40th annual design Showcase takes place in Dublin

450 designers and businesses are getting ready for the 40th annual design Showcase is taking place in Dublin.

The 4 day event gives a platform to 450 Irish designers and exhibitors at the event which opens at the RDS today.

5,000 buyers from Ireland and abroad are due to attend.

The Design and Crafts Council of Ireland has said it is hoped that trade orders worth up to €20m will be placed at this year's exhibition.

The council's Chief Executive Karen Hennessy, has said Showcase puts an emphasis on emerging designers from Ireland: “What you are going to see at Showcase is this vibrancy, this really new innovative design led products, the cutting edge of what’s happening in craft and design in Ireland.

“And what we have at Showcase is what we call an enterprise zone, small craft and design businesses, supported through their local enterprise offices and we have about 22 counties represented at Showcase showing the work of about 97 craft enterprises.”