What IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter does

IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter (IIDA MAC) is a nonprofit professional membership association and regional chapter of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), founded in 1999 and serving interior designers, architects, manufacturers, vendors, contractors, educators, and students in the District of Columbia, the state of Maryland, and Northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties). The chapter is one node within IIDA's global network of 15,000+ members across 58 countries and operates through two city centers — Baltimore/Annapolis and Washington Metro — governed by an elected volunteer board of directors and a committee structure covering communications, advocacy, membership, professional development, signature events, sponsorship, student affairs, and design awards.

The organization's product surface is built around community and programming rather than technology. Core offerings include recurring signature events (Premiere Design Awards held annually since at least 2013, Cosmo Couture fashion show biennially since 2009, and Showcase tradeshow launched in 2023), selective professional development programs (PLAID emerging-leaders program, Design Leadership Academy three-month leadership academy, NCIDQ exam preparation), student membership with campus center partnerships at Marymount University, George Washington University, Howard University, and Morgan State University, plus an advocacy program focused on interior design regulation across the three jurisdictions it serves. Revenue is generated through four streams: annual membership dues (student membership at $60/year, professional and associate members subject to biennial 10-CEU compliance), tiered corporate sponsorship (Platinum Visionary, Gold Innovator), event revenue from ticket sales and vendor booth fees, and fees from paid professional development programs. Marketing and distribution operate through the iidamac.org website, email newsletter, Instagram (@iidamac and @iidamac_studenthub), university campus centers, Eventbrite ticketing, and direct corporate sponsorship sales.

Name

IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter

Legal name

IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter

Website

https://iidamac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter is a nonprofit professional membership association and regional chapter of IIDA, serving interior designers, manufacturers, vendors, educators, and students in Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia through membership programs, professional development, signature events, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from professional members, associate members, and student members provide recurring revenue. Student membership is $60/year. Professional and Associate members must complete 10 CEU credits biennially for compliance.
2. Chapter Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors at various tiers (Platinum Visionary, Gold Innovator) provide revenue through annual sponsorship agreements. Sponsors receive visibility at events, logo placement, and access to the design professional community.
3. Event Revenue: Signature events including Premiere Design Awards, Cosmo Couture, and Showcase tradeshow generate revenue through ticket sales, booth registrations, and vendor participation fees. Registration for Showcase 2025 was free for architects and interior designers, with vendor booth revenue.
4. Professional Development Programs: Design Leadership Academy (DLA) and PLAID program generate revenue through participant enrollment fees. Programs are selective and invitation-based for professional members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter is a non-profit regional chapter of the International Interior Design Association that delivers professional membership services to interior designers and industry partners across DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. It sells annual memberships (Student, Associate, Professional), operates selective leadership development programs (PLAID, Design Leadership Academy), produces signature events (Premiere Design Awards, Cosmo Couture, Showcase tradeshow, Breaking Boundaries), and runs an advocacy program protecting interior design legislation in three jurisdictions.

