The second annual event, scheduled for May 19 to 21, is on hold after organizers failed to attract enough participants.
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View full sizeMarlin Yoder and Allen Kuhns set up for the downtown Cleveland furniture fair in July 2010. The first fair drew 34 exhibitors who filled 80 booths. The second fair was recently postponed, due to fewer commitments from furniture makers and designers.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The second annual downtown Cleveland furniture fair has been postponed, dealing a blow to proponents of a design district along Euclid Avenue.
The event, scheduled for May 19 to 21, is on hold after organizers failed to attract enough participants.
Now representatives of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Institute of Art are mulling the future of the event, meant to spotlight local designers and craftsmen while showing them the potential of a downtown address.
"We're clearly experimenting to see what works and trying to find a time and a message that works for everybody," said Edward "Ned" Hill, dean of CSU's urban affairs college. "It's a setback, but there are two ways to look at it. It's either a setback, or a process. The important thing is that we work with the companies and see what meets their needs."
The first fair, in July 2010, featured 34 exhibitors and 80 sold-out booths. Roughly 400 people attended the two-day event.
This year, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance -- a nonprofit group that represents property owners -- planned the event for May in hopes of attracting more art institute students and better suiting members of the Hardwood Furniture Guild, a trade group that is based in Holmes County and represents many Amish producers.
Yet by late April, the alliance had only 15 confirmed exhibitors, plus verbal commitments from a few other businesses.
"We wanted to be sensitive to our sponsors," said Joe Marinucci, the alliance's chief executive officer. "We wanted everyone to have a good experience, including those who were contributing financially. It was better to postpone and re-evaluate, rather than being under-exhibited."
The furniture fair was part of an effort to attract designers and consumer product companies to 24 blocks of downtown Cleveland. Centered on PlayhouseSquare, this District of Design could feature showrooms, design studios and stores selling housewares -- and would complement broader plans to revive retail along Euclid Avenue.
But the district has been slow to materialize, amid a housing bust and a recession that hampered retailers and hammered the furniture industry.
Hill said the fair lost several exhibitors to hectic schedules. And, he added, some Amish craftsmen were concerned about the amount of modern furniture in the show.
"The furniture guild challenged us to find more ways to help them expand their lines," he said. "We were encouraging them to try different styles, and that might have sent some of the folks the impression that we aren't interested in traditional furniture -- which is not true."
A representative of the Hardwood Furniture Guild did not respond to requests for comment.
Norwalk Furniture, an upscale furniture maker based in Huron County, was too busy with other events and a traveling trunk show to commit to this year's fair.
Reyna Moore, the company's marketing director, applauded the concept of bringing Ohio manufacturers together and said the fair's location -- the historic Halle Building -- was fantastic.
But Norwalk saw little consumer traffic from the 2010 show.
"I'm not sure if I got a good return, either, on the investment that we made," she said. "Although it was very reasonable, I have to say."
Marinucci said the alliance and its partners are considering whether the fair could occur in the fall, or whether the event should happen every other year.
"The furniture fair was a unique opportunity, one that we collectively wanted to explore," he said. "And, to be frank, even at the end of the day if we feel it's not something we want to explore, we don't feel badly about taking the risk to bring new industry downtown and explore new retail opportunities that are out of the box."