Role: Production Lead
Client: IKEA/Ingka Group, on behalf of Superflux
Location: Javits Center, New York
The Brief
In 2024, Ingka Group (IKEA) partnered with design futures studio Superflux to create an exhibition that would serve as a centerpiece for New York Climate Week 2024—showcasing real-world climate solutions implemented by businesses and communities today. The exhibition needed to be modular, reconfigurable for use at future expos, and built from sustainable materials. Partnering with Ingka and Superflux’s incredible team of designers, builders and artists, I worked as the Production Lead to bring this project to life.
Our Response
Superflux designed a novel modular island system—six interconnected structures built from FSC-certified timber that could be reconfigured for different spaces and future use. Rather than a traditional linear exhibition, the team created an archipelago that visitors could explore from multiple entry points, with each island focusing on different aspects of climate action, titled How We Eat, Power, Grow, Move, Make, and Finance our future.
My Role as Production Lead
I managed this project through initial client meetings with IKEA leadership to its final installation and documentation. This included overseeing the complete project budget and schedule, acting as first point of contact for client communications, navigating complex international customs procedures for diverse materials, coordinating with Javits Center operations, and managing a distributed team across multiple time zones, including partners at the World Economic Forum and Project Drawdown. I sourced and recruited local New York talent for the build, developed comprehensive contracts for all vendors and contractors, supervised the hands-on installation, and managed crew logistics and welfare throughout the production period.
Project Success
The exhibition was visited by over 2,000 leaders from across business, government, and the climate sector. We successfully designed and delivered a fully circular exhibition that embodied the sustainable principles it was showcasing—proving that ambitious climate messaging could be matched with equally ambitious production methods. The project received accolades from the public and IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin, who supported the exhibition’s reinstallation and reconfiguration in subsequent venues.
Throughout the process, I demonstrated the ability to manage complex international productions under tight deadlines, while maintaining sustainability principles and delivering client satisfaction at the executive level.
Planning an ambitious installation?
Let’s talk. I have over 15 years of exhibition-making experience and a passion for impact-driven projects! You can message me here.
