Medellín Design Fair, Latin American design, networking, trends, architecture, interior design
From June 21 to 23, 2024, the Medellín Design Fair held its 12th edition at Plaza Mayor, welcoming 21,150 visitors—including 1,644 international guests from 40 countries—alongside 267 brands and 113 national and international buyers. The event cemented Medellín’s status as a hub for design and architecture in Latin America.
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Over three days, the Medellín Design Fair showcased the city and Colombia as a regional design hub with global impact. Around the world, design fairs and events have become spaces where conversations about innovation and creativity thrive, fostering connections and encouraging collaborative dynamics. In this context, Colombia has emerged as a strategic center, serving as a platform that propels architecture and design throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and bringing the region’s voice to the global stage.
Throughout its 12-year history, the Medellín Design Fair has evolved into a comprehensive platform that connects cutting-edge trends, business opportunities, and inspiration. Founded by Eddy Karmona and Juana Montoya, the fair has become a space where talent, ideas, and trends converge, and where design is seen as a driver of social and economic transformation. The 2025 theme invites us to rethink how spaces and objects impact physical, emotional, and social well-being, integrating principles such as natural light, ergonomics, air quality, and connection with nature into practical solutions for everyday life.
The partnership with Koelnmesse, established in 2021, marked a turning point in the fair’s international reach. Koelnmesse, with over a century of experience and responsible for global events like imm cologne, brought its network and expertise to position Medellín on the world design map. This collaboration attracted new brands, expanded the academic agenda, and elevated the profile of attendees, putting the fair on par with major international industry events. Christian Guarín, Managing Director of Koelnmesse LAC, emphasized: “This platform is born from the heart of the region to engage in dialogue with the world,” highlighting the pride in seeing Medellín establish itself as a creative capital where cultures, ideas, and talents converge in a universal language: purposeful design.
Designing a Multidisciplinary Networking Experience
Attendees took part in experiences and talks, joined satellite events across the city, and participated in an academic program and extended activities in various neighborhoods of Medellín. Among the participants were professionals, brands, and buyers from the Caribbean, Central America, North America, and South America, who visited Plaza Mayor throughout the three days.
A total of 267 top-tier brands exhibited at the trade fair, representing categories such as residential furniture, architecture, interior design, lighting, technology, kitchens, wellness, décor, and outdoor spaces. During the Business Roundtable, 113 national and international buyers from countries including Mexico, Panama, Peru, Chile, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and the United States held more than 720 scheduled meetings, supported by ProColombia to foster ongoing commercial and strategic relationships beyond the fair.
According to organizers, the event’s economic impact reached approximately $14 million, creating opportunities for sectors such as hospitality, gastronomy, transportation, and retail, and strengthening employment in the region. Additionally, communities were built with brands from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Chile, fostering the exchange of experiences and strengthening the regional network.
Nearly three thousand people attended the Perpetual Talks at Bodega Comfama, organized by Universidad EIA, featuring 60 international and national speakers who addressed topics such as hospitality, manufacturing and supply for large projects, sustainability, wellness, and innovation—connecting design with social transformation and economic development.
Gómez Platero Architecture & Urbanism participated in the panel “The City as Opportunity: Design, Economy, and Social Transformation,” held on Thursday, September 18 at 4:50 p.m. in the Green Pavilion, as part of the Talks by Universidad EIA series. Santiago Pérez, Business Development Manager at the firm, and Ricardo Fernández, Business Development Manager for the Americas, joined former minister José M. Restrepo, rector of Universidad EIA, to reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing Medellín—and other Latin American metropolises—in a context of rapid urbanization.
The panel discussed how demographic growth, innovation, and investment are redefining urban structures, in a context where by 2050, 68% of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas, adding 2.5 billion people to cities. This process presents specific challenges for Medellín, where the geography of the Aburrá Valley and demographic dynamics shape densification, connectivity, and the provision of housing, mobility, and services.
The discussion focused on how to guide this urban growth toward sustainable economic development and architecture centered on quality of life, treating territory as a strategic resource and emphasizing the need for comprehensive and adaptive planning. The impact of urban epicenters on territorial competitiveness and the potential of design as a catalyst in underutilized or high-tension environments was also examined.
Additionally, 35 satellite events were held in design studios, universities, galleries, shops, restaurants, and cultural spaces throughout the city, taking the fair beyond the Plaza Mayor pavilions.
Trends in the Colombian Design Market
According to a report by Spherical Designs, the global interior design market is projected to reach $228.01 billion by 2033, growing at a compound annual rate of 5.29% between 2023 and 2033. According to DANE, the cultural and creative economy—which includes design as a key component—has contributed an average of 3% to Colombia’s national added value between 2014 and 2022. The manufacturing industry, closely linked to industrial design, accounts for about 10% of Colombia’s GDP. Colombia stands out in the fairs and exhibitions sector: at Expo Osaka 2025, the Colombia pavilion received 1.3 million visitors and reported $34.6 million in business expectations. The markets showing the greatest interest and purchases of Colombian products include South Korea and China, followed by Japan, Australia, and Malaysia. The departments with the highest levels of international business are Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Cundinamarca, Nariño, and Magdalena.
