CHICAGO – Design Chicago, the Midwest’s largest trade-only residential design conference, drew more than 2,500 attendees during the two-day event held October 3 and 4, 2018 at the Merchandise Mart (theMART) in downtown Chicago. Interior design, architecture and luxury custom home building professionals from across the country visited more than 120 showrooms, spanning over 600,000 square feet of space.
Design Chicago presented a variety of education and innovative programming, along with signature events, including: 175 featured presentations, CEU programs, open houses and product debuts and two exclusive ticketed events with Chairs for Charity and the Chicago VIP Luxury Gala – along with newly opened showrooms ready to be explored, as well as 13 strategic media partners and more than a dozen well-respected editors.
“We’re thrilled with the overwhelming response from our showrooms, presenters, and attendees at this year’s Design Chicago,” said Susan McCullough, Senior Vice President at theMART. “Design Chicago has become the must-attend residential design conference in the Midwest and brings together the best of the best in the industry. We’re proud to see the show grow year after year and look forward to building on this year’s success, with even more attendees from the Midwest, as well as coast to coast, in 2019.” Dates have already been set for next year; Design Chicago will return Wednesday and Thursday, October 2-3, 2019.
The event featured 13 media partners from coast to coast including Architectural Digest, Chicago Magazine, Coastal Living, Elle Décor, Galerie, House Beautiful, Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, Modern luxury Interiors Chicago, Residential Design, Sophisticated Living, Traditional Home, and Veranda.
An added draw was the energy generated from new, expanded or completely renovated showrooms which opened in the past year:
NEW SHOWROOMS
House of Rohl Studio (135)
Middleby Residential/Viking Range/La Cornue (137)
Moen Design Center (135)
Forward Space: Studio (614)
Surya (619)
EXPANDED SHOWROOMS
Michael-Cleary (6-102)
Noure’s Oriental Rug, Inc. (6-155)
Gloster Furniture (1452)
CAI Designs (1495)
Lloyd Flanders, Inc. (1473)
RENOVATED SHOWROOMS
Studio Snaidero Chicago (140)
Pindler (618)
Schumacher / Patterson, Flynn & Martin (6-133)
Chicago VIP Luxury Gala highlights
Design Chicago culminated with the 10th annual Chicago VIP Luxury Gala, held the evening of October 4, 2018. The Chicago VIP Luxury Gala drew a record crowd of over 800, including a who’s who of the design industry who came together to celebrate the best of Chicago and Midwest design.
The event featured the induction of four residential design industry icons into the Merchandise Mart Hall of Fame.
Lifetime Achievement: Cary Kravet, Kravet Inc., President and CEO
Architect: Laurence Booth, FAIA, Booth Hansen, Principal/Director
Designer: Suzanne Lovell, Suzanne Lovell Inc., Founder + CEO
Builder: Power Construction Luxury Residence Group
The 2018 Chicago VIP Luxury Gala was generously sponsored by exclusive Media Sponsor, Luxe Interiors + Design; Diamond Sponsor, Moen; Platinum Sponsor, Thermador; Gold Sponsor, Sherwin- Williams; and Silver Sponsors, Vicostone and Style/Library.
Chairs for Charity Highlights: This signature event from Splash, in conjunction with Chicago magazine, challenged 14 designers with the task of bringing a vintage chair back to life. The event attracted more than 375 attendees, who were encouraged to bid on the one-of-a-kind chairs through a silent auction throughout the event. All proceeds raised benefit Designs for Dignity.
For more information, visit designchicagoevent.com.
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