TORONTO - Samantha S. Sannella, President and CEO of Design Exchange (DX), Canada's National Design centre, along with Tim Gilbert, Chairman of the DX Board and Founder Gilbert's LLP are proud to announce this year's honourees for the 6th Annual DX Black and White Fundraising Gala, to be held on Saturday, October 24, 2009.

2009 Design Excellence Honourees

Research In Motion executives, Todd Wood, VP Industrial Design and Jason Griffin, VP Advanced Ergonomics were chosen as the 2009 honourees by the DX because of their commitment to design excellence.

According to Sannella, "Designing feature-packed smartphones is very complex. The slightest measurement difference affects the feel of the smartphone, its balance and usability. Moreover, BlackBerry(R) is THE leading Canadian brand that is front and centre on the worldwide stage. The RIM Industrial Design team has contributed greatly to its success and this helps to brand Canada as a design-led nation. The DX is honoured to give this year's award for design excellence to the team at RIM."

Previous honourees include DX board member and legendary Canadian architect Eberhard H. Zeidler (2007), and Canadian fashion icons Joseph Mimran and Kimberley Newport-Mimran (2008).

Event Information

As a registered charity and a not-for-profit cultural organization, funds raised at the sixth annual DX Black and White Fundraising Gala is a major contribution to the DX's ability to accomplish its mission to promote the value of design and to support Canadian designers of various disciplines both nationally and abroad. Funds raised at the gala support the preservation of the design centre and museum, its permanent collection and educational programming.

The 2009 theme, "COMMOTION" alludes to the notion that tumultuous times foster creativity, design and innovation.

EVENT INFORMATION

The DX event offers two types of tickets for guests. The VIP dinner is for 220 guests. Mr. Wood and Mr. Griffin will receive their awards of design excellence during the dinner. Individual tickets are $500. The Big Party portion begins at 8:00 pm and continues to 1:00 am. The Kandinsky Effect, a jazz improvisation trio from Paris and local favorite band, KUSH will provide live entertainment. Plans for the evening include an oxygen bar and an award-winning laser show, a raffle and a silent auction.