Boston, MA – The 12-day citywide festival, Boston Design Week, returned for its fourth year March 29 – April 9, 2017 and was a resounding success. Seventy-three participants offered 8o+ events throughout the course of the festival with over 20% of events selling out, and more than 12,000 people attending events. Non-profit partners, product designers, technology designers, design showrooms, family organizations, urban planners, interiors designers, and the City of Boston itself put on events. Mayor Martin J. Walsh designated March 29 – April 9 as “Boston Design Week” with a mayoral proclamation. The Fifth Annual festival will take place April 4 – 15, 2018.

Boston Design Week launched March 29 with four Kick-Off Events; Room & Board, a Bronze Sponsor put on a panel on the importance of finding an authentic voice in social media, while FBN Construction, a Silver Sponsor took guests through steps to avoid the building and remodeling nightmare. In Fort Point, Artists for Humanity held an “Open Studios” and the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, also a Bronze Sponsor, held their annual Contractor of the Year Awards at the Clarke Showroom in Milford.

Events took place in thirteen neighborhoods of Boston including an open house for Imagine Boston 2030 at the Bolling Building in Roxbury, an interactive architectural design day for kids at the Boston Society of Architects in the Seaport, and a special B/A/D talk on new homes in historic settings presented by Kochman Reidt + Haigh at North Bennet Street School. Fourteen towns in the Greater Boston area also put on events such as the WOW® World of Wearable Art exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and a number of exhibits at the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton.

Continuum and Neoscape, both at the Innovation and Design Building hosted intriguing futuristic events with Continuum welcoming David Rose to speak on the future of AI and what it means for cities such as Boston, and Neoscape inviting guests to get hands on with virtual reality by designing their own experience. The Boston Design Center, a Bronze Sponsor had a full day showcase of events on everything from kitchen design to women in the construction industry.

Boston Design Week received over 115 media mentions with advertising in fourteen regional and national publications, including support from twelve Media Sponsors. Four thousand copies of the Boston Design Week Guidebook were printed and a digital copy will remain online at www.BostonDesignWeek.com until next year’s festival.

The 10th Anniversary AD20/21 Show served as the culminating event of Boston Design Week. The Gala Preview on Thursday April 6 celebrated Boston Design Week and benefited Design Museum Boston. Around 400 partners, sponsors, patrons and guests attended. The 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to noted decorative arts curator and current Fuller Craft Museum director Jonathan Leo Fairbanks. Forty-six exhibitors offered a fine selection of modern to contemporary furnishings, decorative arts, jewelry, fine arts and prints, and home décor. The final programs of Boston Design Week were held at the show including a special demonstration and book signing from former Chief White House Floral Designer Laura Dowling. Next year’s AD20/21 Show will take place April 12-15, 2018.

The Boston Design Week community will be exploring, playing, learning, and designing all year long. Those interested can sign up for the newsletter at BostonDesignWeek.com and follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The Fifth Annual Festival will be held April 4 – 15, 2018.