BODW business of design week 2015 conference speakers announced

BODW business of design week 2015 conference speakers announced

now in its 14th year, the BODW business of design week brings together the world’s most outstanding design masters and influential business figures to hong kong. organized by the hong kong design centre (HKDC) and supported by create hong kong, the annual event aims to stimulate the regional audience on creative thinking and design management, and to provide a valuable platform for idea exchange and business cooperation.

on the occasion of 2015, asia’s leading annual event on design, innovation and brands introduces the partner city initiative. barcelona has been named the inaugural BODW partner city, selected because of its standing as a global metropolis recognized for its creativity and rich artistic heritage, and development towards communities that are driven by smart design. 

edmund lee, executive director of BODW on barcelona as partner city: ‘we are absolutely delighted to welcome barcelona to BODW 2015 as our first ever partner city. partnering with a city rather than a country puts our focus squarely on this year’s programme embrace of community and culture. design in barcelona is both community-driven and forward-thinking, but never at the cost of the city’s rich traditions. hong kong and barcelona both value the power of design in creating business and societal values. it is a timely juncture to explore how good design contributes to cities of the future. we are excited to explore new possibilities and expand our horizon. we also look forward to working closely with our community collaborators PMQ, partners, and our stellar line-up of world-class speakers sharing their insights and project experience from hong kong, barcelona and from around the world.’

‘dwellings in toulouse’ by mateo arquitectura

the partner city co-operation will see many spanish creatives from a multitude of disciplines — from design, architecture and urbanism, to gastronomy and sports — take to the BODW conference stage from november 30th to december 12th, 2015. among these are:

dr. jordi faulí, lead architect on the working on antonio gaudì’s famous basilica, the sagrada familia; martí guixé, CEO & designer of concepts and ideas for commercial purposes; javier mariscal, art director, pluridisciplinary designer and artist and founder of estudio mariscal; josep lluís mateo, principal at mateo arquitectura; jaume plensa, artist and founder of plensa studio barcelona; benedetta tagliabue, co-founder & CEO of miralles tagliabue EMBT, and the enric miralles foundation. they will bring forth their expertise and diverse approaches to creativity, sharing their experience and personal snapshots of barcelona’s affluent modern heritage.

‘santa caterina market’ in barcelona, spain by benedetta tagliabue / EMBT
photo © roland halbe

newly appointed councillor of barcelona, mr. agustí colom, comments on the partner city initiative: ‘for barcelona, it’s a great honour and challenge to be the first partner city of the BODW. it is also an occasion to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between both cities. we understand design as a strategic tool with significant social and economic impact, helping make our companies more competitive, increasing the sustainability of our neighbourhoods and improving citizens’ quality of life and well-being.’

‘mist’, 2014 by jaume plensa
stainless steel
525 x 531 x 425 cm
photo by jonty wilde

apart from barcelona, BODW 2015 is hosting a line-up of international speakers from different fields. these include: charles adler, co-founder & former head of design at kickstarter.com; iwan baan, architectural photographer (the netherlands); jeanne gang, founder & principal of studio gang architects; thomas heatherwick, founder and principal of heatherwick studio (united kingdom); toshiyuki inoko, founder of artist collaborative teamLab (japan); ross lovegrove, industrial designer; kjetil trædal thorsen, partner, founder & architect at snøhetta (norway); among a slew of others.

interiors and graphics for the H&M store in barcelona by estudio mariscal

BODW 2015 is set to bring forth a week of exhibitions, international forums and outreach activities tailored to provide designers, business leaders and educators; while promoting creativity and strengthening ties between the design and commerce communities.

you can register and purchase your tickets for the 2015 BODW conference here.

‘learning hub’ at nanyang technological university (NTU) by heatherwick studio

‘diatom’ chair by ross lovegrove for moroso

since 2002, the hong kong design centre has been organizing the business of design week (BODW) – asia’s leading annual event on design innovation and brands. BODW brings together some of the world’s most outstanding design masters and influential business figures to discuss and share their views on creative thinking and design management from their varied cultural and social perspectives, providing a valuable platform for individuals to network, exchange ideas and explore potential working partnerships. the 2015 edition of BODW introduces the partner city initiative, inviting barcelona as the inaugural affiliate. this sees a number of barcelona creative talents — from the fields of design, architecture, urbanism, gastronomy and sport — take to the stage to discuss the cultural capital’s community-driven design approach and rich artistic heritage.