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The term Scandinavian design emerged in the 1950s to describe design from the Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is a design movement characterized by simplicity, minimalism and functionality. The Lunning Prize, awarded to outstanding Scandinavian designers between 1951 and 1970, was instrumental in both making Scandinavian design a recognized commodity, and in defining the profile of Scandinavian design. Since 2006, the tradition of a pan-Nordic design award has been resumed with the Forum AID Award. The idea that beautiful and functional everyday objects should not only be affordable to the wealthy, but to all, is a core theme in the development of modernism and functionalism. This is probably most completely realized in post-WWII Scandinavian design. The ideological background was the emergence of a particular Scandinavian form of social democracy in the 1950s, as well as the increased availability of new low-cost materials and methods for

The second year of the Inspire trade expo was a great success, once again proving that there is a growing need for this B2B platform. This year again raised the bar with never seen before initiatives, showing that it is vital to have new exciting channels of engagement for visitors, regardless of market sector. The new interactive areas included the following: LEADIN © - This program was an advanced and innovative way in which the expo managed to link exhibitors with buyers by setting up valued networking opportunities. Having researched many methods and best practices from around the world we knew we had something quite different, which more importantly was highly beneficial to both parties. The responses and outcomes were great and we will certainly be expanding on this initiative. INRETAIL © - this was Innovation in retail, like never before seen in Africa, with technologies hot off the press from around the world, this hi-tech store of the future showcased leading edge

As with many trends, as soon as something becomes popular or is in demand many individuals and companies will quickly jump on the bandwagon to try and make a quick buck. Up-cycled furniture and decor has been a trend for sometime now, and due to its   Positive impact on the environment, will continue to gain momentum as more people appreciate the uniqueness of these products and the story that every genuine piece tells. There will always be something intriguing about an old item that is converted into another completely different, yet functional item. In some instances multiple items are combined transforming them into a functional piece of art, rather than a generic mass produced item that lack these "story telling “qualities. These up-cycled pieces, often take a painstakingly long time to create and require a fair amount of finishing for them to be truly functional as well as practical. Many people will look at the finished article thinking that they could easily cr