Fulton Market Design Days (FMDD) is a celebration that brings together a curated selection of brands, designers, and artists who are pushing the boundaries of design and shaping the future of the contract furniture industry. In June 2024, Oetee produced its second annual iteration.
Approaching from the east, one enters the district through the Fulton Market gateway spanning Morgan Street. The Design Days banners cladding the pillars signaled the beginning of the magenta-drenching in Fulton Market. In collaboration with the City of Chicago and the West Central Association, Oetee decked out the streets in magenta bollard covers, wayfinding, and lightpole banners.?
Oetee designed and installed the first-ever Welcome Center, a central information and transportation hub for attendees. Branded shuttle buses ran between River North and Fulton Market, and for a quicker and more adventurous trip, many opted for rickshaw rides sponsored by JSI in collaboration with Chicago PediCab.
Inside the Welcome Center, Oetee built a tension fabric display using FMDD’s signature magenta above the existing bar to create a focal point and display the sponsors’ logos. Tarkett outfitted the space with a sleek gray floor, with layered rugs from J+J Flooring adding texture and softness. Humanscale’s sleek tables and chairs were where attendees relaxed, networked, and planned their routes around the neighborhood.
Oetee designed and built the magenta pergola just outside the Welcome Center. Made by covering a metal frame with silicone edge graphics, the pergola housed a silkscreen printing activation. Brainfreeze Press designed the Design Daisies artwork, and non-profit Spudnik Press contributed equipment and expertise to teach registrants how to make their own posters and t-shirts.
As attendees explored the showrooms, local food and beverage suppliers partnered with FMDD sponsors to offer complimentary products on the street. Pure Green supplied smoothies, Pretty Cool Ice Cream gave out popsicles, J+J Firecakes contributed donuts, and La Colombe Coffee Roasters passed out canned lattes.
On social media, FMDD 2024 was a huge success. The event resulted in over 10,000 attendees and 8,500 registrants. The digital performance had a total of 145,000 impressions which was a massive? increase from 2023. Our website had a total of 73,000 impressions, and social media had 37,000 total impressions. Compared to 2023, our following increased by 434% and our engagement increased by 933%.
By uniting a community of like-minded individuals who share our passion for design, we were able to amplify our impact and create a collective voice that is greater than the sum of its parts. With input from a steering committee, Oetee is developing FMDD 2025 to spark new ideas, foster collaboration, and inspire others to push the boundaries of what is possible. Join us from June 9th to the 11th, 2025!
