Paving a Design and Innovation-Driven Path Forward to a Sustainable Future with France

Italy announced as Partner Country for BODW 2025

HONG KONG, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Business of Design Week 2024 (BODW 2024), Asia's premier international annual event on design, innovation and brands concluded on 7 December, 2024. This year, the 'Inter/Section: Design Artistry and Innovation' themed Summit recorded an attendance totalling over 15,000, with a rich and thought-provoking line-up of over 40 keynotes and panels conducted by more than 50 speakers from Hong Kong, France, the Mainland and the rest of the world.

BODW 2024 was organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with France as Partner Country, Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong SAR as Lead Sponsor, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) as Co-organiser. At BODW 2024, dialogues and long-term relationships between Hong Kong and France have been further strengthened on the business and academic levels, with a focus on leveraging innovation and design artistry to support initiatives in Urban Futures, Brands & Retail Resurgence, Craftsmanship & Material Mastery, Culture & Digital Aesthetics, and AI & Future Tech aimed at tackling the increasingly complex challenges faced around the world.

Mrs. Christile Drulhe, the Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau, said, 'It has been an honor for France to serve as the partner country for this year's BODW. This collaboration has provided a unique platform to showcase the depth and creativity of French design, from heritage craftsmanship to cutting-edge innovation. I really want to thank the Hong Kong Design Center for organizing this incredibly beautiful event. This event has truly been a celebration of creativity and cultural exchange, and I'm proud of the long-lasting connections that have been built on this occasion.'

2024, as the China-France Year of Cultural Tourism, is also the second time that France and Hong Kong have collaborated on these year-long partnerships for the arts and design sector, with the successful run of several international events including Knowledge of Design Week 2024 in June; BODW 2024, and the key programme of DesigInspire — the 'Maison&Objet Design Factory', which was curated by the Parisian decoration, design, and lifestyle trade fair Maison&Objet.  

Looking ahead, the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is pleased to announce Italy as its Partner Country for 2025. Italy will introduce prominent speakers, exceptional talents, and a year-long series of design events through KODW, BODW and more, with the goal of fostering mutual learning and collaboration opportunities between the two vibrant design communities and the world at large.  

Prof. Eric Yim, MH, JP, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre, said, 'We were pleased to host over 20 designers, architects and creative minds from the French delegation in Hong Kong to organise exciting design programmes in 2024. Looking forward to next year, we are thrilled to extend our strategic partnership to Italy as our third-time Partner Country for BODW 2025, following our previous collaborations in 2007 and 2017. This will herald a remarkable year-long collaboration that synergises our Eastern and Western perspectives, cultural heritage, historical legacies, and unique strengths in creative design. We anticipate achieving significant milestones and are excited about making meaningful impacts on our communities, shaping a sustainable future of culture and businesses together.'

Mr. Carmelo Ficarra, Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao, stated, 'We are truly excited about our partnership with Hong Kong Design Centre for BODW 2025. This collaboration will serve to showcase the rich design wisdom and cultural heritage of both Italy and Hong Kong. Together, we will embark on a year-long journey of innovative design programs that celebrate our unique artistic traditions while also fostering creative exchanges between our two vibrant cultures. I eagerly anticipate promoting Italy's unique wisdom and perspective in the collaborative creation of an outstanding platform that strengthens business, cultural, and educational exchanges related to design in all its diverse forms here in the international hub of Hong Kong.'

Under the theme "Inter/Section: Design, Artistry and Innovation", BODW 2024's Summit organised a series of panels, keynote speeches and fireside chats on the five key topics of Urban Futures, Brands & Retail Resurgence, Craftsmanship & Material Mastery, Culture & Digital Aesthetics, and AI & Future Tech.

Highlighted sessions of the BODW 2024 Summit include:

4 December: Urban Futures, Brands and Retail Resurgence 
KEYNOTE: 'Humanising Cities: A Thousand-Year Vision'
Mr. Thomas Heatherwick, Founder & Design Director of Heatherwick Studio (United Kingdom), tackled the challenge of sustainable architecture by humanising its design process, and eliciting positive emotional responses from the public when they experience buildings on a street level. "We've had an epidemic of characterlessness in new cities and towns everywhere," said Heatherwick. 'We need to be making buildings with the mindset that emotion is a function. How do we make a building that might last 1000 years? We propose the 'humanising' rule – to create buildings that can hold your attention for the amount of time it takes to walk by it.'

KEYNOTE: 'Nature with Emotion'
Mr. Ma Yansong, Architect, Artist, Founder & Principal Partner of MAD architects (the Mainland), presented a design philosophy about modern architecture as a continuation of people's journeys in nature. 'The building is not a monument, but a part of daily life," Ma shared. "This is about freedom – providing a free space for everyone to access. Of course, architecture is doing artificial things. But by learning from the past, architecture should talk with nature, so that people living in cities can imagine living their lives in nature.'

