National Upholstery Association upcoming events

Open Frame Cornice Method with Robin Matthews (July 14, 2026)

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Cornice boards made with plywood in the traditional way are cumbersome and heavy, making construction and installation difficult. Cornice boards constructed using the open-frame method, however, are much easier to handle in the workroom and on-site. During Robin Matthews’ in-depth look at the open frame method of making lighter cornices, you’ll learn to construct and cover a cornice board without a heavy plywood cornice face. Cornices fabricated in this way are less expensive, easier to manipulate in the workroom, and a breeze to install.

Robin Matthews is the owner operator of Seams Sew Right, a Soft furnishings workroom in Kinnelon, NJ. She specializes in superbly constructed window treatments, bedding, slipcovers, cushions and pillows. Robin is known for her innovative fabrication and installation techniques. Her work has been featured in DIY Good Housekeeping, Design NJ, D&D Digest and Vision magazines. Robin has taught at The Custom Workroom Conference, Workroom Tech and for several WCAA Chapters. She is the past secretary of theWCAA NJ Chapter and past Vice President of the WCAA Virtual Chapter and is a member of the WCAA, WCAA SEPANJ Chapter and WCAA Virtual Chapter.

Your Craft Has a 3,000-Year Story. Let's Put It to Work. (August 11, 2026)

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

with Julia Reinert

Upholstery has been considered a skilled trade since ancient Egypt. It furnished the courts of Louis XIV, survived the Industrial Revolution, and outlasted every trend that tried to replace it. You know your craft, but have you been using its history as a marketing tool?

In this session, we look at the history of upholstery as a trade, a craft, and a cultural symbol, and then we get practical: how do you take that history and use it to market your work, connect with buyers, and set your shop apart? We'll move into how cultural memory, nostalgic marketing, and brand storytelling can help you attract the right clients and build a brand that reflects the full weight of what you do.

You'll leave with a new way of thinking about your work and a set of tools ready to put into practice.

Julia Reinert has spent her career studying one idea from every possible angle: the stories embedded in the way people have always lived. As the founder of The Lifestyle Historian™, she brings together academic rigor, journalistic instinct, and more than twenty years of marketing and brand strategy to help businesses understand why history is one of the most persuasive forces available to them.

Her foundation is formal and broad. A degree in Third World and Non-Western History from UNC Chapel Hill and graduate work in International Relations gave her the tools to read culture, identity, and collective memory across time and geography. She began her professional life as a newspaper reporter, trained to find the story beneath the story, and carried that sensibility into a long career working with nonprofits, lifestyle brands, artisans, design professionals, and corporate clients across multiple industries.

In 2025, she transformed The Lifestyle Historian™, formerly a passion project on Instagram, into a full-time consultancy with a focused mission: helping brands harness the power of nostalgic marketing and cultural memory to build deeper, more lasting connections with the people they serve. Her clients span interior design and the decorative arts, antiques, tea culture, fashion, hospitality, and travel. She works with businesses at every stage, from emerging studios to established companies navigating brand evolution.

What Julia brings to any room is the understanding that consumers respond to history because history answers the questions that matter most to them: where did this come from, what does it mean, and why should I care? The trades and decorative arts industries are sitting on extraordinary reservoirs of cultural meaning. Julia's work involves helping those industries draw from that reservoir with intention, using historical research, material culture studies, and narrative strategy to turn craftsmanship into a story that sells.

She writes and speaks regularly on the intersection of history, identity, and brand, and she remains, above all, a lifelong student of how people have always made meaning from the objects and spaces around them.

CWC Pre-Event: Victorian Princess Riverboat Cruise (September 27, 2026)

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:30:00 GMT

Join us for a relaxed and elevated afternoon on the water at our Semi-Private 2nd Deck Cruise. Enjoy beautiful views, great company, and a delicious full lunch complemented by coffee and tea as you unwind with fellow CWC attendees. Within walking distance of the convention venue. Sip, connect, and take in the scenery!

Board early, grab a spot on deck, and make the most of this laid-back and memorable experience.

