(Editor: Leona) ICFF reported that up to 12 emerging design professionals have a chance to showcase their work for thousands of manufacturers, retailers and the media at the 27th annual ICFF in New York this May. In its 10th year, the ICFF Studio, a collaboration between Bernhardt Design and ICFF®, is a juried design competition, which encourages undiscovered designers to submit their prototypes for consideration by established industry professionals.

Studio has been a career catylyst for a number of past participants, including Brad Ascalon, Viable London, Chris Adamick and Nolen Niu. In addition, numerous publications have featured work presented at ICFF Studio, including Business Week, Fast Company, ID, Metropolis, The New York Times, Surface and Wallpaper.

To enter the competition, a designer must have a working prototype that is not in commercial production. Entries are judged on design aesthetics, ability to be economically mass produced, marketability and commercial viability. Selected winners will receive a space on the ICFF show floor created by New York design studio Truck.

“It has been exciting to see so many past participants go forward from ICFF Studio and create wonderful careers in the design industry,” said Jerry Helling, president of Bernhardt Design. “When we started the program 10 years ago, we envisioned that this would be a platform for young designers to meet manufacturers and have their work produced. It was a nice surprise that their opportunities were even more varied, as some of them started their own successful manufacturing companies, sold their work to retailers and received a great deal of international recognition.”

About ICFF®: ICFF® is the premier North American showcase for contemporary interior furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles, kitchen and bath and fabricators, attracting more than 600 exhibitors and 31,000 attendees from around the world. The 27th annual ICFF is scheduled for May 16-19, 2015, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.