Creative Leaders Shaping the Future of Business and Our Cities to Converge at Asia’s Premier Design and Innovation Event, Business of Design Week on 2-7 December 2019

[HONG KONG – 18 September 2019]

Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia’s leading event on design, innovation and brands, will gather outstanding design masters and influential business leaders from around the world in Hong Kong on 2-7 December 2019. In collaboration with its partner country this year – the United Kingdom, one of the world’s greatest cultural nations with a thriving creative sector – BODW will bring together over 70 design and business visionaries to inspire audiences to take note of the latest global innovation trends, and the power of design for transforming businesses and cities of the future.

Coming to its 18th edition, BODW remains Asia’s most significant event on design and innovation in the international calendar. BODW features over 20 events including forums, dialogues and exhibitions, with the BODW summit as an anchor event. The programme aims to foster creative exchange and collaboration between different sectors and disciplines, and across the region among participating economies, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as a centre of design excellence in Asia.

The BODW summit is organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and co-organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor.

Designing the Future, Create Tomorrow

Working with the United Kingdom (UK) as the partner country, BODW 2019 is curated on the theme Design the Future, Create Tomorrow. From fashion to film, architecture to advertising, UK creatives have a well-earned reputation for challenging conventions and embracing the new with professionalism and flair. The UK is also identified by trend forecasters as a key market for new trends to take off globally.

With strong participation from UK creatives and other international experts, the BODW 2019 summit will present a host of forums and panels exploring the latest trends and ideas in branding, communication, product design, digital and technology, spatial design and architecture, culture and city life. Special sessions will be held to offer new insights into ’Creative Mindset & Design Thinking’ and ‘Immersive Live Experience’ – an emerging field of design that invites us to reimagine the line between our physical and digital experiences. The summit provides a mega platform for business and creative leaders to exchange innovative ideas, network, and explore new business opportunities.

Stellar Line-up from Acclaimed International Projects

Keynote speakers at the summit include Chairman of London Design Festival Sir John Sorrell CBE, who has championed the UK’s creative industries for more than 50 years; Thomas Heatherwick OBE, the architectural icon behind New York City’s latest landmark -Vessel, the UK Pavilion at Expo 2010, and Google’s new London and California headquarters now under construction; Patrik Schumacher, Principal of Zaha Hadid Architects, a leading architectural studio of the Morpheus Hotel in Macau and the new Beijing Daxing International Airport, scheduled for opening later this year; Edward Barber OBE and Jay Osgerby OBE, the award-winning creative duo behind the London 2012 Olympic Torch; Morag Myerscough, one of the UK’s most prolific artists/designers whose work is characterised by boldness, strong colours and high levels of energy to captivate users; and legendary typography master and art director Neville Brody RDI, who designs for global blue-chip brands like Samsung, Yamaha, LVMH, GAP, Uniqlo, The Coca-Cola Company, Nike and NIKON.

Other prominent UK figures who will share their insights with a global audience at BODW 2019 are Kate Dawkins, a double British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) winner who designed the 360 degree, stadium-wide ‘audience pixels’ for the London 2012 Olympic ceremonies; Matt Clark, Founder of United Visual Artists (UVA), the collective behind striking installations and live performances for the likes of musicians such as Massive Attack, Jay Z and U2; and VP Customer Experience at Virgin Atlantic Daniel Kerzner, who champions the strategic vision of the airline’s customer experiences in the air and on the ground.

Apart from UK speakers, other top local and international names taking the stage in December include Founding Director of Food New York Dong-Ping Wong, who conceived +POOL, the world’s first, soon-to-be realised water-filtering floating pool in the river; and serial entrepreneur and Founder of CAKE Stefan Ytterborn, who developed the Kalk, a new category of sustainable high-performance electric motorbikes, etc. Prominent local speakers include Michael Young, a Hong Kong-based British industrial designer who works with famous Chinese companies and start-ups like Haier, Zens and CIGA; and acclaimed architect and interior designer André Fu, who redefined the notion of hospitality with his design of the world-renowned Upper House hotel and the new St. Regis Hong Kong hotel, among other speakers.

Stay tuned to the BODW website for the full list of global speakers from a wide range of creative disciplines. For the latest information about this year’s programme and ticketing, please visit www.bodw.com/pr.

Business of Design Week 2019 Event Details:
Date： 2 – 7 December 2019 (Monday – Saturday)
Venue： Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Ticketing： www.bodw.com/pr

BODW Early Bird Tickets now available! Visit the BODW website to get your tickets.

BODW 2019 Concurrent Events

BODW City Programme* – a creative communities activation programme aimed at engaging the public and fostering collaboration with local brands and businesses
DFA Awards Presentation Ceremony* – the most recognised design awards celebrating outstanding designs with Asian perspectives
FASHION ASIA HONG KONG* – a fashion initiative combining conversations, interactions and cultural exchanges to position Hong Kong as an Asian hub for fashion trade and business development
DesignInspire* – an international exhibition for global creative elites, design brands, design associations and institutes to showcase their creativity
BIP Asia Forum* – an annual event bringing IP professionals and business leaders from all over the world to discuss the latest developments in IP
deTour* – an annual creative festival with a variety of programmes featuring innovative designs to inspire creativity
GDN Symposium* – a roundtable discussion and open dialogue organised by a design promotional body and supported by a strong international membership network
M+ Matters Keynote – part of the M+ Matters public talks series featuring key figures from some of the most influential cultural projects of today
Leadership Forum on Design Education* – a forum for global design leaders and educators to share their perspectives on the future of design education

* Sponsored by CreateHK of the HKSAR Government

About Hong Kong Design Centre

Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a non-governmental organisation, and was founded in 2001 as a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being, with the aim of advancing Hong Kong as an international design centre in Asia. Learn more about us at www.hkdesigncentre.org

About Create Hong Kong

Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated agency set up by the HKSAR Government in June 2009. It is under the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and dedicated to spearheading the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community. CreateHK sponsors HKDC to organise BODW and other projects to promote Hong Kong design.

CreateHK’s website: www.createhk.gov.hk.

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