Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary, Ireland's major craft and design artists will be showing off their wares for their annual trade exhibition called 'Showcase' at the RDS in Dublin from tomorrow.
Originally known as the National Craft Fair, organisers are expecting 4,000 buyers from 20 countries to attend the fair, and people from the sector are getting ready for a busy few days in the hope of obtaining some lucrative contracts.
The crafts and design sector is strong in Ireland, Mary Palmer, Chair of "Showcase" told RTÉ News, explaining that "last year's 'Showcase' brought in contracts worth €25 million which was hugely valuable".
This is a platform for "everything from smaller makers who might have one or two people working for them, in a workshop out the back garden, to large scale industries, and I think that's the beauty of the sector," Ms Palmer added.
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Colm De Rís has a workshop based in the IDA Business park in Clonshaugh, Dublin.
Last year his pottery work caught the eye of the buyers from the hugely successful American shopping channel QVC, and this week his team is working against the clock to fulfil an order from them.
"They have given me very sizeable orders," Mr De Ris said, explaining that "the one that we working on at the moment - the boxes that we are packing with my pottery designs, will fill a forty foot container that is heading to the US next week."
Mr De Rís first started making pottery when he was just seven years of age and after years of working in the sector, he is now relishing this opportunity to promote his work on a bigger stage.
"I'll be flying to America, I'll be doing the TV show, I'll be on-air, and hopefully it will sell out and then I'll get a wait list order. So there's huge potential within that order, and also the exposure across the USA is incredible as well," he said.
For Ms Palmer, 'Showcase' offers people the opportunity to meet each other and learn, and through panel discussions and information sessions, the makers can look forward to developing their businesses.
"We have about 53,000 people working in the sector," she said, adding that staff numbers grew by 7% since 2020.
With creations including ceramics, glass, jewellery and fabrics on offer, organisers are hoping the 50th anniversary 'Showcase' will see even more local and international contracts coming through.
"This is not just celebrating the 50 years that we've had," says Ms Palmer, "but looking forward to the next 50".
