Thursday, 25th of April 2019 - Beirut, Lebanon: Under the auspices and with the support of the Lebanese Ministry of Environment, and in collaboration with Beirut Waterfront Development (BWD), Gata Events & Promotions s.a.r.l, will be inaugurating the 7th edition of the much anticipated Designer's Week at 4 p.m. on Wednesday May 1st, 2019 at Zaitunay Bay. The official opening ceremony will be attended by His Excellency the Minister of Environment Mr. Fadi Jreissati, Gata's General Manager Mrs. Sandra Ghattas, and representatives of BWD in addition to several dignitaries.
This year, Designer's week is kicking off with Labor Day, and comes as such to celebrate the talent, resilience and dedication of the participating designers, especially women and mothers who constitute around 95% of the exhibitors. The event's expected to attract more than 50,000 visitors while featuring around 100 emerging and established designers, some of whom are launching their brands and collections for the first time in categories such as fashion, jewelry, furniture, home accessories, bags, shoes, beachwear and accessories among others. Moreover, this year's edition is adopting a green mission supported by the Ministry of Environment, whereby Gata has committed to raising environmental awareness by exclusively resorting to Green marketing channels to promote the event in addition to making recyclable shopping bags available in every stand during the exhibition. The organizers have also encouraged local designers, among participants and non-participants, to start reducing their environmental footprint by designing environmentally-friendly products. Furthermore, leading social media influencers have been solicited to endorse the event and its green mission by making a stop at Designer's Week to show their support to the environmental cause, encourage designers to adopt greener techniques and material, as well as to pick out their favorite pieces.
Designer's Week aims at supporting emerging design talents as well as small and medium-sized enterprises by providing them with a professional platform to showcase their creativity and launch their new brands. Since its launch in 2013, the event has earned the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Beirut and Mount Lebanon's Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, and the Municipality of Beirut, which contributed to its staggering success and massive media coverage. Designer's Week has turned into a remarkable success story and an annual rendezvous that has attracted more than 250,000 visitors, tourists and foreign residents so far, in addition to introducing more than 350 up-and-coming Lebanese designers, craftsmen and SMEs across design categories, paving their way towards local, regional and international fame.
Over the past six years, Designer's Week has also gained great importance by fostering touristic, commercial and economic activities, and successfully contributing to the promotion of local creative talents and the industrial sector. With a diverse line-up of exhibits and a busy program, the event is a real tourist magnet, especially that it enjoys a unique location on Zaitunay Bay's lower promenade, which helps attract thousands of visitors, all eager to discover new trends, stroll down the bay, and enjoy the sunny weather at one of the charming outdoor restaurants and cafés.
Designer's Week will be welcoming visitors from May 1st till 4th, 2019 between 3 pm and 10 pm at Zaitunay Bay's lower promenade.