The change and uncertainty of 2020 has shown how vulnerable we all are. However, as we look forward to 2021 and beyond, we have the power to change how we view these times, find fresh impetus and imagine new possibilities based on our real needs and what truly matters.
Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia’s leading event on design, innovation and brands, organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and co-organised by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) as the Lead Sponsor, will bring together design visionaries, creatives, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across sectors and industries around the world to offer participants a glimpse of the ‘new normal’ from 30 November – 5 December 2020. Under the theme “VISION 20/21”, BODW will harness the power of collaborative creativity to provide timely insights into future trends that could help us find clarity in uncertainty.
Global Creative Leaders to Inspire a New Vision of Success
Over 80 local and international design and business leaders will converge at the BODW Summit on 3 – 5 December 2020, with over 15 of them from the UK with the continued partnership of the UK as a strategic partner. Being curated on the theme “VISION 20/21”, this year’s Summit will feature plenary talks, forums & masterclasses, and explore timely topics namely Brand Futures, Connected Health, Safe Travels, Circular Economy, Immersive Tech, Creative Leadership, Entwined Spaces, Communication & Design and Culture & the City.
Some creative masterminds who will speak in the Summit include: Thomas Heatherwick CBE (UK), Founder of Heatherwick Studio; Neville Brody RDI (UK), CEO & Creative Director of Brody Associates; Morag Myerscough (UK), Artist and Designer; Tim Brown (US), Chair of IDEO; Sou Fujimoto (Japan); Director of Sou Fujimoto Architects Inc.; Mark Read (UK), CEO of WPP; Jim Hackett (US), Former CEO and Special Advisor of Ford Motor Company; Kigge Mai Hvid (Denmark), Partner of JA Studio; Luo Cheng (Mainland China), Chairman and President of ARTOP Design; and Elaine Yan Ling Ng (Hong Kong), Founder of THE FABRICK LAB, etc.
Going ‘Beyond virtual, LIVE global’ with TV Partnership
To provide international audiences with a ‘Beyond virtual, LIVE global’ experience, the BODW Summit (3 – 5 December 2020) will be Asia’s flagship hybrid event on design, innovation and brands, first simulcast LIVE on TV and social media. A number of sessions will be produced in hybrid live format in partnership with ViuTV for streaming on BODW’s customised virtual platform. Selective sessions will also be aired on ViuTV channels, livestreamed on social media, and screened at partner locations during the Summit.
In addition, BODW participants can find new connections from different industries and regions via the Summit’s virtual networking platform. The platform facilitates scheduled virtual meet-ups and live chats, so participants can expand their network and explore new business collaborations.
Exciting Partner Programmes & Concurrent Events
BODW is an annual design festival with many creative happenings across Hong Kong, anchored around the BODW Summit (3 – 5 December 2020). Just preceding the Summit is the BODW CityProg (28 November – 6 December 2020), which features a series of design related events throughout the city to foster collaboration among creative units, business and community organisations.
The week of the Summit will kick off with a Leadership Forum on Design Education (30 November 2020), followed by a Design for Asia Forum with DFA Awards winners as speakers (1 December 2020). After that, Fashion Asia Hong Kong will host a two-day Fashion Challenges Digital Forum (2 – 3 December 2020) and the “10 Asian Designers to Watch” Virtual Exhibition (December 2020 – January 2021). The annual festival deTour 2020 (27 November – 6 December 2020), creativity showcase DesignInspire ONLINE 2020 (3 – 9 December 2020), and Business of IP Asia Forum (3 – 4 December 2020) for IP professionals and business leaders are also part of the programme, along with a host of other concurrent events.
Visit the BODW website to check out the exciting line-up of global design and business leaders who will speak at the Summit, full programme and ticketing details: www.bodw.com.