12th January 2021 | IN DESIGN EVENTS | BY SBID ShareTweetPinterestLinkedIn With a new virtual event and rug resource for design professionals, COVER magazine will host COVER Connect on 12–15 January 2021. The event will benefit, celebrate and support the handmade rug industry at a time usually occupied by start-of-the-year trade and design fairs. A dedicated place for our diverse professional community to do business remotely, COVER Connect will play host to a global audience of buyers, designers and industry professionals. Three distinct but intricately linked online platforms make up COVER Connect: TRADE Trade is the virtual fair at the core of COVER Connect, featuring more than thirty-five of the most most well-respected rug companies in the world, showcasing their latest designs and new collections. COVER Connect will provide an engaging buying experience for exhibitors and clients, and recreate the atmosphere of a fair by offering numerous encounters with outstanding design, quality rugs and the companies who create them. The virtual booths will act as an easily accessible overview of each company’s rugs representing their style and ethos. Live chat and pre-bookable online meetings will be available directly from these booths. TALKS The Talks programme at COVER Connect will focus on the themes of Sustainability, Collaboration and Interior Design. In one of the seven panel discussions, Vanessa Brady OBE, founder of the Society of British and International Design (SBID) will speak to three renowned interior designers about their approaches to successfully incorporating rugs into their projects: Erinn Valencich, Founder of the L.A.-based Erinn V. Design Group; London-based Shalini Misra; and Kar Hwa-Ho, Head of Interior Architects at Zaha Hadid. EVENTS Featuring a series of virtual projects presented by Trade exhibitors including interviews, live sales and documentary films. REGISTRATION There are two types of attendee registration: one requires accreditation, the other is open to all. Both are free and open now. The Trade and Events sections are open exclusively to accredited buyers, interior designers and architects verified by COVER. Registration to attend Talks and view Features is not subject to verification. Apply for full access Register for Talks only Visit thecoverconnect.com to find out more.