Product overview

IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter is a professional membership organization (chapter of IIDA - International Interior Design Association) serving interior design professionals in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The organization offers a portfolio of professional development programs including the PLAID (Propelling Leadership + Advocacy in Interior Design) program for emerging leaders and the Design Leadership Academy (DLA) for experienced professionals. The chapter organizes signature events including the annual Premiere Design Awards, Cosmo Couture fashion show, Showcase tradeshow, and Breaking Boundaries speaker series. Additional offerings include student membership programs with campus center partnerships, a job opportunities board for sponsors, and advocacy programs focused on legislation, DEI, and climate action. The organization facilitates CEU opportunities and NCIDQ exam preparation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PLAID Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 13 years of signature Cosmo Couture fashion show events (2009-2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ASID (American Society of Interior Designers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIDA MAC collaborates with ASID at both local and national levels on legislative advocacy. On a national level, IIDA, ASID and CIDQ formed a design coalition to combine advocacy efforts for greater impact. Locally, IIDA MAC works with ASID alongside CIDQ, MDCID, and IIDA Virginia/West Virginia chapter.
• CIDQ (Council for Interior Design Qualification)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coalition partner in design advocacy combining efforts with IIDA and ASID. CIDQ administers the NCIDQ exam which is the pathway to interior design certification and licensure. The coalition works to protect and advance interior design regulation.
• MDCID (Maryland Coalition for Interior Design)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal advocacy partner working with IIDA MAC on legislative strategy for the Maryland market. MDCID co-hosts Breaking Boundaries events with IIDA MAC at the B'more Design Expo.
• IIDA Virginia/West Virginia ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional chapter partner collaborating on advocacy strategy for Virginia interior design legislation, particularly given current threats from lawmakers seeking to reduce occupational licenses.
• Marymount UniversitycoreOthersIIDA MAC campus center hosting student membership activities, portfolio reviews, and professional development events for interior design students. Located in Arlington, VA.
• George Washington UniversitycoreOthersIIDA MAC campus center partnership hosting student events, firm crawls, and professional networking opportunities for interior design students in Washington, DC.
• Howard UniversitycoreOthersIIDA MAC campus center supporting interior design student membership and professional development programming.
• Morgan State UniversitycoreOthersIIDA MAC campus center hosting student events including firm crawls, portfolio reviews, and Coffee & Closeups programming for Morgan State interior design students in Baltimore, MD.
• Resolute Consulting (Joanna Kozlowski)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilitator and faculty for the Design Leadership Academy (DLA) program. Joanna Kozlowski leads the three-month leadership development experience focusing on emotional intelligence, change and conflict, and values-driven leadership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CIDQ (Council for Interior Design Qualification): Administers the NCIDQ exam that underwrites IIDA MAC's licensing and CEU value proposition; coalition partner in legislative advocacy. Not a membership competitor, but functionally adjacent — IIDA MAC sells NCIDQ prep as a service offering.
• IFDA (International Furnishings and Design Association): Another member-based interior design and furnishings association offering networking, CEUs, and industry awards to a similar designer and trade member base. Overlaps in the Mid-Atlantic corridor though smaller than IIDA/ASID.

Others

• BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association): Trade association representing furniture manufacturers that supply IIDA MAC's manufacturer sponsors (Mohawk Group, OFS, etc.). Indirect ecosystem partner — same corporate sponsor pool, but not a competing membership body.
• NEWH (Network of Executive Women in Hospitality): Hospitality-focused industry association with chapters and sponsorships across the built environment; shares the same manufacturer and vendor sponsor ecosystem as IIDA MAC, including Hospitality Platinum/Gold tier sponsors.

Direct peers

• ASID (American Society of Interior Designers): ASID is the other major U.S. interior design association competing for the same practicing-designer membership base across the same DC/MD/VA region. IIDA MAC and ASID collaborate on advocacy through the national design coalition but compete directly for individual dues, sponsorships, and student members.
• IIDA New York Chapter: Sister regional IIDA chapter covering New York with the same member-driven model: signature awards, professional development, advocacy, and sponsor tiers. Most operationally comparable chapter to IIDA MAC given scale and Northeast Corridor overlap.
• IIDA Illinois Chapter: Home chapter of IIDA national headquarters; operates the same volunteer-led, city-center model with signature awards, sponsorship, and student programming. Closest structural peer for governance benchmarking.
• IIDA Southern California Chapter: Largest IIDA chapter operating the same chapter model (signature awards, sponsorship tiers, events, advocacy) at a larger scale. Direct sibling chapter benchmarking for programming, pricing, and event operations.

Regional players

• ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) Potomac Chapter: Adjacent design discipline association covering the DC/MD/VA region with parallel CEU, advocacy, and awards programming. Not a direct competitor for members but competes for the same A&D sponsor budgets and design-firm engagement.
• AIA (American Institute of Architects) DC Chapter: Parallel design profession membership organization serving the DC region with CEUs, advocacy, awards, and signature events. Slightly broader in scope (architecture vs. interior design) but competes for the same A&D firm memberships and corporate sponsors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/iidamac
• Xx.com/IIDAMAC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IIDA Mid Atlantic Chapter