2022 International Summit

The International Summit is being held at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Hotel & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Boulevard, Tucson AZ 85745.

Has your organization had an innovation plan in the past but it just didn't give you the results you expected?  Maybe you tried some design thinking exercises, put in a fun conference room complete with markers, white boards, Koosh balls and a foosball table…but innovation still didn't come knocking. Or maybe you have had some level of success with innovation…but don't know where to go from here. Whatever the case may be, this session, led by Deviant Thinker, Jennifer Thompson, will super charge your thought process. In her presentation, Jennifer will address:

• The neurological reasons why innovative thinking is so difficult.
• How to rewire your brain and your company to expand your innovation.
• The reasons why brainstorming doesn't work and what to do instead.
• Communication tips and tricks that work to get people to hear your new ideas. 

We love our assumptions and hold tightly to them but they need to be challenged to have an innovative idea. Our assumptions have significant impact on our communication, on how we are heard, and how we can influence others. Working in groups of 8-10 you'll discuss the greatest challenges in sharing new ideas and how to overcome your assumptions and use new strategies. Get ready for some thought-provoking results!

Fritz Horstman will deliver a 30-minute presentation situating Josef Albers's use of color in the ongoing evolution of color thinking from Newton and Goethe up until today. A 90-minute hands-on workshop exploring the fundamental aspects of Albers's 1963 book Interaction of Color will present participants with the same prompts that Albers gave students at Black Mountain College in the 1930s and 40s, and at Yale in the 1950s. (Albers also taught for ten years at the Bauhaus, but didn't teach a course devoted to color there.) We will cover color relativity and reversed grounds, and possibly more.

When Color Marketing Group® members, Montaha Hidefi, VP Color Forecasting, and Doty Horn, Board member, volunteered to examine, study, and analyze sixty years of CMG archives to prepare for this Keynote presentation, they did not anticipate discovering a treasure trove of color.

Not only did they explore a six decade journey of color forecast information, but they uncovered a rich history of societal trends that influenced color and design preferences. They were impressed with the colors that trended each year, and each of the last six decades. They were fascinated as they tracked the colors that endured the tribulations of times, from recessions to natural disasters, and terrorist attacks. They were fascinated by the evolution of CMG color stories as told by thousands of participants across these past six decades.

In this Keynote presentation at this year's annual International Summit, Montaha and Doty will reveal their discoveries addressing:

• The colors that were most forecast for each decade.
• The colors that crossed from one decade to another.
• The colors that are trending back.
• The color family that best represent sixty years of color and design preferences.

This is the CMG Color Story Evolution!

From the inception of Color Marketing Group in 1962, members' prime interest was to promote more knowledgeable use of color in marketing; provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and the solving of color problems; and offer education and training in the complete application of color.  But for those interests to be enacted, we owe it to Elisabeth Burris-Meyer, then a consultant with the House & Garden Magazine, whom in 1963, put forward an idea to study current colors by collecting and exhibiting colored swatches of CMG members' sold products and organize them on a color basis rather than by usage, industry, or type. The idea was adopted by CMG's Executive Committee, and CMG established an exhibit which became known as the COLORFAIR™.

Montaha serves at Color Marketing Group® (CMG) as Vice President of Color Forecasting, as Member of the Executive Committee of the Colour Research Society of Canada (CRSC), and as Vice President of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG).

She holds a comprehensive background in international marketing, color marketing and the coatings industry. Montaha was born and raised in South America, is an avid traveler and has lived and worked in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

She is co-author of Colour Design: Theories and Applications (2012 and 2017), and author of Giving Voice to My Silence (2022), Dando voz a mi silencio (2022), and Groping for Truth (2018).

Doty also created an international design blog for a Finnish paint manufacturer: The ColorVoyant Watch and has conducted presentations/workshops in the US, UK, Canada, Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, Italy and Germany.

