DINING BY DESIGN to Showcase New Lineup of Elaborate Installations to Raise Funds for HIV/AIDS Organizations
DIFFA’S Annual Fundraiser Celebrates 10th Year Co-located with Architectural Digest Design Show March 21-25, Pier 92, NYC
DINING BY DESIGN (DBD), the design industry’s most illustrious fundraiser to fight HIV/AIDS, will return to Pier 92 in New York City on March 21-25, 2019. Hosted by DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA), the annual event gathers local and international brands and designers to create a showcase of extraordinary dining vignettes and to raise awareness for a worthy cause. DBD raises nearly one million dollars annually and hosts thousands of designers, notable guests and avid supporters. 2019 marks the event’s 10th year of co-location with the Architectural Digest Design Show and DIFFA’s 35th anniversary. Attendees can access both DBD and the AD Show with a single ticket purchase.
“In 2018 DIFFA granted over $1 million to hundreds of organizations across the country that provide treatment and services to individuals living with HIV/AIDS,” said Dawn Roberson, Executive at DIFFA. “Our ability to provide these grants is due to the significant support we receive from the design industry each year at events around the country like DINING BY DESIGN. This year, we hope to raise even more for this worthy cause. We look forward to seeing what each brand will bring to the table and we’re excited to welcome new and returning participants!”
DINING BY DESIGN 2019 will bring together over 40,000 guests to experience an array of dining installations by more than 30 designers, architects, manufacturers and brands. Participants will transform a raw space into an immersive exhibit representing a unique concept and brands from across the industry will feature their latest products and designs in their installations for thousands of event-goers to view and dine in. Designers include: Black Designs + Artists Guild, Sheila Bridges, Mikel Welch, Stacy Garcia, Damour Drake, Kingston Design Connection, Joshua David Home, Inc. Architecture, Lucinda Loya. Patrick Mele for Benjamin Moore, Roric Tobin for Modern Luxury and David Scott Interiors for Roche Bobois, and Stonehill Taylor for Ultrafabrics.
Open to the public from Thursday to Sunday afternoon, the show invites attendees to discover inspiration from top design professionals while supporting an important cause. Two celebrations which bookend the show. On Thursday, March 21, Cocktails by Design will kick off DBD with treats from a selection of New York’s best restaurants and drinks sponsored and provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The event will close with the DINING BY DESIGN Gala dinner on Monday, March 25.
“While we’re getting better at preventing and treating HIV, there’s still work to be done to wipe this awful disease off the map,” says Cindy Allen, DIFFA Board Chair and Interior Design’s Editor-in-Chief. “DIFFA’s DINING BY DESIGN is the design community’s call to action and of course, we respond in style. Every year, top talent designers from around the world create lavish installations that astound, inspire, and most importantly, raise money for HIV/AIDS-affected communities in need. What DINING BY DESIGN shows us over its five-day run is that together we can all make a DIFFA-rence!”
DINING BY DESIGN is co-located with the generous support of the Mart. Featured brands currently include:
Diamond Sponsors: Benjamin Moore designed by Patrick Mele, Gensler+Knoll+EvensonBest and Ultrafabrics designed by Stonehill Taylor; Platinum Sponsors: Herman Miller and Roche Bobois; Studio TK/Tarkett/Huntsman; Gold Sponsors: Rockwell Group and Roric Tobin Designs for Modern Luxury; Walker Ridge Construction; Tito’s Handmade Vodka; Novità Communications; Champion Sponsor: Design Within Reach; Industry Sponsor: New York Design Center; Media Sponsors: Interior Design and Architectural Digest; Media Partners: Manhattan Magazine and Downtown Magazine. Student Design Initiative Schools: New York School of Interior Design, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute and School of Visual Arts.
In addition to the design installations, DINING BY DESIGN will feature a silent auction, complete with innovative products, original artwork and unique experiences. Tickets and table sponsorships are now available. For information on auction sponsorships, please contact swilliams@diffa.org.
For more information about DINING BY DESIGN visit diffa.org. Tickets are available here.
Previews of 2019 Tables:
“It’s been 35 years since the discovery of the AIDS virus in 1984. Since that time we have seen a tremendous increase in awareness, education, activism, and enhanced treatments, but we still have a journey ahead.
“Our room celebrates how far we have come, and examines how much more there is to do.
“The space has been split in two. One side recognizes all that we have accomplished the past 35 years. Through use of paste ups, the space is clad in posters and graphics that have increased awareness of the cause since 1984.
“The other side represents the future. It’s 2054, 35 years into the future. Here we have a blank slate. Projected on the blank slate are a various imagery that represents what the future can be. What will the next 35 years entail? Will we finally have a cure for AIDS? Located in the center of the space is our dining
table and chairs, clad in mirror. The table represents the present. By reflecting the past in the present, we can better understand how we can get to our ideal future.”
About DIFFA:
DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS raises awareness and grants funds to organizations that fight HIV/AIDS by providing treatment and direct care services for people living with or impacted by the disease, offering preventative education programs targeted to populations at risk of infection, or supporting public policy initiatives. DIFFA is one of the largest funders of HIV/AIDS service and education programs in the United States, mobilizing the immense resources and creativity of the design community. Since its founding in 1984, DIFFA has emerged from a grassroots organization into a national foundation based in New York City with chapters and community partners across the country that, working together, have provided more than $44 million to hundreds of HIV/AIDS organizations nationwide. www.diffa.org.
About DINING BY DESIGN:
DINING BY DESIGN is DIFFA’s marquee event showcasing designers, manufacturers and creative individuals who bring their vision and passion to the table. Running from March 21 – 25, 2019, in conjunction with the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 92, DINING BY DESIGN features an array of dining installations on display for five days, and includes exclusive special events. All event proceeds goes toward DIFFA’s work to fight HIV/AIDS and to raise awareness that the fight against HIV/AIDS is not over and demonstrate the power we have to combat this disease.
