How Decorex Africa is being reimagined in 2022
Prominent décor, design and lifestyle exhibition Decorex Africa is being relaunched with a new brand identity, location and enhanced virtual features.
Lucky Look Chair by @meeco_studio. Source: Supplied
Taking place in Johannesburg and Cape Town this year, Decorex Africa is transforming into a hybrid marketplace and growth accelerator.
Says Carol Weaving, RX Africa’s managing director: “The business will invest significantly in its virtual infrastructure, evolving into a truly hybrid offering encompassing world-class online marketplace, editorial platforms and media services that serve the growth of the African design and decor industry and drive client growth 365 days a year.”
Shaking up the physical iteration of the expo, this year, for the first time, Decorex Joburg and 100% Design South Africa will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre – the heart of Johannesburg’s economic hub. According to the organisers, this move to a "world-class, technologically-advanced and centrally-located venue reflects Decorex Africa’s vision for the future and will ensure unmatched accessibility for design lovers from across Gauteng, and further afield".
The Cape Town event will remain at the CTICC.
100% Design, curated themes
Sitting alongside one another, yet remaining distinct in their respective offerings, 100% Design South Africa and Decorex will amplify each other’s reach and relevance in 2022. This shift is designed to improve ROI ratings for exhibitors, enhance the visitors’ experience, and also offer opportunities to network, collaborate and build new relationships between designers.
100% Design South Africa is the country’s largest exhibition of contemporary design in Africa and showcases furniture and product design, as well as art, literature and craft. As Africa’s only international design show, 100% Design South Africa attracts thousands of buyers from across the continent, and as far away as France, Hong Kong, Italy, the UAE, UK, USA, New Zealand and Brazil.
Both curated shows, managed by RX Africa, will feature innovations in homeware, architecture and lifestyle products for the residential, commercial, hospitality and office sector.
A series of new features with curation at its core and guided by key insights will also be launched. Each addresses a specific need, desire, gap or opportunity, including Campus, Unorthodox, Shop Decorex, Future Present, Circular Lab and Material Futures.
Source: Supplied
Brand refresh
Decorex Africa also relaunches this year with a refreshed brand identity. "To evolve the Decorex brand identity in a manner that pays homage to its legacy, while leading it into the future, a new design system had to be created to allow room for play and evolution, while envisioning the identity as a sum of its parts as opposed to individual elements," RX Africa said. See more here.
Platforms for connection
In 2022, Decorex Africa is launching Summits in Johannesburg and Cape Town as platforms for sharing and connection to serve the local design community. Hosted over one day in each city, and running concurrently with the shows, these Summits will feature a lineup of African and international designers who will be invited to share their perspectives on the ways in which we can reimagine the world.
With the world gradually entering a post-pandemic era, celebrating imagination is more important than ever. Trading in world-class products, designers, brands and ideas, Decorex Africa is proud to also trade in inspiration. The new way forward is phygital, combining digital and physical iterations, with neither more important than the other.
Time for change
After two years of immense and impactful change for Decorex Africa, it was essential to place imagination at the core of events that aim to envision a better future through design, the event organisers said.
“Having been an anchor to the design industry for 29 years, now is the time for change. Decorex Africa has been reimagined, and we seek to inspire the industry to do the same, by challenging the status quo and developing new business opportunities with new hybrid approaches that take the industry to the next level,” commented Sian Cullingworth, business development, RX Africa
Decorex Africa and 100% Design South Africa are on at the CTICC from 16 to 19 June 2022 and at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg from 28 to 31 July 2022.
