One Day of Programming, One Night Before
Design + Build Day runs on Tuesday, January 5, 2027 at the Dallas Market Center, 2100 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75207. The program opens Lightovation, which runs January 6 to 9. The Dallas Total Home & Gift Market runs January 6 to 12 on the same campus.
The market center describes the day as designer-led seminars, curated showroom experiences and a closing networking reception for interior designers and other trade professionals. Two items carry a published time. The Welcome to Lightovation Tour starts at 10 a.m. and meets at TM 1 Koi Pond. Hospitality Giants, presented by Interior Design Magazine, starts at 2:30 p.m. at TM 3 Loft Main Stage.
The Block the Market Center Sends You To
The market center names one housing provider. Its hotels and transportation page reads: “Enjoy discounted rates and easy marketplace access with exclusive room blocks from Connections Housing.”
The Design + Build Day booking button opens the Connections Housing market list. The January Lightovation card on that list dates the block January 6 to 9, 2027 and books through the Passkey page titled “2027 January Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show”. That page opens on “Now accepting reservations” and offers no deposit and no contract.
Attendee, Exhibitor or Rep
The reservation page opens with a type selector. The three entries read 1 - Attendee, 1 - Exhibitor and 1 - Reps. Pick the type that matches the credential you will carry at the door.
A designer or architect attending as trade picks Attendee. A showroom employee picks Exhibitor. A manufacturer representative picks Reps. The same page carries “Manage existing reservation”, which is where a booked guest edits or cancels.
Why January 5 Sits Before the Block Opens
The block dates begin January 6. Design + Build Day is January 5. A guest who wants to be on campus for the 10 a.m. tour needs the night of Monday, January 4. A guest who stays through the closing reception needs Monday, January 4 and Tuesday, January 5, with a Wednesday, January 6 checkout.
Both of those nights fall outside the block window. Ask Connections Housing whether the block accepts a January 4 or a January 5 check-in. Put the question inside the reservation request, and ask for the answer in writing.
If the block holds the market nights only, book January 4 and 5 outside it and draw the rest from the block. A room move on the morning of the market is the cost of that split. Ask the property to keep one room across both bookings before paying either.
Nights and Clock
The reservation page publishes no rate. It publishes a date search. Rates appear once a guest enters check-in and check-out dates, and the block publishes no cut-off date.
Price the decision in nights. One night covers the 10 a.m. tour for a guest who lands early on January 5. Two nights cover the tour and the reception for a guest who flies in on January 4. A third night covers a January 6 morning on campus before the market floor opens.
Ask three numbers on any rate: the nightly rate, the cancellation deadline and the checkout time. Ask whether the property sits on the market shuttle route.
The Poaching Warning on the Provider Page
Connections Housing states it is the only official travel service associated with trade events at Dallas Market Center. The page warns that other travel companies may reach out, calls them unaffiliated and unendorsed, and asks attendees and exhibitors to report that contact at 214.744.7444, option 2, or DMCTravel@connectionshousing.com.
Verify an unsolicited room offer against that page before sharing card details. The market center and the provider share the 2100 Stemmons Freeway address and the 214-655-6100 line.
What the Campus Adds to the Room Decision
Parking is free across the campus, including handicapped spaces. Shuttles run to and from select hotels and campus parking lots, and the schedule varies by market.
During January and June markets the lot in front of the IHDC building is reserved for buyers, and valet is unavailable at IHDC during those markets. World Trade Center valet runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at $8 on daily and first Monday and Tuesday markets, complimentary for interior designers and independent decorators. Rideshare pickup and drop-off sits at the Trade Mart front entrance. Luggage check sits in WTC130.
A guest who lands before the room is ready can leave bags at WTC130 and walk the showrooms.
Send the RSVP
Design + Build Day asks for a registration. A guest who has attended a Dallas Market Center market registers through the market center link. A first-time guest fills out the RSVP form, which asks for company details, business type and title or role. The business type list carries registered and independent interior designer, architect, builder, lighting showroom retailer, electrical or plumbing distributor and furniture or home store.
The consent line on that form names RSVP confirmations and FastPass QR codes. Read that line before submitting the form.
When to Book
The market opens on January 6, 2027. The block accepts a date search now.
Send the request this week. Put three questions in one message: the January 4 check-in, the January 6 checkout and the cancellation deadline. Book the room first, so the RSVP can carry a confirmed arrival date.