During the four days, the Fair's 110,000 net square feet (11,000
net square meters) teemed with 17,241 (up 3 percent from last year)
interior designers, architects, retailers, facility managers, wholesalers,
store design professionals, hotel and restaurant designers, manufacturers,
students, and members of the general public.
A total of 461 exhibitors displayed choice examples of contemporary
furniture, seating, lighting, carpet and flooring, wall coverings,
textiles, materials, accessories, kitchen and bath products, and
outdoor furniture for residential and commercial interiors. This
year's event drew 167, or 36 percent, first time exhibitors. A
global nexus of design, the ICFF had 262 exhibitors, or 57 percent,
from the U.S., and 199 exhibitors, or 43 percent, from outside
the U.S. The combination of domestic and international exhibitors
provided easy access to the best and hippest home and office products.
Countries represented numbered 21: Argentina, Austria, Brazil,
Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain,
Sweden, U.S., and United Kingdom. Three national contingents celebrated
the design industry's unique blend of culture and commerce: BEDG
(British European Design Group), Federlegno-Arredo (Italy), and
the Royal Danish Consulate General (Denmark).
Among the most popular attractions of the ICFF is its annual curriculum
of design-related programs. This year's highlights included Marc
Newson with House & Garden; I.D. and Material ConneXion/Substance
and Surprise: The New Application of Materials in Modern Design;
Federlegno-Arredo and ICE - Italian Trade Commission/Living the
Italian Way; Metropolis Conference/Design Entrepreneurs: The
Next Generation; American Society of Interior Designers/FutureWork;
and Ingo Maurer with Metropolitan Home.
Each year the ICFF has also hosted an arresting array of exhibits
by a variety of participants. This year included displays by several
leading design schools: Art Center College of Design; Parsons School
of Design, New School University; Pratt Institute; and Virginia
Tech. Other exhibit highlights included the ICFF Connector presented
by release1; Butter Vending Machine; *Surface T.A.G. Team; Dwell
Home; Federlegno-Arredo/Area Mostra - Italia, Amore Mio!; and Design
with MemoryTM.
Numerous features provided respite from the expanse of new product
on the floor of the Javits Center. This year included the ICFF
Bookstore and Bar presented by Potterton Books and Bombay Sapphire
and designed and fabricated by hivemindesign; ICFF Editors Awards;
ICFF Opening Night Party hosted by GLM with House & Garden
at Lever House; ICFF Public Day with net proceeds of $5,000 benefiting
Furnish a Future, a program of The Partnership for the Homeless;
and ICFF Windows.