5 December: Craftsmanship & Material Mastery, Brands and Retail Resurgence 
KEYNOTE: 'Threads of Wisdom: Guo Pei's Artisanal Vision'
Ms. Guo Pei, Couture Designer and Founder of Rose Studio (the Mainland), is renowned for designing intricate couture garments that interweaves traditional Chinese intangible culture. During her keynote, she shared extensively on her artistic inquiry into 'tangible and intangible' as a facet of the Eastern philosophical concept of yin-yang. 'The topics discussed at BODW – concerning tradition, culture, beauty, artistry and spirit – all of these belong to the 'intangible'. So too are the highly valued traits of human creativity and imagination. But how can we make our ideas tangible? The answer to that is methodology, technique and artistry.'

KEYNOTE: 'How Lighting can Create Immersive Brand Experiences'
Internationally renowned lighting designer Mr. Tino Kwan, Principal Consultant of Tino Kwan Lighting Consultants (Hong Kong), illustrated in his keynote the transformative power of light in architectural design, sharing his philosophy of using minimal lighting equipment to achieve maximum lighting effect. 'Successful project begins with lighting and ends with lighting,' said Mr. Kuan, 'Lighting is not really about illuminating spaces, but about orchestrating a sensory symphony telling a story about a brand or retail experience. Strategic lighting can evoke emotions through different colour and intensity, setting the tone for the entire sensory experience.'

KEYNOTE: 'The Creative Exchange Between Contemporary Design and Craftsmanship'
Ms. Julia Capp, CEO of RDAI (France), shared how she honours the artisanal spirit from working on luxurious hotels, private residences, and the global network of Hermès stores. 'In the office we have this motto of "making it together". We believe that the future of design is people, context, time and family. That's how we get projects done, and I think that's also why we're here today at Business of Design Week—because we all want to share with and learn from each other.'

6 December: AI & Future Tech, Culture & Digital Aesthetics 
KEYNOTE: 'On the Road: Xiaomi's Electric Vehicle Journey'
Mr. Tianyuan Li, Head of Design Xiaomi EV & General Manager of Automotive Industrial Design Department of Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd (the Mainland), guided the audience into Xiaomi's journey into electric vehicles, highlighting the brand's cross-disciplinary transition from consumer electronics to the automotive sector and showcasing Xiaomi EV's design philosophy. 'Design should look good and can withstand the test of time. Technology will iterate, but human nature and scientific laws are long-lasting. Design should keep up with the trends, but also grasp the core that remains unchanged. Our principle is to start from the needs and essence, integrating technology, art and science through intuitive design concepts.'

KEYNOTE: 'Innovating Culture and Heritage to Build a Sustainable Global Community'
Ms. Pansy Ho, Vice President of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Vice President of China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation (Hong Kong & Macau), passionately discussed her initiatives in preserving Chinese intangible cultural heritage and various projects she spearheaded between esteemed institutions from China and France. She also highlighted her recent efforts in promoting the Guizhou Miao embroidery to the world on global platforms like the Cannes Festival. 'Through the lens of understanding our past at the height of design and artistry, the use of innovation to tackle new advancements and challenges, it gives us insight on how the human civilization has evolved, how modernization of societies actually brought upon new lifestyle, and how these can all come together in bringing innovation and inspirations for designs into the modern world.' 

KEYNOTE: 'From Sketch to Screen: Storytelling through Design in Motion'
Ms. Karin Fong, Creative Director of Imaginary Forces (United States), detailed her experiences in creating title sequences for acclaimed TV series and movies, including 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'. 'The process begins with a conversation with the director, and in this case, it's Jon Watts. The challenge when you're working on a sequel is to not only tap into the kind of rabid, crazy fan base and make them connect, but also to bring something new to this new movie experience.' She emphasized the importance of researching into a film's story during her creative work and "looking for details that could become metaphors to encapsulate the show's themes in the title sequence."

KEYNOTE: 'A Symphony of French Spirit: Paris 2024 Olympics Narrative'
Mr. Thomas Jolly, Actor, Comedian & Director of EMBLÈME STUDIO (France), provided a behind-the-scenes look into his artistic direction of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics ceremonies. 'To me, the opening ceremony is a festival where all the arts enter into dialog to present a living portrait of the host nation. It allows the country to open its door to the world and say, "Welcome, this is who we are". For the Paris Games, that means showcasing France in all its diversity and complexity.'

