New Leadership Team Announced for ICFF + Wanteddesign Manhattan

Furniture World News Desk on 12/1/2022

Emerald, the parent company of ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan a leading developer of dynamic live events and integrated market platforms, announces two leadership changes within their Design Group. Kevin Gaffney has been promoted to Group Vice President of Emerald’s Design Group, and co-founders of WantedDesign, Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, will now assume the roles of Brand Directors for ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan.

Kevin Gaffney boasts 25 years of experience managing the planning and execution of over 60 trade shows. He has held leadership roles with Emerald, including for the Boutique Design NY (BDNY) and HD Expo shows, and is responsible for managing the teams that oversee all day-to-day operation of the trade shows under his purview, working to ensure the business needs of show partners, attendees and exhibitors are met.

Over the past two years, Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat have successfully grown WantedDesign Manhattan at the Javits Center. In their new roles as Brand Directors, they will continue to manage WantedDesign Manhattan while also enhancing the overall ICFF show experience through the curation of a strong selection of exhibitors, programming, and specially designed spaces for 2023. They will work closely with Kevin Gaffney and the current team to ensure the events are the design fair that brands need and an essential destination during NYCxDESIGN. This role was previously held by Phil Robinson who has left Emerald for a new position.

“By tapping into the expertise and resources Kevin, Claire and Odile bring to these shows, Emerald is continuing to support the success of ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan,” states Gannon Brousseau, Executive Vice President, Emerald. “Combined, this team brings a wider audience of national and international brands to New York to position ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan as the leading design fair in North America.”

“We are honored to take on this new role and responsibility and know that our expertise and relationships within the design community will be a huge advantage to the future of these shows. We thank Phil for his trust over the last 3 years for allowing us to take on this new challenge,” states Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, Brand Directors, ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan.

“I am eager to work more closely with both Claire and Odile to enrich these design shows and better serve the design industry. Since we began working with WantedDesign in 2019, I have been inspired by their creativity and knowledge. I look forward to 2023 and building on the audience growth we saw in 2022,” said Kevin Gaffney, Group Vice President, Design Group of Emerald.

The ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan press preview event will take place on January 26, 2023 at a location soon to be announced. Dates for ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan are set for May 21-23, 2023.

For more information, please visit icff.com.

About ICFF
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) is North America’s leading global platform for contemporary furnishing design.  With its emphasis on original and sustainable design, the ICFF presents exhibitors of furniture, lighting, seating, carpet and flooring, wallcoverings, outdoor furniture, materials, kitchen and bath, and accessories to an audience of architects, interior designers, retailers, distributors, developers, and press. ICFF is owned by Emerald.

About WantedDesign Manhattan
WantedDesign is a platform dedicated to fostering the international creative community at large throughout the year and is a constant and staunch supporter of emerging design in the U.S. Launched in New York City in 2011 by Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, WantedDesign Manhattan has quickly become the destination for discovering new talent around the world and the place to engage with a diverse professional network and initiate new collaborations. WantedDesign Manhattan began its partnership with ICFF in 2019. 
www.wanteddesignnyc.com / www.wanteddesignmanhattan.com

About Emerald
Emerald is a leader in building dynamic, market-driven business-to-business platforms that integrate live events with a broad array of industry insights, digital tools, and data-focused solutions to create uniquely rich experiences. As true partners, we at Emerald strive to build our customers’ businesses by creating opportunities that inspire, amaze, and deliver breakthrough results. With over 140 events each year, our teams are creators and connectors who are thoroughly immersed in the industries we serve and committed to supporting the communities in which we operate.  For more information, visit www.emeraldx.com.