The IRL return of Downtown Design

The organisers of Downtown Design have confirmed dates and location for its 2021 edition. As expected, the major B2B element of Dubai Design Week will be returning to its purpose-built venue at the d3 Waterfront; the November slot is retained, too, with Downtown Design scheduled for 8-12 November.

Handily, that makes it “the only regional design fair coinciding with the Expo” as the PR blurb puts it. In fact Dubai Expo 2020 will hopefully have been running since 1 October, and as it happens we couldn’t think of many other regional design fairs. But the crossover does look good; any designer or specifier thinking of going to the Expo will now be tempted to take in Downtown Design, and vice versa.

By November, travel and group gathering restrictions should have been relaxed sufficiently to attract the required mix of regional and international exhibitors – the local interiors industry is getting stronger, but by itself it can’t sustain a whole show with the ambition and track record of Downtown Design.

The audience is key, of course: specifiers, developers, architects, interior designers, and HNWIs from the Gulf, the wider Middle East, and increasingly from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. They will need to be confident that they can attend in safety.

Last year’s Downtown Design was a generally successful but necessarily much-reduced hybrid event – around 180 exhibitors in the ‘digital fair’, half a dozen online panel discussions (still available here), and a physical multi-media exhibition under the title The Shape of Things to Come which featured invited design ideas for a post-pandemic world.

Overall the hybrid approach looked pretty good, albeit a bit light on the talks side. “Last year’s hybrid event was really our way of supporting the regional design industry through a very challenging time,” said the spokesperson, “and we are happy with how well it was adopted by both brands and buyers.

“It was also a learning curve for us, one that has readied us to maximise on the promise of how design can be consumed digitally, in a tangible manner. Our 2021 IRL fair will be supported with a digital offering that will run till early 2022, allowing both trade and public visitors an opportunity to reconnect with and rediscover the brands and products that were presented at the event.”

Otherwise this year’s Downtown Design is back to the 2019 mix. This means sectioned areas for key sectors (which this time are furniture, lighting, bathrooms & kitchens, materials & finishes, accessories & soft furnishings), country pavilions, a talks programme, and networking events.

The excellent Downtown Editions fair-within-a-fair returns as well, a boutique showcase for limited-edition and bespoke design from independent designers, collectives and studios rather than big-name big-money brands; this is where most of the good ideas will be found.

Last year’s Shape of Things to Come curated show was interesting, and Downtown Design’s organisers are mindful of the branding value of this kind of thing. “Each year, Downtown Design presents creative content such as installations and  F&B design concepts commissioned for the fair. The intent behind these collaborations has always been to spotlight the diversity and quality of regional design talent.”

And for 2020? “This year we will present a new conceptual exhibition, inviting regional architects and interior designers to create vignettes that interpret emerging design trends.”

The last IRL edition of Downtown Design in 2019 had more than 200 exhibitors from 30+ countries and attracted 19,000 visitors. Given that the brands need to make up for lost time, and with the expectation of a pent-up need for professional networking, the organisers must surely be looking for a decent show this time round.

So we asked them whether they were anticipating even better numbers for 2021 from exhibitors and visitors. “Downtown Design 2021 stands to benefit from the success of the UAE’s Covid-19 vaccination drive, positive developments in diplomatic relationships with our neighbours and the Dubai Expo which will launch just weeks before our opening,” said a spokesperson.

“From our conversations with our network of architects and interior designers, we know they want that sense of community and kinship Downtown Design offers: and they also want to interact with design and the people behind the brands, face to face.” Well yes, people value the face-to-face contact and the touch-n-feel assessment of the products, so a decent footfall can be expected. But how about giving them something to see?

Pratyush Sarup, Downtown Design’s Head of Programming, said the potential exhibitors are cautiously optimistic, “We understand that, which is why we have adapted our booking processes to offer exhibitors flexible participation opportunities and enhanced our B2B programme to help them meet their objectives and access potential business.”

He sees Downtown Design as “so much more than your typical design fair”, because “it offers both design professionals and design enthusiasts an opportunity to discover and engage with the innovation, excellence and diversity that is informing the evolving design landscape. Our collateral programme – from the talks and workshops to creative activations and conceptual exhibitions – spotlights the breadth of regional and international talent to a wider audience.

In short, “Downtown Design hones into how Dubai is at the epicentre of the region’s design industry”.

“This year’s enhanced programme will support the region’s design industry in navigating the opportunities and challenges presented by the new world,” say the organisers. If you’re interested in participating yourself, there’s an expression-of-interest form here.


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