Showcase 2023, Ireland’s Creative Expo and Awards, opens Sunday 22 January.
Last year some 300 Irish designers, manufacturers and craftspeople generated more than €20m worth of sales orders during Showcase 2022. And for the upcoming Showcase 2023, all bets are on a similar success.
Showcase returns to the RDS, Dublin from Sunday, 22 January to Tuesday, 24 January with more than 365 exhibitors and more than 3,000 visitors from Ireland and overseas expected to attend.
“For many, this is their first trade show of the year, a chance to launch their new collections and secure orders for the year ahead”
The expo was founded in 1976 by Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and is delivered with support from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices.
Thousands of buyers from 24 countries across four continents attended in person, and many more visited through the digital platform Showcase Connect.
Unique identity
“Showcase marks one of the most important events in the design and crafts sector’s calendar,” said Mary Palmer, chair of Showcase.
“For many, this is their first trade show of the year, a chance to launch their new collections and secure orders for the year ahead. Attracting buyers from Ireland and around the world, Showcase’s strength lies in its unique identity and high-quality display of Irish design and crafts.”
Showcase 2023 will see a continuation of successful features launched at Showcase 2022 including the Talks Stage hosting industry talks and panel discussions; and The Edit, a curated selection of exquisite products exhibited at the show. The annual Showcase Awards will take place on Sunday 22nd January, and on Tuesday 24th, the Design & Crafts Council Ireland Academy will be launched.
“Showcase is a hugely important date in the calendar for our international retail buyers and a significant annual event for Enterprise Ireland as it provides a platform for our clients to reach their export ambitions,” said Teri Smith, Department Manager Retail Consumer & Online at Enterprise Ireland.
“Irish craft and design companies are consistently bringing forward new products and this event offers them the opportunity to launch their products on a global stage – meeting, engaging with, and presenting to international buyers in person.”
Launched in 2022, Showcase Connect, the online platform listing exhibitors and products enabling buyers to browse, connect and book meetings with exhibitors online or at the show has become even more useful. This year it includes an interactive floorplan tool to enhance the onsite experience.
Showcase is an annual destination for retail buyers from Ireland and more than 20 other countries, including the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia and Mainland Europe, all keen to see the very latest designs from Ireland’s top brands and craft producers.
“The Local Enterprise Showcase area gives small craft and design businesses a terrific opportunity to promote themselves in a highly professional and quality environment, in which they will be exposed to buyers from across the world,” said Oisin Geoghegan at Local Enterprise Offices.
“We have been working closely with our over 100 clients on sales techniques, marketing and merchandising their stands to ensure they maximise these three days and no doubt it will be a fantastic event.”
The fair is an international launch pad for the Irish designers, manufacturers and craftspeople who unveil their new season collections across fashion, health & wellbeing, jewellery, home and giftware. Each year, a particular emphasis is placed on new products to market, providing retailers with opportunities to discover and stock up on the latest design-led products, many of which are unique to the show.
“The Irish craft and design sector plays an integral role in our culture and crucially, in our economy too,” said Dara Calleary, TD, Minister of State for Trade Promotion and Digital Transformation. “I’m looking forward to seeing the unique designs and creations from this year’s makers and wish them the best of luck with trading during the expo.”
Dara Calleary T.D. Minister of State for Trade Promotion and Digital Transformation and Teri Smith, Department Manager of Retail, Consumer and Online, Enterprise Ireland with models showcasing the latest in Irish design.
