Technology Sessions - POP into Excellence

pop into excellence

Technology continues to reshape the commercial interiors industry at an unprecedented pace, creating new opportunities for dealer designers to work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and deliver greater value to clients. As AI, automation, and connected workflows become part of everyday practice, understanding how to leverage these tools is quickly becoming as important as mastering the design process itself.

During the second week of POP into Excellence, attendees explored emerging technologies that are transforming dealer design—from AI-powered workflows and CET innovations to collaborative platforms, automation, and the future of design technology. These sessions showcased practical solutions that help eliminate repetitive work, improve accuracy, strengthen collaboration, and empower designers to focus on what they do best: designing exceptional spaces.

The Hidden Tax on Design Performance

SPEAKERS: Jason Lund Director of Innovation & Solutions, Aura

Dealers of commercial interiors are quietly paying a hidden tax, not because of weak design talent, but because operational friction, outdated IT models, and inconsistent service delivery are eroding utilization, slowing project delivery, and undermining client confidence. Design teams lose flow to access issues, tool sprawl, performance problems, and rework, while IT remains trapped in a break/fix mindset with little accountability to business outcomes. The result? Lower margins, slower response times, frustrated teams, and missed opportunities to differentiate in front of clients.

This session takes a direct look at the uncomfortable truth: Dealers need their IT organizations focused on enablement, innovation, and adoption of new technologies (including AI) not just keeping the lights on. Dealers that modernize will outsell and out‑margin those that don’t. Dealers that remain legacy‑minded risk falling behind or out of the market entirely. We’ll explore how operational simplicity frees IT capacity, why AI fails in chaotic environments, and what design leaders can do now to demand service accountability, accelerate delivery, and position their organizations to use AI for efficiency, insight, and new client‑facing services, before competitors do.

Meet Dot. Inspiration with Integrity

SPEAKER: Kari Anderson Founder of Dot. | Principal at UX&Kari | Facilitator of Techbox Collective

The manual effort of tracking specs and the "busywork" of data entry have become an accepted tax on the creative process—until now.

Meet Dot., the connection point where your vision meets certainty.

This session debuts a new way to ideate. We’re moving beyond the limitations of static lookbooks and rigid frames to a dynamic, infinite canvas where inspiration is backed by verified manufacturer truth. See how Dot. removes the friction to accelerate decision-making, sync your team, and ensure that product information is exactly where you need it, when you want it. Whether you’re a designer, a manufacturer, or a sales partner, discover a workflow that stays out of your way so you can focus on what matters: the vision.

What You’ll Gain

Manual Entry, Eliminated: See how to bring verified product imagery and assets onto your canvas in a single click.
Accelerated Decisions: Learn how to move from a spark of inspiration to a confident "yes" by removing the search fatigue.
The Infinite Advantage: Experience a collaborative workflow that breaks free from static layouts to keep your team in sync.

All attendees will receive an exclusive "Founding User" access code to be the first to experience Dot.

Pop into the Future: What's New with Configura

SPEAKERS:

Michelle Melendez, RID, NCIDQ, IIDA Configura User Community Ambassador
Lindsay Voegele Configura User Community Ambassador
Cecilia Vu Configura User Community Ambassador

Get a high-impact look at what’s new in CET 17.0 and Spec 9.0. This session explores AI Photo, enhanced Web Viewer collaboration, Spec to Powerpoint, and more efficient specification workflow. Discover how these advancements are streamlining processes, improving collaboration, and helping teams work smarter and faster. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at what the UCA team has been developing as they help drive the next era of design.

Eliminate Boring, Get Back to Designing

SPEAKER: Kieran Luke, CEO & Founder at Cerulean

You didn't go to design school to work on data entry, doublechecking, or copy-pasting into PowerPoint. But somehow, these are the activities that eat up a large amount of your time at work, and make your days much lonnnnger than they need to be.

If AI is so amazing, why can't it just do this stuff for you?
That's exactly what Cerulean is building. In this session, we'll show you how our tools are handling the boring parts of dealer-design work:

Port automates the quote-to-SIF data entry that used to take hours
Atlas automates the menial production of budgets and look books
Proof uses computer vision to help with the dreaded double-check

We'll walk through what's new, what's coming, and - most importantly - ask what boring work you want us to eliminate next. Come ready to commiserate, get inspired, and maybe leave with a little less on your plate.

The 4th Annual Techbox Collective Show & Tell

FACILITATED BY: Kari Anderson Founder of Dot. | Principal at UX&Kari | Facilitator of Techbox Collective

"How does that extension do that?" The question returns! Join us for the 2026 Show & Tell, where Techbox Collective brings together CET Extension owners to showcase the tools that power our industry. This year, we are focusing on the core of the experience: live demonstrations of innovative extensions that make designing and specifying simpler and more efficient.

What Show & Tell Offers You

Manufacturers - Discover how your peers are leveraging CET Extensions to make their product lines easier to use and specify.
Designers - See these powerful tools in action through live demonstrations and provide the feedback that helps influence future development.
Developers - Connect with fellow creators, witness your products in the hands of users, and support your manufacturer partners.

The Collective Goal
Show & Tell is a collaborative event designed to bring the Commercial Interiors community together. By sharing how we use CET Extensions, we drive the practical innovation that makes our daily work better.

A special thank you to Haworth, Konsol, OFS, Sandler, Scandinavian Spaces, Stylex, Teknion, who were the first to step forward and volunteer to present.