The Planning and Visual Education Partnership (PAVE), founded in 1992, has grown into the retail design, planning, and visual merchandising industry’s premier educational foundation, and a recognized advocate for design students. These students are the future of the industry—PAVE’s mission is to help them gain exposures and funds to further their educations, as well as their careers.

Educators, retailers, and industry suppliers support PAVE through active participation in the organization and generous financial contributions.

In 1992, PAVE’s founding board was comprised of educators, the media, manufacturers, retailers, and representatives of, at that time, the leading industry organizations. Founding organizations included ISP (Ruth Mellergaard, then president); NADI (Richard Stolls, then president); SVM (Martin Pegler and Eric Feigenbaum); retailers Cecil Besselleau of Belk Stores and Steven Bergquist of Federated Department Stores; Wayne E. Visbeen, who had recently started his own architectural design firm, Visbeen Associates, and VM+SD Magazine (Janet Groeber, then editor).

These individuals and organizations, with one goal in mind, chose the name PAVE for the new foundation. It began as a statement, “Paving the way for the future students,” and later became the Planning and Visual Education Partnership. The first logo was developed by Visbeen Associates and was later updated by GMG Design Inc. The first officers of the organization were: Chairman, Wayne Visbeen; Treasurer, Richard Stolls; Educational Chair, Eric Feigenbaum; and Secretary, Janet Groeber.

Mission Statement
Founded in 1992, The Planning and Visual Education Partnership’s objective is to encourage students to study in the field of retail design and planning and visual merchandising through its annual Student Design Competition. Additionally, PAVE seeks to encourage retail management, store planners, visual merchandisers, architects and manufacturers to interact with and support design students. This is accomplished through seminars, workshops and its annual fundraising Gala, with proceeds dedicated to financial aid and internships for qualified students.

PAVE Seminars
PAVE began partnering with major industry trade shows to hold seminars that both contributed to industry education and at the same time raised money to support PAVE’s objectives. The first PAVE-sponsored seminar was held at the New York NADI Show in December 1992. The keynote speaker was Allen Questrom, then President of Federated Department Stores. Other speakers also contributed to the venue. At this event, Mr. Questrom presented a donation from Federated Department Stores of $10,000 to PAVE. That check, along with funds from an on site raffle and the proceeds from the seminars, started the PAVE bank account funds. PAVE now annually holds a seminar at GlobalShop in conjunction with the trade show.

Student Design Competition
Since 1993, PAVE has sponsored a Student Design Competition for students enrolled in both two-year and four-year design programs. The competition challenges the students to create design solutions for real-life retail situations. The competition is open to U.S. and international design students. Guidelines and examples of winning entries can be viewed at www.paveinfo.org. PAVE has awarded thousands of dollars to winning students as well as providing an award to the school the students attend.

PAVE Gala
PAVE established its annual fundraising Gala in May 1996. Originally held in conjunction with the New York NADI Show and GlobalShop, it is now held every December in New York City. Proceeds from the Gala benefit PAVE’s educational endeavors. The Galas have had a combination of guest speakers and industry leader recognition awards through the years. Winning students from the Student Design Competition are always announced, and some of the winning students and their instructors attend the event.

Auctions and Raffles
In 2002, PAVE held its first annual auction in conjunction with the Gala. Michael Steward, vice president of Rootstein USA Inc., a New York City-based mannequin manufacturer, donated abstract mannequin heads to be decorated by leading industry professionals representing retailers, media, vendors, design firms, and design students. Once completed, these pieces of art were auctioned at silent auction during the Gala with high bidders announced at the end of the evening. Nearly $10,000 was raised which all went to benefit PAVE programs. Now PAVE holds a raffle of high-end products and services donated by PAVE supporters. The raffle is currently held at GlobalShop during the NASFM Retail Design Awards presentation.