DIFFA » Blog Archive » DIFFA’s 21st Annual DINING BY DESIGN Raises $700K+ Toward its Grant-making Efforts

Last week, DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS hosted its signature fundraiser DINING BY DESIGN raising more than $700,000 toward its grant-making efforts to HIV/AIDS organizations nationwide. The 2018 event brought together over 40,000 guests to experience an array of themed dining installations by more than 30 designers, architects, manufacturers, and brands. Participants had two days to transform a 30,000 square foot space into an immersive installation, infusing bold colors, eye-catching materials and powerful messaging into their individual dining vignettes.

The displays set the stage for a public viewing from Thursday through Sunday afternoon, as well as two celebrations which bookended the show. On Thursday, the opening night Cocktail party hosted 1,200 guests for a party among the installations with gourmet food samples from top NYC restaurants and Johnnie Walker, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Casamigos Tequila sponsored libations. Nearly 500 guests joined DIFFA on Monday evening for the Gala Dinner to wine and dine inside each of the installations.

Cindy Allen, DIFFA’s Board Chair and Editor In Chief of Interior Design Magazine, remarks, “DINING BY DESIGN is a joyful celebration bringing together the design community to spread love and bring hope to so many in need. This extraordinary event gathers today’s most creative design visionaries, who bring their talent and passion to the table, and doing what we do best: eating, designing, and making a DIFFA-rence! I continue to be truly inspired by our community’s generosity and dedication, year after year…we are all ‘One’ for DIFFA!”

See below for photos and video of the one-of-a-kind installations

Gensler, Knoll, Evenson Best