Aug 5, 2009

Sustainable Tradeshow Exhibit to Be Completely Constructed From Discarded Materials

White Plains, NY — Armed with only a hammer, a Japanese ryoba saw, a carpenter’s ruler, and his sketchbook, design entrepreneur Joey Roth will arrive at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center a few days before the summer edition of the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) with a singular, sustainable mission. As one of the 2,900 exhibitors in the semi-annual wholesale market, he needs decorated exhibit space to showcase his home accessories products. Inspired by the chance to upcycle the show’s waste stream, he plans to create his booth solely from discarded materials found on site during the two-day set-up period prior to the show opening on Sunday, August 16.

At design shows around the world, copious amounts of packaging and other waste are discarded as exhibitors build their booths. Shipping pallets, cardboard boxes, and flooring are left in the aisles of the trade show floor, to be thrown away before the start of each show. Seeing the potential beauty of worn, splintered plywood and imperfect carpet off-cuts, Roth has decided to repurpose these castoffs to build his booth at the summer 2009 NYIGF.

“This is my first attempt to assemble a booth on the spot with materials headed to the garbage heap, but it should be a thrilling design challenge,” said Roth. “The best part, of course, is that waste will be re-framed as building blocks for a functional, and possibly beautiful, space.”

“Both purposeful and visionary, Joey’s designs pay homage to the future,” said Dorothy Belshaw, GLM senior vice president and NYIGF director. “It will be exciting to see how he connects the need for a functional booth design with environmental considerations.”

Roth first participated in NYIGF during the winter 2009 edition, selected for the “A+™: The Young Designer’s Platform”, an “incubator” exhibit area within Accent on Design®. Showcasing a mix of recent design school graduates and seasoned professionals launching new businesses, the semi-annual A+ exhibit provides a market for the introduction of new, innovative, and design-focused gift and home products. It was there that Roth launched his first product, a modern teapot called Sorapot. He has recently started production on two new designs; teacups to complement Sorapot, and a speaker system made from teak, porcelain, and cork. Both will be on display for the first time at his booth, #3733, within Accent on Design.

Accent on Design, one of eight NYIGF divisions, is a dynamic juried collection of nearly 200 contemporary and innovative products across all gift and home categories. The division marks its 25th anniversary during the summer 2009 market, August 16-20, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,900 exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 30,000 attendees from all 50 states and around the world are expected. For information and registration, visitwww.nyigf.com.