AIGA held its “Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference” in New York City’s Equitable Center, Oct. 1–3, 2004. A sold-out crowd of 500 flocked to hear how they could invigorate their design businesses with strategic planning.

The conference auditorium was packed with a youngish crowd (50 students and 100 young practicing professionals). There was a palpable sense that there was something new here—the mood was one of inspiration and excitement. Gain was very well planned; the schedule was tightly held and went like clockwork. These were seasoned presenters who had their subject matter well under control (at many conferences there is stress if the presenters don’t stick to their schedules and things run late. Here everything ran smoothly and there were plenty of volunteers). Outside of the auditorium, Macs were made available to attendees to retrieve mail and use the internet. (Amazingly, there was never a line.) All attendees were encouraged to enter their profiles in the exclusive social networking opportunity, AIGA Gain Network. This powerful tool enhanced the important networking aspects of the conference, since it allowed participants to search the attendee list for those who meet specific interests with a quick visual response.

It was refreshing to be at a conference where all of the action took place in one main room so that everyone experienced the same thing; there were no breakout sessions so attendees did not have to decide what to choose from amongst competing sessions. Attendee Susan Burks, an art, culture, and technology consultant, says, “I attend a lot of conferences; mostly new media conferences that think about design in a global sense— design from the point of view of technology. At Gain the focus was on how design is being put at the center of people’s considerations about every area: global, political, experiential. AIGA made a great case for this.”

Sarah Hans from And Partners felt that the crowd was clearly hungry for anything new—new business practices, new trends. “Even though there weren’t really any big new ideas, I picked up a lot of small things that reinforced what I already know—how people do business, what clients think about … although it was too much sitting in a dark room on such a beautiful weekend!” Her only regret was that the speakers were not available to chat during breaks. Others also wished that there were more than two days so there could have been opportunities for a more intimate exchange between presenters and attendees. Gain promised to “demonstrate the value of designing as a strategic process that adds substantial value to business and organizations.” The terrific mix really delivered each speaker in his own way.

Preconference speaker David C. Baker and opening night speaker Larry Keeley both made a clarion call to transform the field of design in terms of its importance in people’s thinking of what they do, buy, and feel.

This theme was echoed by Robert Wright (author of Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny), who emphasized activism in design—that design should be the centerpiece of power; that people need to be awakened to cultural, social, environmental, and world issues, and that designers have this power in their hands. Attendee Charles Newman said, “Wright’s presentation forced the audience immediately out of the box and set the stage for a theme that pervaded the weekend—that the design community has an opportunity and obligation to make a real and lasting contribution to the world at large.”

Interestingly, in many ways Barbara Barry was the most transformative speaker. Her message was about the spirit; the audience really responded to her because everything she said rang true. Barry was very articulate about how our deepest feelings can translate to being successful, that achieving success does not have to be heavy-handed; she talked about the value of being in touch with our feminine spirit. Barry says she “lives unabashedly for beauty and finds it a powerful and healing force.” She spoke about the natural world as inspiration, with nature as a source of order and calm. This was a message many were eager to hear at a time when we feel the tyranny of technology and are keenly aware of the pressures in everyday life. Awakening our senses to the beauty around us enriches our lives “so that we can better appreciate all that surrounds us and not always be left wanting more.” Barry searches for timelessness, for infinite relevance. She urged the audience to design with simplicity in mind. “We must reduce things to their essence, understand the humble, and recognize that not one thing stands alone but is part of a larger whole.” In the midst of all the business-speak, Barry’s from-the-heart words stood out.

Gain focused on the dual viewpoints of designer and client, featuring visionary business leaders and influential designers who have pioneered change. An interesting mix of clients included the New York Jets, Procter & Gamble, Old Navy, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Aveda.

Minda Gralnek, VP and creative director from Target, talked about how design revitalized their entire company with exclusive design partnerships. It is, after all, a believable story: Michael Graves, Isaac Mizrahi, Cynthia Rowley, and Mossimo—bringing in well-designed objects with low ticket prices. This is how Target has distinguished itself from other discount retailers, and their commitment to good design makes them a leader in “trend merchandising.”

Attendee Jennifer Zwiebel thought Paula Scher gave “great insight on client relations —great business advice.” This is a topic that Paula has addressed with great wit and insight in her classic book Make It Bigger.

Many of the younger attendees were awed by the powerful presence of design doyen Milton Glaser, who still has the ability to make us all feel uplifted and energized. Milton’s words never fail to ennoble the profession of design, no matter what his ostensible topic. ( Just for the record, Milton’s presentation was a conversation with the president of Stony Brook about their 15-year collaboration, using design to “transform the spirit and environment of an educational institution.”) Under-30 volunteer Cindy Schmidt said, “I felt starstruck being in the same room as Miltie. He’s a delight to watch and utterly charming.”

This Gain conference definitely raised the bar, and participants expected a great deal. How well did AIGA fulfill its promises? Gain’s speakers were great thought leaders as well as great presenters (the two don’t always go together). Everyone seemed to take away something useful, not the least of which was a communal reinforcement of mission, a shared sense of vitality about the design profession. All in all, a success. Fathi Bakkoush summed it up: “This is my 4th Business and Design Conference. Great work, AIGA.” One suggestion: Perhaps when AIGA plans its next conference, it can take place in the dark days of winter—no sense in missing those beautiful fall weekends!