These are the Top Design Shows You Need to Know About in Australia
One of the perks of being an interior designer is that staying up-to-date on the latest trends, materials, and makers is a vital component to your job. So finding new inspiration at the country’s top design shows is just part of the gig! Here are the most essential industry events in Australia that no member of the design community should miss.
As one of Australia’s biggest and most established design shows, Décor + Design has been attracting interior designers and other members of the trade since 2004. The Melbourne mainstay is co-located with the Australian International Furniture Fair, the country’s largest furniture buying and networking event. It brings together a whopping 350+ exhibitors showcasing the latest in furniture, lighting, soft furnishings, housewares, and art.
In recent years, keynote speakers have included international industry superstars like Martyn Lawrence Bullard and husband-and-wife duo Cortney and Robert Novogratz.
Other standout programs include VIVID, a long-running design competition that has kick started the careers of many up-and-coming Aussie designers, and the International Seminar Series, which is run in partnership with Australian House & Garden.
“How can design shape life?” That’s the complex question Melbourne Design Week will be posing to the design community over 11 days in 2020.
The forward-thinking series of events is meant to provoke thought and discussion amongst designers on the trade’s most pressing issues. Programming will be organized into five thematic pillars: Healthy Cities, Design Cultures, Waterfront, the War on Waste, and Design Evolution.
Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria serves as the hub for the staggering 200-some events, but there are exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, and tours at venues located throughout the city.
Boasting more than 12,000 square meters of exhibition space, Denfair Melbourne is one of Australia’s largest and most popular design shows. Stroll the booths to stay up on the latest trends in residential and commercial design, including innovations in furniture, lighting, textiles, wall and floor coverings, lifestyle products, and workspace design.
Denfair is restricted to professional designers, architects and other trade insiders for the first two days, then open to design lovers from the general public for the final one.
Every year, there’s a great mix of established and emerging Aussie design talent like Anaca Studio, Lost Profile, James Howe, and MinaMina by Nancy Ji — plus more exhibitors from around the globe.
This year, the show took a look at how our home and work lives intersect with the “Life Work” theme. In 2020, you can expect a similarly thoughtful theme when Denfair hosts its 6th annual event at the Melbourne Convention
and Exhibition Centre.
Leading experts from Australia and the design community at large converge in Sydney every year at this festival, which is curated and produced by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS).
This year, the festival explored how the industry can broaden the world of interiors and make good design more accessible to all with the theme “Accessing Design.”
By collaborating with over 100 partners, the festival puts on 138 events over 10 days, offering a diverse mix of exhibitions, talks, tours, workshops, podcasts, installations, and symposiums. Expect next year to be even bigger.