UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS
& OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH TRACEE LIVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
stay tuned… more events coming soon!
2026 WithIt Professional Conference
Tracee Murphy will speak at the upcoming WITHIT Professional Conference, one of the home furnishings industry's leading events for professional development and leadership growth. In her session, The Psychology of Conflict and Collaboration: EQ as a Superpower, Tracee will share how emotional intelligence can help professionals navigate challenging conversations, build stronger relationships and become more effective leaders. Attendees will walk away with practical, psychology-based strategies they can immediately apply to improve communication, collaboration and client relationships.
What's New, What’s Next 2026 at NYDC
In today's design industry, creative talent alone isn't enough. Join Luxe Interiors + Design Editor-in-Chief Jill Cohen and Tracee Murphy, The Design Biz Therapist, for a conversation about how emotional intelligence has become one of the most powerful drivers of business success. From navigating client relationships and leading teams to making better decisions and building resilient firms, discover why the human side of business is often the greatest competitive advantage.
Vanguard Design Visionary Retreat | Psychology of Design
Tracee Murphy will return as a speaker at Vanguard Furniture’s exclusive Design Visionary Retreat – her third time participating in this invitation-only event for the brand’s top designers and sales team. During the two-day program, she will contribute sessions on the psychology of design and the design business, sharing insights on topics such as problem-solving, sales conversations and forward-looking strategies that support stronger client experiences and business growth.
The Quiet Yes: How Luxury Design Sells Through Emotion
Designers rarely “sell” – they guide, interpret, and create clarity. In this candid conversation, Michael Mitchell of Michael Mitchell Inc. and Kate O’Hara of O'Hara Interiors join moderator Tracee Murphy, The Design Biz Therapist, to unpack how clients truly make decisions in high-end design.
Design Edge | Systems that Save Your Profit Margin
Design Edge is a highly curated, trade-only event featuring the best Home Furnishing and Kitchen & Bath brands in North America. The only designer event of its kind, Design Edge brings leading designer-centric manufacturers to premium markets throughout the country to connect with the region’s designers and tastemakers.
March 25 | 3 pm – Systems that Save Your Profit Margin
Design Edge | Manufacturer Panel
Design Edge is a highly curated, trade-only event featuring the best Home Furnishing and Kitchen & Bath brands in North America. The only designer event of its kind, Design Edge brings leading designer-centric manufacturers to premium markets throughout the country to connect with the region’s designers and tastemakers.
March 24 | 4 pm – Manufacturer Panel
International Design Source Naples
In this preview of Design Edge, you’ll learn how trust and alignment influence brand loyalty and specification decisions; how to have more meaningful, professional conversations with manufacturers; and why emotional intelligence – not sales tactics – lead to stronger industry partnerships. This session will offer designers something you rarely receive at industry events: practical tools to navigate the business side of relationships in a way that benefits your practice long-term.
Designers Today | Sip & Flip
One of our own Trade Mark Interiors team members, Casey Liptak, has been selected for Designers Today’s inaugural 40 Under 40 list! This honor recognizes rising stars across the country who are making a meaningful impact in the industry.
Her professional excellence, leadership, and contributions to the field truly stand out. The full list of honorees will appear in our October issue, and we’re so excited to feature her among them.
We’d also love to celebrate with her in person at our first-ever Sip & Flip event during High Point Market. The event will take place on Sunday, October 26, from 4–6 p.m. at Suites at Market Square. It will be a fun evening of networking, conversation, and recognition for both our 40 Under 40 honorees and Power List designers.
Suites at Market Square
RSVP: https://web.cvent.com/event/694c65fe-4d54-4c8e-9e73-5e7ca97bd196/regProcessStep1
The Psychology of Selling Luxury | CEU Class @ High Point Market
Presented by Tracee Murphy, acclaimed interior designer, speaker, and industry thought leader at the intersection of psychology and design, this dynamic IDCEC-approved CEU workshop explores what motivates the affluent client and reveals the psychology and strategies that turn high-value prospects into loyal relationships. Attendees will discover what luxury truly means to today’s consumer, how to build credibility, and how to attract and nurture high-end clientele. Murphy is the CEO and Principal Designer of Trade Mark Interiors, founder of The Designer Launch educational platform, and is widely known as the Design Biz Therapist—blending her expertise in interior design with insights into human psychology.
Earn a CEU for attending this class!