PANEL: 'The Future of Motion Design: Innovations, Challenges and Creative Direction'
Mr. Kook Ewo, Founder of Motion Plus Design (France), and Ms. Karin Fong, Creative Director of Imaginary Forces (United Sates) spoke in a panel session with Mr. Reuben Wu, Photographer & Visual Artist of Reuben Wu Studio (United States) on the evolution of the motion design industry. Adopting a collaborative and trusting approach with other creatives, technologies and cross-disciplinary influences was cited as key. Fong, speaking on working together with film directors, said, 'When you're attached to a brand, story or a larger history, you have to think about what is right for that film. [Your creative input is] not a standalone piece.' This proactive design mindset also extends to AI, with Wu sharing his thoughts on AI-generated art: 'You can see the things that make the AI unique. It's something which can't be created by a human, because there's this essential kind of non-human, non-emotional aspect to it.' Ewo also echoed Fong's sentiment of integrating AI into the creative process, especially by capitalising on 'the happy accidents or mistakes' created by AI through its numerous iterations.

Besides the Summit, BODW 2024 features a series of Concurrent Programmes, including the Launching Party of the Hong Kong Design Centre's DX design hub at Sham Shui Po, GBA Creative Fortnight, the BODW 2024 Gala Dinner cum DFA Awards Presentation Ceremony at Hong Kong's newest landmark, The Henderson, BODW In The City, Motion Plus Design, deTour 2024 Design Festival, 2024 Leadership Forum by PolyU and DesignInspire, presented by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This flagship creative showcase includes highlight events such as the Maison&Objet Design Factory and the Business of IP Asia Forum. The above events have been successfully held, marking a perfect conclusion to BODW 2024 (December 2 to 7).

Available now, revisit the highlights of the Summit on the ViuTV app. Catch the Chinese Special Programme for BODW 2024 on ViuTV (Ch99) on 18 and 25 January, 19:30 – 20:30 (GMT +8).

Sign up on bodw+ for the latest updates on BODW at bodw.com. Starting December 18, all BODW sessions can be accessed on-demand by bodw+ Basic members for free. bodw+ Basic members can upgrade to Plus (for a yearly subscription fee priced at HK$200) or corporate membership for exclusive content, discounts, and offers from partners. Follow BODW on the following social media channels: Facebook (bodw+), Instagram (@bodwplus), X (@bodwplus), LinkedIn (bodw+) and YouTube (bodw+).

Press Material 
Press Materials: Press Kit
Speaker Information: BODW 2024 Speakers

About Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) (www.hkdesigncentre.org) 
Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in leveraging the city's East-meets-West advantage to create value from design. 

To achieve our goals we: 

• Cultivate a design culture
• Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the value of design
• Promote excellence in various design disciplines

About Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau (https://hongkong.consulfrance.org/)
The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau administers the French community in Hong Kong and Macau and has the mission to serve and protect the interests of French citizens. It also delivers visas to nationals of other countries willing to travel to France. Under the authority of the French Ambassador in Beijing, the Consul General is in charge of coordinating and furthering the development of political, cultural and economic relations between France and both Hong Kong and Macau. As part of its actions for promoting French culture and arts, the Department of Culture, Education and Science (SCAC) provides information, advice and support on the development of culture and art-related projects. Bringing together French and local organisations is one of the principal missions of SCAC. It particularly encourages projects leading to long-term exchange programmes (teachers, students, artists, and authors), co-production or training programmes in or with France.  

About Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau (conshongkong.esteri.it) 
The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau represents Italy and the Italian Government in the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The activity of the Consulate General focuses on consular services provided to the Italian nationals formally resident in Hong Kong or in Macau as well as to the local and international community (mainly for visa services). The Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau contribute to the implementation of the initiatives to promote Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, especially cultural activities, together with the Italian Cultural Institute, and business and trade promotion together with the Italian Trade Commission. From 1st of September 2022, the Consul General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau is Mr. Carmelo Ficarra. More information on the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau and its activities are available on the website https://conshongkong.esteri.it/it/ and on social profiles IG (@italyinhongkong) X (@italyinhongkong) and FB (@italyinhongkong).

About Business of Design Week (BODW) (https://2024.bodw.com/en)
Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia's premier annual event on design, innovation and brands since 2002, is organised by Hong Kong Design Centre and gathers some of the world's foremost design masters, brand leaders and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong as well as overseas, driving discourse on the value of design and innovation to inspire global audiences and explore new business opportunities.

About DesignInspire (designinspire.hktdc.com)

DesignInspire, organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is a Business-to-All exchange and inspiring platform that gathers global design and creative elites, trend-setting brands, associations and institutes. Through a series of interactive exhibits, design masterpieces, award-winning projects and creative workshops, participants will explore the limitless potential of design and promote top-tier creativity. As a unique B2A platform for Hong Kong's creative industry, DesignInspire aims to establish a gateway for connecting Hong Kong with the international design community, fostering interaction and collaboration.

About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDAHK) (www.ccidahk.gov.hk) 
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia's creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong's positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. CCIDA sponsors HKDC to organise various projects to promote Hong Kong design and design thinking.  

Disclaimer: The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

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