With a stellar exhibitor line-up and cutting-edge designer Sami Hayek signing on as the Friday evening keynote speaker, BKLYN DESIGNS™ 2008 promises to be the most action-packed edition of the show to date.  The sixth annual BKLYN DESIGNS, produced by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, will kick off New York Design Week on Friday, May 9, and continue throughout the weekend. The show, a proven outlet for up and coming designers as well as for some of the industry’s front runners, will once again be held in historic DUMBO, Brooklyn.

This year the jury – which includes Karen Singh, Market Editor, Interior Design; Paul Makovsky, Editorial Director, Metropolis; Michael Cannell, New York Editor, Dwell; Ruth Altcheck, Senior Editor, Domino; Chip Cordelli, set designer/prop stylist; and Chris Craig, designer and Creative Director of Suite New York – had the task of choosing from a record number of applicants.  The 2008 exhibitor line-up, which includes returning designers as well as several newcomers and companies planning to launch at the show, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Carl Hum, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, said, “We are very proud that BKLYN DESIGNS is one of the leading vehicles for putting the borough’s creative economy on the map. Our exhibitors are making headlines and sales all over the country and around the globe. The overwhelming interest in the show among consumers, the design community and media is directly correlated with the success of our talented designers.”

To accommodate the growing number of exhibitors and off-site programs, the show is expanding to another venue in 2008. In addition to exhibits at St. Ann’s Warehouse and the Smack Mellon Gallery, the second edition of BKLYN DESIGNS +, a curated cash-and-carry market for small design accessories made in Brooklyn, will be in the historic Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park.  This year, BKLYN DESIGNS + applicants will be juried by executives from the Target design team and editors from Domino and New York magazines.  The Brooklyn Chamber has put out a call for BKLYN DESIGNS + exhibitors, and interested designers should visit http://www.bklyndesigns.com/ for an application and deadline information.

This year, BKLYN DESIGNS attendees will be treated to a stimulating series of events, exhibits and panel discussions that will take place throughout the weekend.  This year, the program for the show’s signature Trade Day on Friday, May 11, will feature seminars and a keynote presentation by renowned bent wood designer Sami Hayek.  Mr. Hayek’s work ranges from creating architecture and environments to furniture, product and graphic design. Past speakers have included such industry powerhouses as Enrique Norton, Michael Gabellini, Cameron Sinclair and Vito Acconci.
 
The Brooklyn Chamber is also pleased to announce that The Clarett Group has signed on once again as a key BKLYN DESIGNS sponsor, one of several sponsors returning.  This top-tier real estate developer is currently putting the finishing touches on its Forte condo in the BAM Cultural District and planning a group of modern townhouses to be designed by Rogers Marvel Architects.

For that latest information about the program, exhibitors and tickets, visit http://www.bklyndesigns.com/.

BKLYN DESIGNS™ is sponsored by Target, The Clarett Group, Two Trees Management, Pratt Institute, Benjamin Moore, Con Edison, Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, AIA, ASID and IIDA.   The 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 New York City 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.