SOURCE: Interior Design Expo

Mark Montano of `While You Were Out` Presents Design Secrets April 3 at Philadelphia Interior Design Expo

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., and ROCKVILLE, Md., Mar 24, 2004 /Xpress Press/ -- The Interior Design Expo(TM) will host Mark Montano, a design expert for TLC's (The Learning Channel) hit show "While you Were Out." Montano's special presentation will showcase interior design tips on Saturday, April 3, 2004 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. Montano is scheduled as a one-time special presentation.

Classic Production's Interior Design Expo(TM) CEO and President, Greg Winton, says, "Mark Montano has his finger on the pulse of everything cool relative to Interior Design. Expo attendees will benefit from this special presentation as Montano is such a huge creative force. Montano's ideas and energies have manifested in the worlds of interior design, writing and fashion design, and he has developed a huge following of devotees the world over."

Whether it is his highly successful home decor work for the hit television show "While You Were Out" (TLC), his extremely popular teen room makeovers in "Cool Room" ("CosmoGIRL!" magazine), his bestselling book "Super Suite" (Rizzoli Publishing) or his syndicated newspaper column "Make Your Mark" (Knight Ridder Newspapers) he has earned the title of "Mr. Creativity." For more information on the King of Prussia event, visit

http://www.interiordesignexpo.com/PA2004.html

Born in Colorado, Montano is the oldest of 6 brothers. A young creative force, he graduated from Colorado State University with a business degree and then moved to New York City where he continued his education at the Fashion Institute of Technology, earning a Master's degree in costume history. He soon began his own signature collection and opened a flagship boutique in his adopted home of the East Village. Known throughout the fashion industry for his colorful imaginative clothing and energetic runway shows, he became the youngest member ever to be inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Mark Montano's interior design talents were noticed when "CosmoGIRL!" magazine editors were taken by the eye-catching interiors of his boutique and soon asked him to do a monthly teen room makeover article. The highly successful "Cool Room" is the must-read of every issue and prompted him to publish a collection of his best ideas in his best-selling book "Super Suite," published by Rizzoli. He is currently working on his second book.

As one of the designers on the twice Emmy-nominated hit home re-decorating show "While You Were Out," Montano's unique flair for color and fanciful concepts explodes in every episode and has made him a household name. Being so highly successful in his professional life, Montano loves fine art and spends his free time painting. He continues to live in New York City and can often be seen bicycling through the city.

Mark joined "CosmoGIRL!" Magazine as a contributing editor, producing a monthly column of creative room makeovers, "Cool Room." At the same time, he writes a weekly column distributed by Knight Ridder Publications. In 2002, Mark also published a collection of room makeovers called "Super Suite," which was selected by the New York Public Library as a "Books for the Teen Age 2003 List" choice. Mark's flagship boutique is based in the East Village of New York.

"At this exclusive event, shoppers can pick up the latest design trends while choosing from literally thousands of the latest products in home design, compare prices, attend seminars, get professional design tips, make informed decisions, purchase and arrange for delivery -- right on the spot," says Winton. According to Winton, "The Interior Design Expo(TM) offers a rare and unique opportunity to comparison-shop, save time, and money for everything they need to fashionably design or redesign their homes with a professionally decorated look and feel - all in one place. "Think about when someone goes furniture shopping, homeowners travel to nearly half-a-dozen different stores in a single day; now a homeowner can come to shop, learn and decorate all under one roof," says Winton.

General Driving Directions: General Driving Directions to Valley Forge Convention Center, From PA Turnpike: (RT 276) Take Turnpike Exit 326 Valley Forge. Take first right and merge onto N. Gulph Rd. Go 1.3 miles to First Ave. Call (610)354-8212 for exact directions. Or visit http://www.interiordesignexpo.com/PA2004.html . For information about exhibiting at the Interior Design Expo, call Mary Maffeo at (973)490-7065.

Media Contact: Alice M. Fisher, 301-294-8550, alice@interiordesignexpo.com

http://www.interiordesignexpo.com/PA2004.html