A career symposium for Interior Design students at the college level has been held nearly every year in the San Francisco, California area since 1966, when the Northern California Chapter of the National Home Furnishings League (NHFL), the predecessor of IFDA, sponsored the first such event for Interior Design students.

Since 1989, it has been an extremely successful all volunteer, collaborative effort of the local professional chapters of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), International Furnishings and Design Association (IFDA), and National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) in Northern and Central California and Nevada.

It is currently the largest Interior Design career program for students in the United States and has served as a model for others around the country.

The chair responsibility rotates among each of the professional organization chapters. All the sponsoring chapters provide at least two to three planning committee members each year to chair the various sub-committees, as well as volunteers before and during the event.

Planning and work by this volunteer committee begins in the late spring for the following year’s event.

Sponsorship and support comes from the San Francisco Mart and the San Francisco Design Center who donate facilities, money, and volunteers, and the design industry, with monetary, in-kind, and items to fill resource bags.

Since the early 1990s, between 325 and 500 interior design students have attended each year; nearly 500 students attended the sold out 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 programs; many students were turned away each year. Attendees come primarily from Northern and Central California and Nevada college and university Interior Design Programs.

In conjunction with the 2008 event, student design competitions are sponsored by chapters of ASID, IFDA, and NKBA, as well as industry members including Stephen Miller of Stephen Miller Gallery and Dacor Appliances. Over $ 7,000 in total prize money will be awarded. In 2005, there were 104 total entries, displayed in the San Francisco Mart Lobby.

The Student Career Forum continues to be an exciting, energetic, and cooperative volunteer collaboration among Interior Design professionals and industry. The excitement and appreciation of the students make it rewarding and very much worth the hard work and effort.