IIDEX, Canada's largest and oldest trade show for interior designers and architects specialising in the contract market will be folded into the Interior Design Show (IDS) beginning in January 2019.
Informa, the British publishing and exhibition management company said its Global Exhibitions division is undertaking a transformation of both The Building Show (TBS) and IDS to better serve North America's growing design, architecture and construction industries.
Previously IIDEX was part of TBS but will become IDS Contract in January, which Informa said will be a hyper-curated event to showcase the contract sector within architecture and design, and will run simultaneously with IDS Toronto, which focuses on interior design, moving forward.”
The show will continue to be held at the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre.
“Our community has been asking us to diversify and create a comprehensive contract educational component with a section of curated exhibitions as part of the IDS brand. IDS Contract will be modeled around a continued commitment to showcasing Canadian and international design; thought leadership; aspirational installations and innovative programing content from a commercial perspective” says Karen Kang, national director of IDS Canada.
“Incorporating IIDEX into IDS Toronto will create a monumental, all-inclusive design show that will better serve our customers and will be an important resource for the greater design community,” says Tracy Bowie, vice president of IIDEX Canada. “We will focus on all verticals of design including workplace, healthcare, hospitality, retail, education, public space and government, creating a complimentary counterpoint to IDS Toronto.”
With IIDEX joining IDS, Informa is creating space for additional exhibitors and allowing expansion for all the shows within the Building Shows. To replace IIDEX in the North building, TBS will expand with the addition of STONEX Canada, Canada's first event dedicated to the stone, terrazzo, ceramic and tile industries. It will join TBS' current lineup of Construct Canada, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, PM Expo and World of Concrete Pavilion.
“Informa is constantly looking for ways to innovate to ensure we're providing our attendees, exhibitors, sponsors and suppliers the best possible experience,” says Nancy Milani, Informa's vice president of trade expositions. “Adding STONEX, enhancing the educational programming and growing the show floor through onsite activations and demonstrations makes The Buildings Show the number one resource for anyone in the industry.”
The programming change is a part of Informa's strategy for long-term expansion and sustainability to match the growth of multidisciplinary industries – construction, architecture and design. The restructure will give exhibitors the opportunity to create larger-than-life, dynamic and interactive exhibits, previously hindered by space restrictions. The result for both exhibitions will be an immersive, interactive experience for guests that can fully articulate the advances and capabilities of each industry.
The expansion of these two brands joins Informa's growing list of architecture, design, construction events and exhibitions produced by Informa Exhibitions such as the Cityscape Global, Dwell on Design, designjunction, Greenbuild, World of Concrete, Buildex and the AIA Conference.