IDS was created in Toronto in 1998 by Steven Levy and Shauna Levy. With a combined 25 years of trade and consumer show and design industry experience, the Levys recognized an opportunity in the market for a sophisticated, urban and contemporary design event where both design trade professionals and the public could access and specify the very best in design for the home.

The first Interior Design Show was held in January 1999 with tremendous fanfare and was wildly received by the media, design trade and consumers alike. Attended by 25,000 visitors, it was an unprecedented event in North America that was launched by Wallpaper* Magazine founder, Tyler Brule and featured speakers like The Netherlands’ Droog Design’s Gijs Bakker and American Furniture designer and manufacturer, Holly Hunt. Canada’s leading interior design firms, Cecconi Simone, Del Terrelonge, Gluckstein Design Planning, and Powell & Bonnell each created a 600-square-foot living space reflecting the most current in residential design trends and 275 exhibitors showed the best in design.

In 2001, The Interior Design Show was purchased by Chicago-based Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI), one of the world’s leading trade and consumer show producers, including Neocon Chicago, and Art Chicago. Within its stable of other Canadian properties are IDS WEST (in Vancouver, BC), One of a Kind Shows, IIDEX Neocon Canada and Construct Canada.

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IDS was created in Toronto in 1998 by Steven Levy and Shauna Levy. With a combined 25 years of trade and consumer show and design industry experience, the Levys recognized an opportunity in the market for a sophisticated, urban and contemporary design event where both design trade professionals and the public could access and specify the very best in design for the home.

The first Interior Design Show was held in January 1999 with tremendous fanfare and was wildly received by the media, design... (read more)