More than 6,500 people including media and members of the design trade converged on DUMBO May 11 – 13 to kick off New York Design Week at BKLYN DESIGNS™ 2007.  The three-day show, presented annually by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, featured a record number of exhibitors and drew the biggest crowd since the show premiered in 2003.  There was excitement in the air as masses of eager design-lovers from all over the world trekked up and down the cobblestone streets of DUMBO to see the best furniture, lighting, floor/wall coverings, accessories and sustainable products the borough has to offer.

According to Mark Kessler, interim president and chief operating officer of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, “BKLYN DESIGNS truly represents the entrepreneurial spirit that thrives throughout this borough.  This year, we saw 35 returning exhibitors and welcomed 29 newcomers – a testament to the overwhelming success of the show.  Now with the launch of the BKLYN DESIGNS Center at the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) McKibbin Street – the only not-for-profit industrial developer in New York City – emerging Brooklyn designers and manufacturers have access to below market industrial space secured by long-term leases.  This is all part of an effort to ensure our home-grown talent and quality craftsmen continue to manufacturer and flourish in Brooklyn.” 

As tradition has it, wood is associated with a five-year anniversary.  BKLYN DESIGNS exhibitors took this classic material to new heights using reclaimed, recycled or responsibly harvested varieties in envelope-pushing designs for home and office.  It was evident designers pushed their creativity even further with other material innovations, displaying hand-crafted lighting inspired by urban landscapes of dilapidated building façades and graffiti art from Re-Surface; hip sustainable baby/children‘s furniture from Argington; lighting made from honey jars from Nicholas Furrow; whimsical gun-shot mirrors from Paul Loebach; a modern side table with built-in lighting from A&G Design; hairy monster-inspired rugs and wing-back chairs from Longoland; sleek glass tables with overscale turned legs from Robert Austin Gonzalez; an innovative exhibit of work including glass handrails and lights by first-time exhibitor Brooklyn Glass (a collective of glass artists); and eclectic furnishings with matching skateboards all made from recycled materials by Daniel Moyer Design & Fabrication.

With 19,000 square feet of exhibit space, 1000+ pre-registered members of the trade, packed lectures and three heavily trafficked venues filled with patrons throughout the sunny weekend, it was clear this show had much more to celebrate than its five-year milestone.

First-time exhibitor Lois Ruben Aronow said, “This was a great show on many levels.  Aside from the obvious, which for me included several incredible commissions, I made some really great media, business and artistic contacts.  The attendance was head spinning.  Friends and neighbors aside, I met people who had come from different parts of the country just to attend this show.  The buyers/attendees understood the work they were looking at.  Finally, I found the crowd that really understands my work!”

Corey Springer of Wud Furniture Design shared his enthusiasm saying, “BKLYN DESIGNS was once again a great experience for Wud Furniture Design. It is always inspiring to be surrounded by all the emerging talent that is coming out of Brooklyn.  While the show keeps getting bigger every year, the event still feels intimate and I think that is appealing to both the designers and the attendees.  It is also great to meet new people from the community, as well as see the familiar faces from years past.”

According to returning exhibitor David Scott of DESU Design, “We were pleasantly overwhelmed with the show attendance this year.  In fact, we ran out of our promotional materials, which has never happened to us at a trade show before!  Overall, we had a lot of positive feedback and a great mix of new and return customers.”

Bill Hilgendorf of Uhuru Design was back for the third year: “It was great to come back to BKLYN DESIGNS with a bigger booth and a brand new line of furniture.  We grew so much in the last year due to exposure from the show.  Our design calendar now is totally determined by BKLYN DESIGNS.  We use it as an opportunity to launch all of our new products.  Brooklyn is a great design community and I think the show is responsible for making it stronger every year.  We are already looking forward to next year's show.”

Finally, the show included an informative series of design lectures and seminars led by industry icons and editors at top-notch shelter and lifestyle magazines.  The respected Ralph Pucci of Ralph Rucci International and Linda O’Keeffe, director, Design + Architecture Metropolitan Home set the standard with an inspiring keynote. 

There was standing room only as a crowd poured in to attend a Pratt Institute session, What’s Next? Today’s Hot Sustainable Designers and Educators from Pratt Institute Look at How the Next Generation Will Differ, moderated by Fred Bernstein as well as Dwell’s hands-on session, Going Green: Daunting or Doable, moderated by Michael Cannell.

“I sat in on some lectures on Saturday and made it a point to come back again on Sunday,” said Aki Okado, architect, Point Design, Inc.  “It was great to see such a big emphasis on green design.”

BKLYN DESIGNS™ is sponsored by Two Trees Management, Bosch, Thermador, Gaggenau, Forté Condo, Pratt Institute, BKLYN DESIGNS™ Gallery at GMDC, Benjamin Moore & Co., Con Edison, AIA, ASID and IIDA.   Official media partners are: Interior Design and New York Magazine.  BKLYN DESIGNS™ receives support from Speaker Sheldon Silver and the Brooklyn Delegation to the NYS Assembly, Speaker Christine Quinn and the Brooklyn Delegation to the NYC Council and the New York City Department of Small Business Services.  For more information visit http://www.bklyndesigns.com/.  Interested companies can contact auster*events for sponsorship and marketing opportunities at 718-243-1414.