Working in the retail design and construction industry, I find IIDEX to be a phenomenal platform to meet new suppliers and discover emerging trends in the business. At this year's IIDEX, there was a noticeable focus on bright colours and innovative materials. Astley Gilbert, the printing company, produced my favourite booth of the show by creating a unique "instagrammable" space that showcased their colourful large-scale printing. Think Lightweight, a manufacturer in the industry, piqued my interest with their inventive materials. The company produces engineered lightweight wood panels that can be used in place of solid heavy woods, thus reducing cost and allowing for limitless applications. By creating a hollow, honeycomb core, their material's strength to weight ratio can exceed that of solid materials, resulting in a strong, cost-effective, and consistent solution to many design and construction problems. You can take a look at previous year's trends by checking out my recaps of IIDEX 2016 and IIDEX 2015.
Canon Creator Lab: Studio Nine
Over the weekend, the Canon Creator Lab and The Creator Class hosted Studio Nine, an experiential art playground at Free Space. This interactive museum featured installations by nine Canadian female photographers with the goal of inspiring young women to explore the world of visual storytelling. Canon, along with the selected photographers Neva Wireko, Gemma Warren, Rosanna Peng, Zhamak Fullad, Billie Chiasson, Maya Fuhr, Dani Reynolds, Sylvia Jade and Chantelle Silva, created a unique experience where guests were encouraged to rent a camera and roam the museum with the hopes of capturing their own moments. Studio Nine was by far one of the coolest photography experiences I've ever had - what photographer wouldn't love a studio with nine different professionally lit sets? I can't wait to see what the Canon Creator Lab does next.