Vanguard Furniture Co Inc | Hamilton Wrenn North | Shuttle Stop: 18 (Red Line)
The Psychology of Interior Design | CEU Class @ High Point Market
Join The Design Biz Therapist Tracee Murphy of The Designer Launch for this course to explore the intersection of psychology and interior design, providing a deep understanding of how human behavior, emotions, and decision-making influence your interior design business. Designers will learn how psychological principles can enhance sales, marketing, leadership, and client relationships in the interior design industry. Topics include the impact of color on mood and perception, effective conflict management strategies, selling luxury products, navigating financial conversations with clients, and utilizing psychological insights to build trust and rapport. By the end of the course, designers will have a comprehensive toolkit for running their business in a way that supports well-being, productivity, and positive client experiences.
Earn a CEU for attending this class!
Universal Furniture Showroom | 101 S. Hamilton Street | Shuttle stop 15 on the Red Line
Feizy Rugs Panel featuring Tracee Murphy | AI Powers Process, Not Passion
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the design industry—but where does it fit, and where doesn’t it?
The Psychology of Interior Design
Tracee Murphy, The Design Biz Therapist, presents her IDCEC-approved course, The Psychology of Interior Design
Explore the intersection of psychology and interior design, and gain a deep understanding of how human behavior, emotions, and decision-making influence your interior design business.
+1 CEU Credit
The Psychology of Interior Design
Tracee Murphy, The Design Biz Therapist, presents her IDCEC-approved course, The Psychology of Interior Design
This course explores the intersection of psychology and interior design, providing a deep understanding of how human behavior, emotions, and decision-making influence your interior design business. Designers will learn how psychological principles can enhance sales, marketing, leadership, and client relationships in the interior design industry. Topics include the impact of color on mood and perception, effective conflict management strategies, selling luxury, navigating money conversations with cents, and using psychological insights to build trust and rapport. by the end of the course, designers will have a toolkit for running their business in a way that supports well-being and productivity.
RSVP: events@vanguardfurniture.com
+1 CEU CreditIs it your first time heading to Market?
Check out Tracee’s FREE guide to making the most out of your experience!
PAST EVENTS
Psychology of Design
VANGUARD RETREAT
JUNE 2026
Tracee returned as a speaker at Vanguard Furniture's exclusive Design Visionary Retreat – her third appearance at this invitation-only event. One of two speakers (along with the editor of Business of Home), she led sessions on the psychology of design and business growth, sharing insights on sales, problem-solving and creating exceptional client experiences.
The Psychology of Connection
INTERNATIONAL DESIGN SOURCE NAPLES
FEBRUARY 2026
The Psychology of Connection: Building Better Relationships with Vendor
Tracee explored the psychological factors that influence designers' brand loyalty and specification decisions, helping attendees better understand how trust, alignment and emotional intelligence shape industry relationships.
The Psychology of Color
BENJAMIN MOORE, HIGH POINT MARKET
OCTOBER 2025
Psychology of Design
TO-THE-TRADE PODCAST
MAY 2026
Tracee Murphy joined Laurie Laizure, founder of The Interior Design Community, for a conversation about psychology for smarter design firms. Drawing on her degree in psychology and more than 25 years of experience running a successful interior design business, Tracee shares how emotional intelligence can help designers become stronger leaders, better understand client behavior, communicate more effectively, and build more profitable, sustainable firms.
Systems That Save Your Profit Margin
DESIGN EDGE
MARCH 2026
Tracee appeared on both the main stage Manufacturers Panel and a panel for designers about profit margins, where she dove into the psychology of money and how it impacts pricing discussions. Design Edge is a highly curated, trade-only event bringing together some of the best home furnishing and kitchen and bath brands in North America.
The Psychology of Interior Design
DALLAS MARKET
JUNE 2025
Psychology of Design
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE
HIGH POINT MARKET
NOVEMBER 2025
This session explored how the psychology of interior design directly impacts client relationships, decision-making, and business success. Attendees gained insight into how color influences emotion, how belief systems shape buying behavior, and how designers can approach pricing and money conversations with greater confidence and clarity. The discussion focused on building trust, managing feedback, and understanding the emotional drivers behind client choices, all with the goal of creating a more aligned, profitable, and fulfilling design practice.
Why Interior Designers Need Psychology to Succeed
DESIGN DASH PODCAST
AUGUST 2025
Psychology of Design
DESIGN DASH + VANGUARD FURNITURE
HIGH POINT MARKET
APRIL 2025
Psychology of Selling Luxury
A WELL-DESIGNED BUSINESS
W/ LUANN NIGARA
APRIL 2025
Psychology of Conflict Management
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE
HIGH POINT MARKET
OCTOBER 2024
The Quiet Yes: How Luxury Design Sells Through Emotion
FEIZY RUGS
HIGH POINT MARKET
APRIL 2026
We’ve all experienced it: a client says “I love it” but then doesn’t move forward. Tracee explored what’s really happening in these moments and why luxury clients don’t make decisions the way we think they do. It’s all a matter of psychology – designers aren’t struggling with design… they’re navigating human behavior.