SHOW & SELL
Ireland’s creative expo Showcase gives our designers the opportunity to show their talents to buyers from all over the world
WITH a track record spanning almost five decades, Showcase 2024 returned to the RDS in Dublin last week. The event featured 400 exhibitors and hosted more than 4,000 visitors from Ireland and overseas over its three days. Ireland’s Creative Expo is one of our largest international trade shows and welcomes thousands of international buyers from the
UK, USA, Europe, Asia and Africa, generating millions in sales orders annually. Showcase is presented by the Design and Crafts Council Ireland, with support from Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices nationwide.
One of Ireland’s largest trade shows, the exhibition is a key destination for domestic and international buyers looking to source Irish goods with a distinctive pedigree.
This year, Showcase highlighted Irish products which celebrate craftsmanship, connection to the maker and unique provenance. The event now has four product categories — home and gift, wellbeing, fashion, and jewellery. Sustainability, responsible retail, targeting independent retailers, and a growing appetite for products with a personal touch are all significant factors in the event’s continued success. The fact that the makers are often selling personally at the event is a major draw, especially for international retailers who love interacting with the creators. This opportunity promotes stories and insights that translate into healthy sales, courtesy of an added dash of Irish charm.
More than 100 of our best up and coming craft and design businesses benefited from the chance to meet with buyers from across the world as part of the Local Enterprise Showcase at the 2024 event. An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices, the Local Enterprise Showcase is a special area at Showcase that houses a range of nascent Irish design talent. Recent participants have included the Limerick fashion designer Aoife McNamara.
One exhibitor who showed with the support of her local LEO this year is Caroline Duffy, an artist and designer from Co Louth, who started her business in 2008 designing fashion prints for big brands and then moved to launch her own label in 2020. Along with her original paintings and prints that are in high demand, she has expanded her offering with a collection of luxury silk kimonos, scarves, dresses and woven throws. Caroline has combined her exuberant floral paintings with her signature feminine uplifting style and her key focus is on the healing power that nature has on mental well-being. At Showcase 2024 Caroline exhibited a collection of silk kimonos, dresses, scarves, art prints and woven blankets. This was Caroline’s second year participating where she saw her kimonos and dresses included as part of the Fashion Event on the opening day.
Showcase is a fantastic opportunity for me to get in front of global buyers,’ she explains. ‘ I’m excited for the chance for me to meet buyers face to face, forge relationships and talk about my brand and new products.’ Caroline also sells on her website, carolineduffydesigns.com. Other brands that showed with the support of LEO included Kyna Maree Fashion Accessories (kynamaree.com), Bon + Berg underwear (bonandberg.com) and Wendy Louise Millinery (wendylouisedesigns.ie).
Showcase was founded in 1976 by Design and Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) and has evolved dramatically since that first event. In 2023, Showcase generated more than
€25 million in sales orders. While Showcase celebrates and supports Irish craft and design, with the physical event it now also has a digital interface via its platform and app where buyers can search and browse exhibitors and products by categories and location. It is the perfect fusion of traditional skills melded with modern technology.