Six Tips for Interior Design Show - IDS Vancouver 2017

 Loading Bay at Vancouver Convention Centre

My followers know how much I love going to IDS, Vancouver Interior Design Show every Fall, browse and report about what struck me most.
You can read my previous articles HERE 

But...this year I was an Exhibitor for the first time so I am going to ramble about my experience on how to set a Booth.
Not having done something similar I did not know what to expect, even though I am used to create interiors, move things around for the best layout, create interest and focal points in a house...well in a 20 x 20 square feet space things are a bit different!
Let's start with the image above, the Loading bay, the secret (to me, until now) place where crates and boxes are entering the trade show space...I did not expect the view of the water, it was beautiful but I blurred it with my exposure so you have to believe me.

I will save you the story of the several months prior, the adventure started in April in Milan at I Saloni, when Jody Phillips and her team came to Rossana Orlandi iconic showroom, met Scarlet Splendour owners and Matteo Cibic, fell in love with the designer creativity and asked him to be a Speaker at the show in September...the rest is history!

Matteo Cibic's ideas for the Booth, rapidly drawn in front of a cappuccino (for me) and a carrot juice (for him) when we met again in Vicenza later on to discuss ideas for the show.

Fast forward...to September

Just arrived at Vancouver Convention Centre for the installation day with my team, wearing my lumber jacket, not aware I had to put on top of it a work vest, definitely not a fashion statement!

The Booth was an island so at the end we decided not to put up any walls, to give visibility from every side to our stunning furnishings and to Cibic's ceramics.
I had a problem deciding about lights, searching everywhere for the perfect ones, but I solved it ordering a central light above and Nancy Bendtsen of Inform Interiors came to my rescue giving me the two beautiful floor lamps Sampei...and the two very comfortable chairs Masters by Kartell.

Our booth was almost ready but it was still installation day with workers putting up the last touches.

Now a few tips if you have never participated in a trade show as exhibitor, learned the hard way:
- Go to trade shows, notice what attracts most people, take notes, take pictures.
- Talk to people you know who had booths in the past, every piece of advice is a treasure.
- Search the web to find suppliers and ideas.
- Ask stores if they could lend you a few pieces to complement the booth.
- Put the most appealing items in a very visible spot to attract the crowd.
- Stay within the budget, even if it is restricted...it is your first show, next time you can go grand!

To be continued...

©2017 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".

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