Educationally, Doty has held teaching positions at FIDM-LA (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) and FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology-NYC… bringing a unique and cross-current perspective to the color and design industry. And has participated on panel discussions for Philadelphia University and The Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Doty is an active board member of The Color Marketing Group and has been member since 1991. She has seen the sustaining life of the organization and believes that each member has a wealth of creative talent, waiting to be shared and enriched. This led her to be a driving force for creating a CMG Mentoring program, which is being launched at the 2022 Tucson Summit.

Businesses depend on color directions for their products and services and having the right color at the right time is key to success. After all, Color Sells and the Right Colors Sell Better! As a global membership association, Color Marketing Group members have played a key role in providing annual color direction reports to hundreds of global companies for 60 years. Our strength lies in our global color community who contribute to our ChromaZone®​ Color Forecasting Workshops and regional Conferences​, discussing consumer behavior and societal trends, and the impact these will have on color and design. Our ChromaZone Workshops take place in advance of the annual Summit and attendees, who are color experts in their field, present their directional color trend stories as they relate to their industry/product. During the process, we analyze hundreds of colors and identify big picture trends that will influence color directions in the coming years. The outcome from each event is 16 color directions that participants believe will be trending two years out and three trend stories driving the color directions. At the end of our forecasting season, our Regional Steering Committees representing each of the Workshops curate all the results, distilling them to a global selection of 64 color directions comprising 16 from each of our regions of Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. The combined outcome – our 2024+ World Color Forecast™– will be revealed. 

A member since 2006, today Lora sits on the Board of Directors of the Color Marketing Group and serves on the CMG Color Forecasting Committee where she helps steer the North American colour forecasts.

Montaha serves at Color Marketing Group® (CMG) as Vice President of Color Forecasting, as Member of the Executive Committee of the Colour Research Society of Canada (CRSC), and as Vice President of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG).

She holds a comprehensive background in international marketing, color marketing and the coatings industry. Montaha was born and raised in South America, is an avid traveler and has lived and worked in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

She is co-author of Colour Design: Theories and Applications (2012 and 2017), and author of Giving Voice to My Silence (2022), Dando voz a mi silencio (2022), and Groping for Truth (2018).

As we prepare to launch our Mentor Program in 2023, we want to give you a teaser insight of what's to come. Our Mentor Program Committee has designed a Summit experience to give you a cool way to meet CMG members and tap into the wealth of resources available within your community. 

With the wealth of talent and expertise that CMG members share, what better way to support, enrich, and encourage each other.

Doty also created an international design blog for a Finnish paint manufacturer: The ColorVoyant Watch and has conducted presentations/workshops in the US, UK, Canada, Asia, Russia, Scandinavia, Italy and Germany.

Educationally, Doty has held teaching positions at FIDM-LA (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) and FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology-NYC… bringing a unique and cross-current perspective to the color and design industry. And has participated on panel discussions for Philadelphia University and The Consumer Products Safety Commission.

Doty is an active board member of The Color Marketing Group and has been member since 1991. She has seen the sustaining life of the organization and believes that each member has a wealth of creative talent, waiting to be shared and enriched. This led her to be a driving force for creating a CMG Mentoring program, which is being launched at the 2022 Tucson Summit.

Susan F. Beiser

Susan F. Beiser is Founder of a design and consulting business, Susea Blu Studios, based in Charlotte, NC. Susan discovered her creative passion at an early age and hasn't looked back. Her spark began with a 1970's design trifecta…Shrinky Dinks, Spiro-graph and Altair Design books from her grade-school book fair. She was off and running to a visual art high school and later, earned a BFA in Graphic Communication (Illustration) and an MFA in Fibers (Surface Design). Her journey naturally evolved into a design career spanning close to 35 years with a diverse range of specialties in residential and commercial industries. Her most recent position was over 21 years serving as Senior Designer at OMNOVA, A Synthomer Business focused on decorative surfaces and performance films for laminates. Previous, positions were in textiles and graphic design. Style and color research, surface design and collegiate instruction remain the consistent focal points of her creative pursuits.  A fellow CMG member and mentor of Susan's advised her when joining CMG, that this is the closest we, as designers, get to continued education while working in our fields. Susan still approaches the CMG experience with that in mind. She has been a member of Color Marketing Group since 1998. She is a long-time facilitator and co-facilitator at International Summit workshops. She was a participant in the new member mentor program, helping first time attendees get their footing at International Summits. She views the formal collaborative experiences at CMG Summits as critical and energizing while the unforeseen encounters, the exciting diversions, are what lead you to places unexplored.

