New York as a way to connect the industry with the business world and shed light on current issues affecting IIDA Members. This established IIDA as a leading industry association that could contribute to the economic conversations held between prominent business executives, government officials, and academic experts. Each location’s Leader’s Breakfast reflects the aesthetic of the host city and the diverse designs found in places from New York, to Chicago, to Los Angeles, to other landmark US and Canadian cities.

This September 20th Los Angeles will host several hundred people at Leader’s Breakfast for a morning that honors James Bonar of Cliff Beers Housing and features a conversation with Jay Shuster of Pixar Animation Studios.

Tickets for Leaders Breakfast are going fast! We’ve sold half the tables and early bird pricing ends in August. Buy now for best seating! Make sure to buy your tickets to this year’s event here.

Jaclyn Giuliano, IIDA
Herman Miller