Trade shows and consumer fairs have long been venues for showcasing and demonstrating new products and services in design, which is why it's exciting that today's Design Thursday at Huffington falls between The Armory Show, America's leading fine art fair, and the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. Both are located in New York City and owned and managed by Chicago-based Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc (MMPI).
From furniture and lighting to kitchens and baths, the AD Home Design Show boasts a surplus of eye candy, but too much design sugar can leave even the biggest enthusiasts overwhelmed; while the quantity of art at The Armory Show is likewise just as inundating to art lovers. With so much to see in a limited timeframe, the problem persists as to how you easily can whittle down the "fluff" and find the "nitty gritty" of what really strikes your fancy.
Technology, and specifically smart phones, have yet again come to the rescue. MMPI launched a mobile app that serves to assist trade show attendees and enhance their experience. The Armory Show iPhone App served as a mobile companion for the 2011 international art fair, providing attendees with a complete list of exhibitors, artist index, and floor plan, all on the go.
The AD Home Design Show, which is celebrating it's 10th Anniversary, is taking a similar step into the digital sphere. To start, Modenus will be sponsoring an invitation-only "tweetup" at which top design bloggers and other industry professionals will gather to discuss design trends and observations. This event and its popularity with invitees who have all connected through Twitter, reflect the seemingly exponential growth and influence of social media within the design industry.
AD Home Design Show attendees are encouraged to participate and interact, rather than just wander the show floors at leisure. Using the recently launched Showrooms App for iPhone, consumers and designers can navigate the show by way of a digital scavenger hunt, taking pictures of their favorite products at the booths of featured exhibitors and sharing their finds with the community at large in real-time.
"We're excited about this year's Scavenger Hunt, powered by the Showrooms App, at our 10th anniversary event," says Megan Reilly, Director of Marketing for the Architectural Digest Home Design Show. "This mobile solution is a key initiative and will engage attendees in a fun, interactive way, all while putting key information on the best home design products at their fingertips. Even more exciting, this year show attendees will serve as a leading source for original photography and commentary."
Jennifer Rector, Business Development Director for Designer Pages, the company responsible for the Showrooms App, explains the app lends insight into the larger initiative to connect the digital and physical side of product search--both within trade shows and in everyday life. "Clearly the Web dramatically has changed the way both design professionals and enthusiasts consume product information, but given the tactile nature of this discipline, physical showrooms and trade shows will forever remain relevant and necessary."
With so much happening at the AD Home Design Show by way of technology, you'll want to attend in person to be among this frontier within the design industry.