Joining the CID Awards as a Silver sponsor, Downtown Design’s fair director Rue Kothari says the company acknowledges the contribution that the awards make to the regional emerging design industry.
“Bringing the growing community of design professionals together to recognise excellence is something we echo during our fair in October, and it’s this synergy that has prompted us to sponsor an award for the first time this year,” says Kothari, adding: “This year, we’ve had unprecedented demand for space, selling out all stand positions in April. To see so much enthusiasm from international brands looking to enter the market has been hugely encouraging. The UAE represents for many an opportunity to be commercially active. With so many projects on the horizon and the help of organisations like Dubai Design Fashion Council, there is a strong commitment to providing an infrastructure to support the industry.”
The unique Destination initiative was introduced to present ‘discovery’ brands, allowing buyers to find the latest, most innovative products from around the world. It invites young international design weeks to share the best of their emerging brands, and will this year showcase five new cities: Addis Ababa, Reykjavik, Barcelona, Beirut and Taipei.
“We pride ourselves on the visitor experience, with existing brands presenting original concepts, and a portfolio of new brands that allow designers to discover products they would not encounter in Milan or London for example. This year, one-quarter of our brands will be new, with a growing number of exhibitors using Downtown Design as a platform to launch new products.”
Story originally published on Design MENA on 25/07/2016
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