Lora Di Fabio

My passion for color has been the driving force since the beginning of my career. Upon completing my Fine Arts degree, I joined an Industrial Design consultancy where I specialized in color & graphics applied to consumer products: From telephones to laptops and packaging in between.  This experience brought me to my next job and where I tackled much bigger products like snowmobiles, motorcycles, boats, and even helicopters!  Moving on to even bigger things, today my focus is developing an array of flooring products for commercial applications such as hospitals and schools.  Through the years, CMG has had my back. With the support of the color design community, I always feel I could count on their knowledge and guidance no matter what the size of the challenge!  I look forward to sharing my passion and experiences with other color & design enthusiasts on their journey through our wonderful profession!

Thoma Doehring

Thoma has been an entrepreneur all of her life, finding creative ways to sell or market something. When she discovered her love of colour and design her world changed forever. 

Thoma has owned a Benjamin Moore retail store for 30 years where she was responsible for marketing herself and her business, along with HR, tinting and colour matching paint as well as customer service. Essentially everything that was involved in running a business she did at some point in her career.  During the transformation of the paint industry and various economic challenges, her retail business evolved into more of a one stop shop for any in home decorating project. Her passion for sewing and working with textiles made selling window coverings a natural fit.  She also branched out and created Thoma & Co Designs offering in-home consulting on colours, interior design, window coverings and Kitchen and Bath renovations. Working with customers is her ultimate passion, pushing the limits of their imagination and building trust to use colour in a new way, while helping them create a feeling of home, is her greatest reward.  Thoma became a member of CMG in 2016, and after attending her first summit she was so excited to have found her colour tribe, meeting like minded people from all over the world. As she enters into a new season of her life she would love to pass on some of this knowledge to anyone interested in pursuing a career in colour, customer service or design.

Stephanie Dycha

Stephanie Dycha has devoted herself to the world of color over the past 20 years. Specializing in working with brand managers, utilizing innovative technology, and applying extensive trend knowledge, she strives to apply a circular design approach to a new level in the field of plastic products. Stephanie now heads up both the Avient ColorWorks US & Canada team in West Chicago, IL and the West coast Design team located in Phoenix, AZ. These teams work with a diverse client base that spans numerous fields including packaging, consumer goods, automotive, and much more.  The Avient ColorWorks network is made up of global centers specially designed to foster imagination and support creative exploration of new plastic product ideas while providing the technical resources needed to test the feasibility of original and unique product designs.  Stephanie is on the Executive Committee of the Color Marketing group as the Vice President of Marketing. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Management from Loyola University Chicago. She is currently an MBA Candidate in a joint program with Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business and Loyola University School of Environmental Sustainability where she focuses on Sustainability Assessment and Planning. 

Leatrice Eiseman

As I was in the process of writing my first book about color, I was looking for reliable professional resources and found the Color Marketing Group. I attended my first meeting in 1982 and have been a member ever since. The value of belonging to this group has been incredibly meaningful. Not only is it an opportunity to learn and to contribute and share, but it is also a place to network with other like-minded people and to build strong friendships. It is always such a pleasure to see former attendees of my color/design classes become members of the group as I feel CMG is such a valuable resource and provides a place to come together in the pursuit of more information about our favorite subject—COLOR!

Cindy Green

Throughout my career, my love of color has been a constant source of inspiration. I have worked in the home furnishings industry for thirty years as a textile designer creating printed and knitted fabrics, rugs, and color and trend research. In this next phase of my life, I have returned to school to study Interior Design. My expertise in product development and color and trend research has helped me succeed in my studies.  After joining CMG, I immediately began volunteering in various committees and co-facilitating and facilitating workshops. I have served as a member of the North American Steering Committee, Summit Planning, the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee. Color Marketing Group has been vital to my professional growth and development. CMG is the only organization where members actively participate in the forecasting process. We live it, see it, and breathe it every day – we are the experts in our field. I enjoy sharing my love of CMG, meeting new members, hearing their stories, learning about new industries, and helping others in our colorful journeys.

