HIGH POINT, NC — The International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) announce that, since the inception of its Innovation+Design (I+D) competition in 2020, the event has grown and has received an all-time record high number of entries for the 2024 juried competition and exhibition. This year’s exhibit will showcase the finalists’ entries at the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, 311 S. Hamilton, High Point, from April 4-17, in conjunction with Spring High Point Market. The winners will be announced at the Meet the Designers reception on Saturday, April 13.

“It is exciting to see how the Innovation+Design event has grown over the past five years,” stated David Blair, executive director of ISFD, in an interview. “The record number of entries that we received this year from both professional and student designer-makers is a testament to the value that this event provides the woodworking industry. This year alone we had an 18% overall increase over last year in the number of submissions from both professionals and students and we are seeing submissions from many new designers. In addition, the quality of the submissions this year is remarkably creative, making winning the competition even more notable.”

Blair added, “It seems that this year’s entrants heeded the advice of professional designer-maker and past winner, Jeremy Kamiya, when he shared that I+D is, hands down, the most valuable design competition he knows of.” Kamiya also said that “For your work to be known, it must be seen. ISFD’s commitment to connecting designer-makers to the furniture/design world is outstanding and the value of the I+D competition is unparalleled. It is the best dollar-for-dollar investment a designer-maker can make.”

It is an excellent opportunity for designers, makers, artisans, and students to gain career-launching industry exposure as they express their creativity and imagination with novel designs of executable home furnishings.

Professional and student finalists receive a certificate of merit and may enter the designer-maker or student category of the 2024 ISFD Pinnacle Awards at no charge. Category winners receive $250, and the Best of Show winner receives $1000. All winners receive five hours of free manufacturing time in the Congdon Yards Generator to work on any project of their choice. 

“Thank you to all who entered this year. I cannot wait to see which ones the judges select for the finalists and winners. It will be a tough decision but one that the artists can be proud of winning,” Blair concluded.