International design conference in Aspen

Walter Paepcke, chariman of Container Corporation of America, organized the first International Design Conference in Aspen in 1951 to provide a forum for designers to engage in discussion of the quality of design and the relationship design has with business. Titled "Design as a Function of Management," it attracted 250 attendees for four days of presentations. Paepcke envisioned Aspen as a place where creative individuals could gather to share their ideas away from the distractions of the urban environment. The conference grew to about 1500 attendees by 1987 and has involved a wide range of Chicago designers including Robert Hunter Middleton, Bruce Beck, Jay Doblin, Morton Goldsholl, Albert Kner, John Massey, Herbert Pinzke, and DeForest Sackett. To provide an opportunity to discuss design issues in their broadest sense, design professionals from every discipline are invited as well as artists, scientists, educators, and those in industry.