Contract Magazine - April/May 2020 - 20

SHOW DIRECTOR'S LETTER

ICFF Is Here
for You

On March 16, we made the difficult decision to cancel ICFF 2020. Actually, I say "difficult," but now that
I reflect on it several weeks later, the decision to cancel was not a hard one. New York City, New York State,
and national emergency decrees, the WHO's declaration of a global pandemic on March 11, and multiple travel
restrictions-whether imposed by governments or individual companies-coupled with our commitment
to maintaining the health and safety of our community, made the decision for us. What was difficult then,
and still is today, however, is comprehending the reality of our decision and the resulting impact
on the ICFF and its manufacturers and specifiers.
Fast-forward to mid-April as this letter is written, and I'm left to contemplate the void of what for the ICFF
team is typically crunch time: the last six weeks when the fair comes together. It's an especially intense period
that includes last-minute exhibitor sign-ups and assisting exhibitors with operational matters such as shipping
and the ordering of electrical services. Too, there's tweaking the audience development campaign, counseling
exhibitors on how to market their participation, managing conference speakers, finalizing special events,
producing the show guide, and much more.
As I consider it further, here's a list of the top 10 things I'll miss from now until May 20, 2020:
1 Reviewing stand designs both for adherence to ICFF display guidelines and to offer exhibitors cost-saving ideas.
(Prior to March 16, Pablo, Qeeboo, VG+P, and Pinch had submitted dazzling new exhibit designs for ICFF 2020!)
2 Launching the ICFF/WantedDesign Manhattan colocation. The WantedDesign move to the Javits Center
was set to bring 200 emerging resources to the market, all presented in a unique floor plan. Consider 2020
planning a helpful trial run.
3 The inspiration of the ICFF Design School exhibits, which help tell us where the next generation of product
design is headed.
4 Discussions with attendees about not allowing baby strollers on the trade fair floor. (No, I will not miss that.)
5 Receiving product images from exhibitors, and oohing and ahhing over new furniture, lighting, flooring, and
wallcovering designs, in many instances supporting first-time manufacturer-product designer collaborations.
6 Working with ICFF Studio participants. The education and evolution of each Studio "class" are always special. We've
already agreed with ICFF Studio sponsor Bernhardt Design to invite back all 13 of the 2020 winners to ICFF 2021.
7 Mediating disputes between exhibitors and union labor over work rules. (Nope. Won't miss this one either.)
8 Watching the ICFF special-feature exhibits come to life. The 2020 lineup from Claesson Koivisto Rune (CKR),
Float Studio, and Universal Design Studio was stellar. We look forward to picking up with each firm and its sponsors
in a few months' time for ICFF 2021.
9 The excitement of Opening Day. Overnight, that huge trade fair floor mess is magically transformed!
10 Seeing the ICFF community come together for four days in May to renew friendships, make new connections,
and build business relationships.
While we won't see each other this May, please know we deeply value the community's ongoing loyalty
to the ICFF, and look forward to seeing you in May 2021, and hopefully before then. In the interim, we are
developing different ways to bring suppliers and buyers together, both formally and informally. Formally, look
for new digital products and webinars from the ICFF focused on product launches and product designers.
Informally, if you have a need, whether you are an architect looking to identify a resource, or a manufacturer
looking to connect with a distributor or retailer, don't hesitate to contact me directly at phil.robinson@icff.com
and our team will do its best to personally assist. We are here to help!
Best regards.
Phil Robinson
ICFF Show Director

contractdesign.com

APRI L | MAY 2020

http://www.contractdesign.com

Contract Magazine - April/May 2020

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