Montaha Hidefi

Montaha is a Color Archaeologist™ with an international record in the coatings industry, global marketing, trend research, color forecasting, writing and public speaking. Montaha's experience in the coatings industry extended across many geographical areas, including North America, the Middle East, South East Asia and Europe.  Fouder of Color Landing Studio, Montaha works with clients on color portfolio, color trends and color forecasting based on concentrated research related to their market segments and geographical areas. Montaha remained a permanent color forecasting panelist for five consecutive years with The Mix Magazine and contributed to color trend panels and color trend books around the world, including Dutch Design Week trend book, MoOD Inspirations in Belgium, and NCS Color Trends, just to name a few. As a writer, Montaha authored three memoirs; Giving Voice to My Silent (2022), Dando voz a mi silencio (2021), and Groping for Truth (2018). She co-authored Colour Design: Theories and Applications (2012 & 2017), edited by Janet Best. She also authored The Role of Color in Design, an educational chapter for Shop! MaRC Program's. Montaha's articles and interviews on color forecasting have appeared in various publications including Powder Coating, Product Finishing, Retail Environment, PCI, PPCJ, APCJ, Rugs News and Designs, The Vancouver Sun and The Wall Street Journal. As a public speaker, Montaha made virtual and in-person appearances on many international stages, including 100% Design, ChinaCoat, CoaTech, Color Marketing Group, The European Coatings Show, Neocon, The Powder Coatings Summit, Warsaw Culture Center, Taiwan Design Center, and many others. She has also been a guest lecturer in multiple universities including Ryerson Univeristy, George Brown College Casa Loma Campus, and Heriot Watt University Dubai Campus. Montaha joined Color Marketing Group in 2007 and facilitated and co-facilitated various workshops. After many consecutive hits and misses in the elections for the Board of Directors, she didn't give up until she got elected in 2018. In collaboration with Kiki Redhead, she contributed to setting up and rolling out a virtual training module on facilitating. She also got involved in other projects and chaired the Color Apps Committee. Staring January 2020, Montaha has been serving on CMG's Executive Committe. In her tenure as VP Color Forecasting she contributed to the rollout of virtual color forecasting and participated in other improvements to worksheets, written reports and color forecast analysis. In addition to Color Marketing Group, Montaha serves on the Executive Committee of the Colour Research Society of Canada (CRSC) and the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG).  Montaha is based in Guelph, Ontario in Canada, and speaks English, French, Spanish, Italian and Arabic.

Alicia Keshishian

CMG is my drug of choice. CMG has offered me access to a vibrant community of experienced, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable people ~ broadening my life, personally and professionally. By being in the company of mutually-color-obsessive-people my life has been greatly enhanced > filling my brain with the sights and sounds of color in ways I didn't know was possible! So, after years and years of experience as an art director, illustrator, graphic designer, textile artist, and surface designer I'm excited to be part of ColorBRIDGE. Having worked in corporate jobs and steering my own business I delight in meeting other curious minds and sharing my experience as we all strive for growth.

Christa Lynam

I went to school for textile design. Then, I started my career designing woven fabrics and print designs, creating beautiful fabric collections. When my heart led me to Colorado, I transitioned to developing and sourcing textiles and incorporating other materials, surfaces and touch points for products. Research, trend and color have always been a large part of my design process. I like to tell a story about what I have created. It may be inspired by nature, my travels, history or a culture I admire. I love collaborating with other designers in addition to cross functional-teams, outside creatives and innovative consultants to achieve the best end result. CMG is a wonderful way to meet other creatives and be inspired! Being part of ColorBRIDGE will allow me to share my knowledge and learn more about  about all of you! 

