Business of Design Week 2024 wraps up with over 15,000 attendees

This year’s BODW Summit, themed "Inter/Section: Design Artistry and Innovation", featured over 40 keynotes and panels by 50+ speakers from Hong Kong, France, Mainland China and around the world

During BODW 2024, discussions and collaborations between Hong Kong and France were further solidified on both business and academic fronts, focusing on using innovation and design artistry to address global scale conundrums. Key themes discussed at the summit include Urban Futures, Brands & Retail Resurgence, Craftsmanship & Material Mastery, Culture & Digital Aesthetics, and AI & Future Tech.

Here are some keynote highlights:

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 during his keynote “Humanising Cities: A Thousand Year Vision”.

Ms. Julia Capp, CEO of RDAI (France), during her keynote “Intersection Between Contemporary Design and Craftmanship” shared how she honours the artisanal spirit from working on luxurious hotels, private residences, and the global network of Hermès stores.

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 during his keynote.

Ms. Karin Fong, Creative Director of Imaginary Forces (United States), detailed her experiences in creating title sequences for acclaimed TV series and movies during her keynote.

Mr. Tianyuan Li, Head of Design Xiaomi EV & General Manager of Automotive Industrial Design Department of Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co., Ltd (Mainland China), delved into Xiaomi’s journey into electric vehicles, highlighting the brand’s cross-disciplinary transition from consumer electronics to the automotive sector.

Ms. Guo Pei, Couture Designer and Founder of Rose Studio (Mainland China) during her keynote “Threads of Wisdom: Guo Pei’s Artisanal Vision”, shared extensively on her artistic inquiry into “tangible and intangible” as a facet of the Eastern philosophical concept of yin-yang.

Ms. Pansy Ho, Vice President of All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Vice President of China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation (Hong Kong & Macau), discussed her initiatives in preserving Chinese intangible cultural heritage and various projects she spearheaded between esteemed institutions from China and France.

BODW, Asia’s leading event on design innovation and branding, is organized by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC). With France serving as the Partner Country, BODW complements the China-France Year of Cultural Tourism in 2024 — marking the second year of collaboration between France and Hong Kong in the arts and design sector.

The partnership has resulted in the successful execution of several international events, including Knowledge of Design Week 2024 back in June and the key program DesignInspire, featuring the ‘Maison&Objet Design Factory’ as curated by the Parisian design and lifestyle trade fair, Maison&Objet.

Looking forward, the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is excited to announce Italy as its Partner Country for 2025, bringing prominent speakers, exceptional talents and a series of design events through KODW, BODW and more, aimed at fostering collaboration and mutual learning between design communities worldwide.

In addition to the Summit, BODW 2024 featured a range of Concurrent Programmes, including the Launching Party for the Hong Kong Design Centre’s DX design hub in Sham Shui Po, GBA Creative Fortnight and the BODW 2024 Gala Dinner cum DFA Awards Presentation at The Henderson, Hong Kong’s newest landmark.

Other notable events included BODW In The City, Motion Plus Design, deTour 2024 Design Festival, the 2024 Leadership Forum by PolyU, and DesignInspire at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. This flagship creative showcase highlighted key events like the Business of IP Asia Forum, bringing BODW 2024 to a great conclusion.

The highlights of the BODW 2024 Summit are now available to watch on the ViuTV app.

All bodw+ members can now access full BODW sessions on-demand for free. Members also have the option to upgrade to bodw+ Plus, unlocking exclusive content, discounts and a plethora of partner offers.

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