Nov 19, 2007

Sustainability: Design for a Better World Returns & Expands for Winter 2008 NYIGF

White Plains, NY – Encouraging sustainability as a business paradigm is the focus of SustainAbility: design for a better world, a special curated exhibit and two-track seminar program to be presented at the 154th semi-annual New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF), February 1-6, 2008, following a resoundingly successful debut in August 2007.

Open to all NYIGF exhibitors, the SustainAbility display will emphasize new materials, as well as old materials used in new and innovative ways. Products selected for inclusion not only will be created from recycled, recyclable, sustainable, and indigenous materials, but also will be selected for inventiveness, newness, aesthetics and functionality. The selection process is currently underway, by exhibit curator, Ilene Shaw of Shaw and Co! Productions. Among companies, and products, already accepted are:

• Design Ideas – Ecotwine collection of bowls woven from misprinted and misaligned scrap sheets of plastic labels for soda bottles, candy wrappers and other discarded materials.
• Green Glass Company – Royal Collection of blue glassware created from reclaimed Bordeaux bottles.
• Josh Jakus – “Winepocket” bottle carrier, made from excess industrial wool felt.
• Mio – Ripple 3D PaperForms, patterned wallpapers and surface coverings made from recycled kraft paper.
• Raintree – Spun Bamboo collection of vases created from an Asian process of twisted bamboo.
• Rock Pond – Living Green Collection of soy candles and diffusers with packaging printed and produced entirely from wind power.
• SiwThai Silk – Water Hyacinth Pillows made from the textile created from water hyacinth, a reed damaging Thailand’s waterways.
• Unison – Flannel blankets and throws made from certified organic cotton.
• Zazou – “Eco-chic” scarves made entirely from sustainable bamboo.

“SustainAbility; design for a better worldtm is an exclusive forum, offering professional exposure for companies who further the well-being of the earth and its inhabitants through conscientious commercial design and activity,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “These carefully selected participants have proven that outstanding ‘green’ design and profitability go hand-in-hand.”

As an extension of the display, two “Guide to Going Green” seminars – one for manufacturers and designers and the other for retailers, will be presented on Monday, February 4, 2008, at the Javits Center. The manufacturer/designer session will be moderated by Metropolis Magazine and the retailer-focused session will be led by GOOD Magazine. Both seminars require payment, with discounts for advance registration. Complete details and registration is available online at nyigf.com/programs.

From 12:00 noon – 1:00pm, “SustainAbility: design for a better worldtm – A Manufacturer’s Guide to Going Green” will address production techniques that are not just efficient, but also essentially waste-free; and how to create products that are made from healthy and safe materials. Susan S. Szenasy, editor of Metropolis Magazine, will lead a panel of “green” designers and producers for a discussion about utilizing diverse and efficient energy sources and encouraging commitment to new paradigms and continuous innovation.

The second session, “SustainAbility: design for a better worldtm – A Retailer’s Guide to Going Green,” from 2:00pm – 3:00pm, will feature Max Schorr, Founding Publisher of GOOD Magazine, and panelists Mark Caserta of 3r Living (Brooklyn, NY) and Paul Donald of Branch (San Francisco, CA). Retailers will be invited to explore the connection between sustainability and profit, how to sell “green” merchandise, and how to adopt sustainability as a business philosophy.

NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift and home accessory marketplace, with 2,700 exhibitors featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware in nine carefully categorized divisions. NYIGF is held concurrently with EX*TRACTS at the Javits Center and Home Textiles Market Week at the Javits Center and Piers, 230 Fifth Avenue and 7 West 34th Street. More than 40,000 buyers from around the world are expected to attend. Additional information and registration is available online at nyigf.com, or by contacting George Little Management, LLC (GLM) at 1-800-272-SHOW (7469), or (603) 665-7524.