modernism week

Nearly 100,000 Attend Modernism Week 2017

Modernism Show & Sale also enjoys attendance increase from last year.

Site Staff Modernism

modernism week
Nearly 100,000 people flocked to Palm Springs to see architecture like the Kaufman house during Modernism Week 2017.
PHOTO BY ERIN PETERS

Attendance at February’s Modernism Week increased by 25 percent over a year ago with an estimated 97,000 attendees, according to event officials.

Celebrating midcentury modern design, architecture, art, and culture in Palm Springs, the 11-day festival generated an estimated $35.5 million in revenue for area hotels, shops, restaurants, and other local businesses from Palm Springs to Indian Wells and beyond. In addition, $1.3 million of the proceeds generated by ticket sales from this year’s event went directly back to community neighborhoods and partner organizations — a new record for Modernism Week.

This reflects an estimated 26 percent increase over the amount generated for these organizations last year. In addition, CAMP, Modernism Week’s ‘Community and Meeting Place’ and headquarters for tours and events, saw more than 25,000 visitors throughout the festival.

“We are thrilled that Modernism Week offered expanded opportunities for visitors and residents to learn about our community and enjoy Palm Springs and other desert communities,” said J. Chris Mobley, Modernism Week Board Chairman. “The worldwide publicity that the event generates continues to help brand the entire Coachella Valley as a Mecca for Modernism and architecture, which has a year-round influence on the valley’s tourism and international stature.”

Attendees for the annual event came from all across the globe. In additional to many Southern California visitors, the event was popular with attendees from the Pacific Northwest, Chicago, New York, and Florida. Internationally, attendees visited from Canada, England, Germany, France, Australia and many more locations.

The popular Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale also saw increased numbers. More than 10,100 participants attended the popular sale at the Palm Springs Convention Center, up 25 percent from the previous year. This figure does not include the more than 1,250 guests who attended the show’s opening night party Feb. 17. “The 2017 Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale was by far the most well-attended of the Palm Springs shows in our company’s history,” said Rosemary Krieger, president of Dolphin Promotions. “Our exhibitors reported increased sales and their enthusiasm for the increased traffic was amazing.”

Modernism Week celebrates and fosters appreciation of midcentury architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in Palm Springs and the surrounding Coachella Valley.

Highlighting this dedication to education, this year more than thirty lectures and films spotlighting famed architects, landscape designers, historians, design experts and authors were presented to attendees. Additional Modernism Week educational programs included several West Coast film premiers, and panels about architectural preservation and renovation.

Later this year, Modernism Week will offer its annual Fall Preview October 20-22. Tickets go on sale at noon (PST) Aug. 1. The 2018 Modernism Week is set for February 15-25 with tickets going on sale at noon (PST) Nov. 1).

Visit modernismweek.com for more information.