London Design Fair Founder Jimmy MacDonald Joins Ribbon as Fairs Liaison Director

SAN FRANCISCO, May 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ribbon announced that Jimmy MacDonald has been appointed as Global Fairs Liaison Director. In his new role, MacDonald will take the lead in developing new revenue opportunities for trade shows with the hybrid e-commerce platform.

"Trade shows are still struggling with new expectations in the wake of the pandemic," explains Ribbon CEO Vinit Patil. "With his strong background in both e-commerce and managing fairs, Jimmy is well placed to guide show directors on adopting new blended models that not only add revenue, but serve their exhibitors in a much bigger way." 

MacDonald, a seasoned fairs executive and founder of the London Design Fair, brings decades of industry knowledge and a pioneering spirit to the e-commerce platform as it continues to expand into international trade shows in retail, art and apparel. As Founding Director of Design Fair Asia, MacDonald has a track record of spearheading globally significant high design events. MacDonald is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and was listed as one of The Evening Standard and Citibank's "1,000 Most Influential Londoners".

"I was seeking a transactional e-commerce platform to enable exhibitor sales for my next launch, a must for any new or current fair, " Jimmy MacDonald explains. "In frustration, I had actually started considering building my own until I discovered Ribbon, which goes even further than I imagined. Launching a fair was exciting but making all fairs transactional was a challenge I couldn't turn down."

Ribbon is partnered with trade fairs owned by trade show groups including International Market Centers and Angus Montgomery Arts, as well as independents like the Florida Swimwear Association. The platform surpassed $100M in transactions since launching with various fairs last year, and will be announcing new partnerships with fairs and showrooms in home, gift, art and apparel in the coming months.

About Ribbon: Ribbon, a San Francisco based tech company, offers a turn-key SaaS platform for powering specialized B2B marketplaces and hybrid trade shows. Ribbon has revolutionized trade shows in industries that traditionally only relied on in-person business by supporting face to face events with a complementary fully transactional e-commerce platform for exhibitors.

Media Contact:
Kat Sperber
Corporate Communications Manager, Ribbon
[email protected]
510-517-6639

SOURCE Ribbon