Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) announced an all-star line-up of speakers and programmes for Business of Design Week (BODW) 2008, Asia's leading design gathering on innovation, design and brand.
This year BODW has partnered with The Netherlands. Renowned Dutch design masters, including Marcel Wanders, Rem Koolhaas, Winy Maas, Irma Boom, Marlies Dekkers, Hella Jongerius, Mariette Hoitink and Renny Ramakers, will attend BODW between 8 and 13 December at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
"As partner of Business of Design Week 2008 in Hong Kong, we will contribute to further strengthening the position of Chinese and Dutch creative sectors in the world by establishing new international connections. Moreover, we will accentuate China and the Netherlands as attractive places of business for companies, as modern, innovative and creative countries. Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. This is how we look at it with Open Minds!" said Mr. Frank Heemskerk, Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade.
Dutch design icons will be at BODW alongside other top international design masters from across the globe, including Raman Hui, Garson Yu and Michael Young, with representatives from leading brands such as Droog Design, KesselsKramer and Taubman Asia. They will discuss many hot issues happening around the world and cover topics of great importance, such as quake solutions for Sichuan and other disaster torn areas; the development of Hong Kong culture with urban planning for West Kowloon Cultural District Project; and many other exciting discussions on fashion, new media, communication, intellectual property, product and technology as well as the architectural space and environment design.
The week-long event will also feature the HKDC Annual Award Gala Dinner - a glittering event considered the highlight of the week.
"This year BODW has drawn the greatest figures from the global design industry to Hong Kong. As you can see from the line-up, we have an amazing combination of outstanding international and local designers as well as creative personalities who will inspire all of us to open our minds to new possibilities and ways of thinking," said Mr. Victor Lo, Chairman, Hong Kong Design Centre. "It is a rare and wonderful experience to see and hear from any one of these pioneers, but to have so many of them at one event is incredibly exciting as with their wisdom, we will be able to explore the boundaries of design on an international platform," added Mr. Lo.
Now in its seventh year, BODW is one of the most anticipated events on the international calendar and its goal is to encourage institutions to unleash the power of design by focusing on the vital relationship and complex interplay between design and business. It has been acclaimed as "one of the world's most unique and compelling design-related programmes."
BODW attracts more than 50,000 participants and over 100 of the world's most iconic designers, business leaders and educators to share their success stories, exchange ideas, and network in this flagship event that nobody can afford to miss.