Modernism Week 2019 has broken attendance records again, attracting an estimated 152,000 attendees or an increase of 20 percent over 2018.
Attendees participated in more than 375 events throughout the festival. Celebrating midcentury modern design, architecture, art, and culture in Palm Springs, the 11-day festival generated an estimated economic impact of $57 million for area hotels, shops, restaurants, and other local businesses from Palm Springs to Indian Wells and beyond. In addition, CAMP, Modernism Week’s ‘Community and Meeting Place’ and headquarters for tours and events, experienced more than 38,000 visitors throughout the festival, a 20 percent increase from the year before.
“Modernism Week continues to offer our attendees opportunities to learn about midcentury modern design, architecture and culture and about Palm Springs and other desert communities,” said William Kopelk, Modernism Week board chairman. “Our expanded range of programing continues to emphasize preservation and education and also offer fun and unique experiences through tours, parties and other activities.”
The worldwide publicity that the event generates continues to help brand the entire Coachella Valley as a mecca for preservation, modernism and architecture, which has a year-round influence on the valley’s tourism and international stature,” he adds.
Modernism Week attendees came from all 50 United States and the District of Columbia, with California accounting for the majority of attendees (54 percent). Modernism Week attendees came from 445 of 482 cities in California, or 92 percent of all Californian cities. Locally, the Coachella Valley represented 33 percent of tickets sold in California. In addition to many California visitors, the event was popular with attendees from Washington, Illinois, Oregon, and New York. Attendees came from all across the globe with 25 countries represented (a new record) including Canada, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and many more.
The Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale also saw increased numbers. More than 14,250 participants attended the popular sale at the Palm Springs Convention Center, up 25 percent from the previous year. Attendees were eager to view and purchase furniture, decorative and fine arts representing all design movements of the 20th century from more than 90 premier national and international dealers.
“The 2019 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 record-breaking number of significant exhibitors reported increased sales and their enthusiasm for the increased traffic was amazing. The returning Modern Design Expo added an additional 40 exhibitors and attendees enjoyed browsing the modern decorative solutions that these exhibitors offered.”
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 85 lectures and films spotlighting famed architects, landscape designers, historians, design experts and authors were presented to attendees, including the sold-out Modernism Week keynote presentation by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie, a series of programing highlighting the achievements of legendary interior designer Arthur Elrod, a photography exhibition showcasing the garden and landscape designs by Dan Kiley, a symposium about architect Paul Rudolph, a theatrical production called “The Princes of Kings Road,” and the return of the Architecture Design Art Film series, curated by the American Documentary Film Festival.
Modernism Week once again offered attendees the opportunity to participate in home tours, parties, and architectural excursions in Palm Springs and outside of the immediate area including Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs and Indian Wells.
Later this year, Modernism Week will offer its annual Fall Preview from Oct. 17-20, (tickets go on sale Aug. 1 at noon PST) and will stage the 2020 Modernism Week event from February 13-23, 2020 (tickets on sale Nov. 1 at noon PST).
For more information about future Modernism Week events, visit modernismweek.com.