Tourism & Hospitality | Friday 28 September, 2018 3:44 pm |

• The region’s leading design trade fair, Downtown Design will take place from 13-16 November

• With more than 175 exhibitors, this year’s edition will be the largest to date, expanding in size by 20% following the fair’s rapid growth over the last few years

• New this year is Downtown Editions; a curated section within the fair, dedicated to bespoke and limited-edition design from all over the world, with a spotlight on the region

• International experts will share their insight as keynote speakers at The Forum

• Design weeks from the region will bring some of the best talent to be showcased at Downtown Design

• Downtown Design is the commercial centrepiece of Dubai Design Week, the region’s largest creative festival

Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, Downtown Design returns for its sixth edition from 13-16 November, 2018.

Taking place in its custom-built exhibition space on the d3 Waterfront again this year, in partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), the 2018 edition will present a selection of established and emerging exhibitors, comprising over 175 brands, including 40 regional designers.

This November, Downtown Design will be introducing Downtown Editions; a new and curated section within the fair, showcasing limited-edition and bespoke design by individual studios, brands and designers from the Middle East and beyond, for industry and public visitors alike to discover and commission.

Rue Kothari, Fair Director at Downtown Design, says: “Our sixth edition is the most ambitious to date with more than 65 new brands, the inaugural showcase of Downtown Editions and large-scale installations, debuting at the fair. Delivering a unique experience, award-winning architects H+A have master-planned the fair around the theme of ‘Liveable Cities’; new fair features will include bespoke café concepts, a pop-up retail destination, indoor landscapes and activations on the waterfront terrace. This new blueprint coupled with a fresh creative direction will mark a new phase of growth and success for the fair.”

An annual meeting point in one of the world’s most progressive cities and a key event of Dubai Design Week, Downtown Design is the leading platform in the Middle East for the region’s trade professionals and design enthusiasts to discover contemporary design from established global brands as well as regional design talent; this year the fair will unite design weeks from across the region, including Amman, Beirut and Casablanca, bringing some of the Middle East’s brightest design talent to Dubai.