Meet Seoul Design Fair in 2012

Curtain falls on Seoul Design Fair 2010

The 21-day design festival has come to a close. The “Seoul Design Fair 2010,” held under the theme “Design for Everyone,” took place from Sept. 17 to Oct. 7 in the city’s four design clusters: the Jamsil Sports Stadium, Mapo and Hongdae, Guro Digital Complex, Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park.

This year’s festival highlighted a wider range of programs than ever before, while the design market enjoyed greater sales. Both developments served to help invigorate the design industry, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said.

Seoul Design Market boosts sales by about 300 million won

This year’s fair recorded an unprecedented number of participants from the areas of business, universities and designers. About 243 companies and brands took part in this year’s event, representing a 53 percent jump in participants compared to a year ago.

The “Seoul International Design Competition” this year received 2,475 applicants, a two-fold increase compared to last year, while the “University Research Exhibition” attracted the participation of 47 universities from all over the world, 22 more schools than last year.

Another development in this year’s program was the boost in the market-style exhibition, allowing for the active sales and purchases of featured works. The market-style exhibitions – “Seoul Design Market,” “Domestic-Foreign Design Industrial Exhibition,” and “Green Garden Panorama” – recorded an average daily revenue of 20 million won, a 280 percent surge from a year ago.

The “Seoul Design Market,” in particular, achieved about 300 million won in sales, more than a two-fold increase from a year ago. Such achievement is “significant” considering the products sold cost less than 10,000 won, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said.

Along with the shopping opportunities, the “Design Seoul International Conference” provided the opportunity to exchange and explore such subject matters as economics, sharing, and future between the 15 guest speakers and the 926 audience members. Diverse discussion topics, including “Future Design Trends,” “Social Responsibilities of Design,” and “Rediscovery of East Asian Design,” all served as an invaluable platform for insight for the public audience. Some of the major speakers of the conference were Chris Luebkeman from the United States, Stefano Giovannoni from Italy, and Kim Suk-chul from Korea.

Seoul Design Fair to take place biannually

Exhibitions featuring Korean and Asian designs also enjoyed popularity. The “Korea-China-Japan Lifestyle Exhibition” introduced designs for vacant spaces, small dining tables, and books under the theme “Conversation Space of a Family.” The miniature model of Namdaemun by Shin Eung-soo garnered serious interest from foreign visitors, organizers noted.

The educational and hands-on approach programs, including the “design dream tree” class and the idea imagination experience booth, were popular with families with young children. The “Imaginary Children’s Garden,” a permanent venue established in an annexed sports stadium, also elicited an ecstatic response because it features an exercise facility and rides that can be enjoyed by both parents and children alike.

With the knowledge that public awareness of Seoul Design Fair has grown, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has decided to hold the Seoul Design Fair as a biannual event. The government said the next fair would take place at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Park, to be completed in 2012.

source:Korea.net