Sandy Sampson

I am an independent color, material, and finish professional, graphic designer, and founder of Simple Modern Style, a multi-disciplinary design studio. I have an insatiable thirst for creative exploration, new creative challenges, and constant learning. My specialty lies in the ability to transform color, trend, consumer preferences, and market research into a color design that successfully engages your target audience, sets your brand apart, or defines your desired space.  In 2005, I joined CMG and started volunteering on numerous committees, facilitating color forecasting workshops, and have served on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. As a mentor in CMG's ColorBridge™, I am excited to share my color knowledge, journey, and enthusiasm with other color design professionals and listen and learn from their color journey while guiding them to achieve their goals. 

Judith van Vliet

Judith van Vliet is the founder of The Color Authority™ and helps people unleash color in their lives and businesses. TCA develops color trends for different markets through storytelling and palette development and offers various color consulting services. Judith collaborates with a global network of like-minded color experts who understand the power of color. She is a fervent speaker and is the host of the podcast of the same name that features fascinating conversations with some of the most inspiring people in the world of color. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Color Marketing Group as Immediate Past President, where her deep knowledge of color helps keep CMG at the forefront of global color forecasting. Judith currently works in Milan, Italy.  My journey in color started with my first meeting in Berlin in 2007 where I met those who spoke my language. Ever since I have been curious about all that is color in many different fields, specialising in color trends, color and identity and education. What fascinates me about color is that we can never stop learning about it and how it keeps evolving. CMG has been key in my career path and in making so many like-minded color friends. 

Cancellation/Refund Policy:

On or before Sept. 15th – all refunds will incur a $100 administration fee.

Sept. 15th – Oct. 21st – all refunds will incur a $150 administration fee.

Oct. 21st and beyond – refunds cannot be processed after this date.

Social Media & Recording Policy:

CMG does NOT permit, under any circumstances, the recording of any of the presentations during the International Summit or any Color Forecasting Events, or in any form or media, including but not limited to audio recordings, video recordings, or literal transcripts, except by specific written permission from CMG's Executive Committee. This includes guest speaker presentations, color/workshop report backs, visuals and presentations. Referencing CMG events and Workshops is permitted on social media but specifics details relating to color forecasts and information must be kept proprietary. You may, however, display direct links to CMG's web or social media sites where CMG has published or promoted publicly released material. PLEASE keep in mind that our presenters have invested many hours into the development of this material and copyright laws apply. Written permission MUST be granted by Presenters and Speakers for any material that is used in any fashion or shared in any capacity.

Additional Information

For more information please contact sgriffis@colormarketing.org or call 703.329.8500.Type here the content of the page or click on some items in the Common Objects-section to add more images, titles and texts to your page

The health and safety of our attendees, staff, and hotel personnel is of utmost important so we kindly ask for your compliance with our Health & Safety Policy. By registering for our Summit you agree to comply with all applicable COVID-19-related federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidance and with any other health and safety measures that we may implement to safeguard attendee wellbeing. 

CMG Policies:

• Masks are optional throughout the Summit unless required by the local law. 
• CMG will closely monitor the CDC statements and follow their guidelines. This may result in CMG modifying our COVID procedures and we will inform attendees of any changes. 
• If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, are feeling ill, or if you have recently been exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you should not attend the Summit but seek medical guidance. 
• We kindly ask that all attendees recognize the health and safety measures implemented by the JW Marriot hotel available at https://clean.marriott.com​.

Courtesy of CMG Member, Leatrice Eiseman

… that's what Jodie Foster said in the 70's film "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'. Tucson's visitors' bureau posted that quote on its Facebook page—taking it as a compliment and point of pride. It might seem a bit odd to frequent a bar that was a former mortuary, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant attached to an aviary or visit a mirror lab used for outer space exploration that is built under the University of Arizona's football stadium*, however, following are a few of the places that lend some uniqueness and history to this multi-faceted city. (*Source: Secret Tucson, A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, by Clark Norton)

The Turquoise Trail​

The turquoise had faded somewhat, but following the turquoise striping in downtown sidewalks will take you on a two-and-a-half mile loop that encompasses nearly two dozen of Tucson's most historic spots, including the Hotel Congress, the Fox Theatre, Old Town Artisans, the Tucson Museum of Art, the old Pima County Courthouse that now houses the U of A Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum (a must-see for color-lovers!)