Event Details: Event: Semi-Private 2nd Deck Afternoon
Cruise Open To: All CWC Attendees
Date/Time: Sunday, September 27th | 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Boarding starts at 12:30)
Address: 1 State St, Erie, PA 16507 (Meet at the Base of the Dock at Dobbin’s Landing)
Includes: Full lunch + coffee & tea
Additional Beverages: Available for individual purchase
NUA Member Ticket: $30
Non-Member Ticket: $44

Attend the Custom Workroom Conference: https://www.customworkroomconference.com/

Looking to stay in the area a night early? Demand for rooms at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront and Courtyard Marriott Hotels is high! Please also consider the Hampton Inn & Suites Erie Bayfront to arrive in time for this event.

The Window Treatment Specialist’s Palette: A Curated System to Designing Window Treatments with Kathy Geffen (October 13, 2026)

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

with Kathy Geffen

A window treatment specialist goes beyond fabric and fabrication—they diagnose and solve environmental problems within a space. By addressing light, heat, glare, privacy, and functionality, they design solutions that improve comfort, protect interiors, and enhance how a room feels and performs. This webinar introduces a practical framework for selling window treatments through that lens—shifting from taking orders to leading clients through a structured process of assessment, recommendation, and solution-based design.

Kathy Geffen is the owner of Kathy Geffen Design, a custom drapery workroom known for creating beautiful, highly functional window treatments, bedding, and soft furnishings. She’s passionate about solving real-life challenges while delivering comfortable and functional experiences with her clients and team members.

Beyond her workroom, Kathy has become a go-to resource for other drapery and workroom business owners who have questions about the business side of things. Kathy is known for offering clear, practical guidance without unnecessary complexity. Before building her workroom, she spent 25 years in the corporate world helping organizations improve how they operate, streamline processes, and successfully manage change. She now brings that same structured, results-oriented thinking to the drapery and upholstery industry. Kathy brings a candid, real-world perspective to her teaching, grounded in both hands-on fabrication experience and deep operational expertise. She is committed to helping others feel more confident, capable, and in control of their business.

Advanced Spring Tying Techniques (November 10, 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 18:00:00 GMT

With Gareth Rees

Apprenticeship & Project Management: Building Skilled Teams Without Losing Control of the Workroom with Riana LeJeune (December 08, 2026)

Tue, 08 Dec 2026 18:00:00 GMT

with Riana LeJeune

Finding skilled labor is hard. Keeping projects on track while training the next generation can feel impossible.

In this National Upholstery Association webinar, Riana LeJeune, Founder & CEO of Renewabl and owner of Repinned Luxury Upholstery, shares a practical, real-world framework for building apprenticeship programs without sacrificing quality, profitability, or your sanity.

Drawing from more than 13 years in the trade—and experience leading the nation’s first Registered Upholstery Apprenticeship in partnership with the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship—this session breaks down how to:

Structure apprenticeships that actually support production
Define skill levels, accountability, and expectations at each stage
Manage complex upholstery projects while training new talent
Reduce bottlenecks, rework, and burnout in the workroom
Protect craftsmanship while scaling your business

Attendees will learn how to apply clear project workflows, level-based training, and repeatable systems that allow experienced artisans to teach effectively—without slowing down the shop. Riana will also share how thoughtful project management supports better client communication, stronger timelines, and healthier teams.

Whether you are training your first apprentice or refining an existing program, this webinar offers actionable strategies you can implement immediately to strengthen your workforce and your business.

Riana LeJeune is the Founder & CEO of Renewabl App and owner of Repinned Luxury Upholstery, a nationally recognized custom upholstery workroom based in Iowa. With more than 13 years in the trade, she has built her career preserving and advancing the art of professional upholstery—working on everything from 19th-century antiques to fully custom furniture built from the frame up.

Riana has been a proud member of the National Upholstery Association since its inception in 2019 and is a dedicated advocate for the growth and modernization of the upholstery industry. A respected educator and keynote speaker at the Custom Workroom Conference, she leads the nation’s first Registered Upholstery Apprenticeship program approved by the United States Department of Labor, helping formalize skilled-trade education and create sustainable career pathways for the next generation. Riana is also a fierce advocate for Neuro-Inclusive Hiring practices.

She is also the National Association of Women Business Owners 2025 Woman Business Owner of the Year, recognized for her leadership, innovation, and impact within both the trades and entrepreneurship.

Riana created Renewabl to solve real-world challenges she experienced behind the workroom doors—helping professionals visualize fabric and finish options, streamline client communication, and support sustainability by extending the life of well-crafted furniture. Her work sits at the intersection of craftsmanship, technology, and education, positioning the upholstery trade for a stronger, more visible future.