At the end of January, more than 30,000 people gathered in Toronto for a week-long celebration of design. The 2011 Toronto International Design Festival included exhibits, symposia, discussions, fairs, and parties at 23 locations throughout the city, including events at Harbourfront Centre, an AAO member. "Crowdsourcing Creativity and Community" brought together ten leading thinkers for a day-long symposium on tapping into the talent of a crowd, while "Designers in the Classroom" paired professionals and students to create projects together.
We got in touch with Rachel Gotlieb, TIDF Symposium Director, for a behind-the-scenes look at the festival.
Katherine Stalker (AAO): For background, how many people attended? Were they mostly from Toronto? Were they mostly designers?
Rachel Gotlieb (TIDF): Over 50,000 people attended the Interior Design Show and many of them also went to the Toronto International Design Festival's offsite exhibits scattered around the city. The opening night attendance was 5,100, and Trade Day was 10,500. The weekend is mostly attended by the public and the attendance was 33,500.
KS: This is the second year of the Toronto International Design Festival. What was the impetus to expand programming around the Interior Design Show and create TIDF?
RG: We founded TIDF in 2009 to create more momentum for design in Toronto specifically during IDS. We recognize that the more events that take place, the greater the impact that design will have in the city and internationally. We recognize that TIDF has the potential to be the next Design Miami or London Design Festival.
KS: TIDF draws in many partners. What is the process for being included in the festival? Do organizations present their programs for selection, or is there an organizing body that creates programs then finds appropriate hosts?
RG: Offsite events contact us directly to let us know what they are planning and we make sure that their event is included in the TIDF guide and website.
KS: 23 locations, 7 days, local AND international topics, architecture AND design, debates, discussions, exhibits, fairs, symposiums, parties… How did you handle the logistics?
RG: We are a small but dedicated staff so we are used to the frenzy that builds up leading to and taking place during IDS and TIDF. We have been gearing up for it all year so we are excited when IDS and TIDF finally open.
KS: How did you decide on the symposium topic “Conversations in Design: Crowdsourcing Creativity and Community?” Could you provide a brief summary of the symposium- what were the main take-aways?
RG: The symposium theme last year focused on World without Oil, hence issues related to sustainability. I picked crowdsourcing and open source for this year’s symposium because it is such a hot topic. The symposium presented 11 thinkers who discussed how crowdsourcing and open source impacted their practice. We had architects, industrial designers, artists, and ad executives come from around the world. They shared their ideas, successes, and failures. I think most of the audience walked away feeling inspired and ready to embrace new media when they work.
KS: Did you run into any unexpected challenges or surprises?
RG: Certainly one unexpected challenge was the weather. At one point, none of the speakers for the symposium who were coming in from New York City were going to be able fly out because of a snow storm and I thought we were going to have to cancel the event. In the end, we lost only one speaker due to bad weather. For the free spot, we spontaneously decided to crowdsource a new talk from the audience and we ended up hearing three great five-minute presentations. They were unexpected and entertaining.
KS: What would you say is the key to running a successful festival?
RG: The key to running a successful festival is to stay current, be inclusive, and pay attention to the small details as well as the big picture.