Tucson Botanical Gardens​

If you are a plant lover, The Tucson Botanical Gardens has been named "one of the top North American Gardens worth traveling for". Tropical butterflies are housed in the pavilions and there are year-round art exhibits.

Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens​

The Tohono Chul is another great botanical garden that has won national recognition. It is located in the Casa Adobes area of the northern part of the city and very close to my home. There is a gift shop with some very colorful art and artisan work. We are very fortunate to have gotten a great classroom there (inside and out) for teaching my color/design four-day design program​ immediately following the CMG Summit.

Museums​

Tucson has some fine museums. There is something to fit many taste levels, from contemporary art to sign art. The following link will give you a good overview of what is available, where they are located and the hours.

The Desert Museum​

Because of its proximity to the Starr resort, it is well worth a trip to the Desert Museum. It has been called a "fusion experience," including a zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, art gallery, and natural history collections. The location and scenery adds greatly to the experience.

Tucson's Murals Project​

An ongoing art scene in Tucson is mural art. If this of is of particular interest, the following link will take you to a blog that contains photos of more than 100 murals. It also contains images of many of the mosaic works and other public art displayed around Tucson as well as some images of private murals.

Mount Lemmon Sky Valley​

Believe it or not, there is a mountain range with snow at the top. It's the highest peak in the Santa Catalinas range just north of Tucson. Mt.Lemmon Sky Valley is open for skiing from December to March and in warmer months the lift offers a scenic view of the summit, a 30 minute ride that offers panoramic views.

Bicycling​

Tucson has been called the cycling capital of the world. If you are into that sort of sport, you will appreciate the number of bike loops that exist in and around the city. Rentals are easy and accessible in many locations.

Hiking​

There are many hiking trails throughout the area. One of particular interest is called Sabino Canyon and the link will explain the highlights

For the Foodies​

Frankly, when I moved to Tucson, I did not have high expectations about the variety of foods and restaurants available here, but I have been very impressed. Getting back to the quirkiness factor, one of the best and most interesting menus is available in a restaurant that originated in

Scottsdale called Culinary Dropout. How can you resist a name like that?

What I discovered was that Tucson has been named a Unesco City of Gastronomy as the variety of foods here "tells a story that dates back 4,000 years". That's impressive. There is quite an eclectic array of differing menus. Here are just a few of the top recommendations as well as a link for the restaurant reviewer and photographer, Jackie Chan

https://www.incasperuviancuisine.com​

https://www.batatucson.com/food​

https://www.opentable.com/r/bata-tucson​

https://www.lovinspoonfuls.com​

https://www.wildflowertucson.com/locations/tucson-az/​

Of course, there many excellent Mexican Restaurants, each with their own specialties. The first one, the El Charro Café​, was established in 1922.It is the nation's oldest Mexican restaurant in continuous operation by the same family. There are now several locations in Tucson.

As it is largely plant based, my favorite, Charro Vida​, is very near my home. Please forgive my proselytizing, but I simply had to include some of the background for the creation of this wonderful eatery: "Charro Vida's thoughtful menu is a modern-day prelude to a love story. Its Food Por Vida (Food for Life) promise allows us the opportunity to love on ourselves, and our families and friends, just a little bit more. The chapters of this story highlight the benefits of plant-based eating, the ideal and sustainable proteins and their intentional preparations, the natural fats that our hearts crave, the most suitable of sweeteners, and other examples of foods that maximize the body's inherent potential for self-healing".

Another option for Mexican food with a more seafood slant is Ajuua​:

Food reviewer

https://tucsonfoodie.com/​

http://www.jackietranphotography.com/about-ba ​

Best Kept Secret​

There is much more to learn about Tucson, however, I will finish with another place of interest that does not take visitors as it is privately owned and can be viewed only from a distance. If you are a Beatles fan, you might remember the lyrics:

JoJo left his home in Tucson, Arizona for some California grass

Get back, get back, get back to where you once belonged

Get back JoJo, go home………..



It seems the home could be the Tucson spread that is still owned by Paul McCartney