Asia Pacific’s interior design market is progressively alluring. Furniture, interior and design objects are in high demand for residential, commercial or hospitality projects. Since China is experiencing a period of adjustments, industry players are increasingly adding a new stop in their annual calendar with FIND – Design Fair Asia, a key event of the Singapore Design Week, to explore lucrative market opportunities in Asia. FIND – Global Summit will examine these prospects in depth from September 21-23, 2023.
The high calibre lineup of speakers unites leading voices from over 50 market makers, acclaimed professionals and design studios spanning ten Asian countries as well as France, Italy, UK, Germany, the Netherlands and USA. The class of 2023 will offer deep insights for the attending B2B delegates through 30 over sessions on three full days at Marina Bay Sands. Supported by the industry through associations including Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), Society of Interior Designers (SIDS) amongst others, attending delegates will be able to take advantage of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points that are offered for attending selected seminars.
The Summit is curated by the China editor of Wallpaper* Magazine and creative consultant Yoko Choy, who lets five pillars guide the direction of the content throughout: Regenerative Design; Holistic Hospitality; The Asian Blueprint; The Innovation Era; and Creativity, Commerce and Communication.
“With the resumption of traffic between the East and the West, it’s time to set our sights on the future. Following the resounding success of the inaugural FIND Global Summit in 2022, our goal this year is to further establish Singapore as a hub for innovative and future-proof solutions in the creative industry. By collaborating closely with our local and regional partners, as well as creatives from diverse disciplines worldwide, including both established figures and emerging talents, the summit will foster meaningful conversations around the pressing issues we currently face in the industry,” says Yoko Choy.
Be privy to seminars that evolve around hospitaity spaces in Asia; regenerative design principles for real world projects; the renaissance of workspace; breaking frontiers in manufacturing through technologies, 3D printing and emerging smarter marterials; art in hospitality or how to best position brands in a changing consumer landscape.
Topics that will be high on the agenda are keynote speeches by Ren Yee, Head of Futures at intentional architecture practice UNStudio from the Netherlands; renowned furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue from the Philippines; and Ed Ng of Hong Kong’s AB Concept, one of the most prolific interior designers in the global luxury hospitality sector. Additionally, there will be panel discussions that tackle the questions of growth in retail channels, the SID Convention “Love of Design – Embracing Sustainability » and young emerging Asian design talents that explore the balance between traditional craftsmenship and contemporary technologies.
The session not to be missed is “The Asian Design Dialogue – Mapping the Present and Beyond”. Choy will moderate four speakers – Teo Yang, Artistic Director of the Craft Trend Fair of the Korea Craft & Design Foundation and founder of his eponymous studio; Dawn Lim, Executive Director of the DesignSingapore Council; Danh Tran, Founder and CEO of Vietnam Design Week; and Andika Frestian, Artistic Director of Indonesian Contemporary Art & Design. Together, they will examine the diverse facets of Asia’s creative strength and delve into the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of the region. Ongoing projects will be highlighted, and pressing issues in design and architecture will be discussed. They will also look at how creativity is shaping Asia’s cultural identity and what kind of global impact it will have in the forthcoming years.
Staying in Asia, the panel discussion “Bridging Borders: Asian Designs from Local to Global” will be equally informative and inspiring. You will hear from Japanese industrial designer Kensaku Oshiro and Rutvi Chaudhary from India’s Jaipur Rugs as they highlight how they continue to search for their rightful place on the global stage. One technique: drawing inspiration from their native influences while incorporating a global perspective. In doing so, they are helping to reshape the standards of Asian design and offer a different perspective on the topic.
Tackling the issue of office design in our post-pandemic world, “The Renaissance Of Workspace” will feature Kahn Yoon, Director of International Projects at M Moser Associates, and Jaelle Ang, Co-Founder and CEO of The Great Room. The emergence of hybrid and flexible work models has resulted in an overhaul of the work environment, giving rise to various office typologies, including coworking hubs, remote work setups and smart offices. Both panellists will share about the potential of design to shape the future of work, emphasising collaboration, innovation, and an enhanced overall work experience.
With our avid passion for travel and the thriving hotel industry in Asia, “Envisioning Asian Hospitality: Transcending Experience with Values and Luxury” promises to be yet another highly sought-after session. Weighing in from the design perspective is Hamish Brown, Partner of 1508 London, in addition to two other industry leaders from the Potato Head Family, CEO Ronald Akili, and Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s Vice President of Operations for Japan, Oceania, China & Indonesia Marcel Holman. With the focus in recent years being on creating a holistic experience, it has resulted in design-led social innovation, creating a perpetual ecosystem that elevates the celebration of experiences, embraces social values, and forges indelible memories for visitors from around the globe.
The Italian interior design magazine Interni are hosting two industry masterclasses with the first looking at the Zeitgeist and value of illumination in the construction of contemporary spaces during “Turn on the Light Design” on day 1. The second session is to explore how a product evolves into an iconic one in “Between Modernity and Contemporary – How to Become an Icon” on day 2.
The Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS) will take over the Summit stage on the last morning of the fair. The ticketed SIDS Convention will feature speakers, including Singaporean designer Peter Tay and Lai Siew Hong, the Immediate Past President of the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers. It will consist of a series of presentations and panel discussions centering around the urgent topic of sustainability and exploring innovative ways to create spaces that evoke positive emotions and experiences.
Attendees for the Summit are advised to pre-register and arrive early as seats for the free seminars are limited. The SID Convention requires a separate registration and is chargeable.
The second edition of the FIND – Design Fair Asia is expected to draw more than last year’s 12,000 visitors and will take place at Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 1, Halls A, B and C from 21-23 September 2023. Pre-registration is free until 20 September. On-site, same day entry is available from 21 September at S$39 per person to the B2B event. The last day also offers B2C goers an opportunity to discover unique interiors for their own home spaces.
Register here: https://register.visitcloud.com/survey/3ov19xcvs6rc9
