The Business of Design Week 2023 Summit brings sustainability discussions to the fore

The Business of Design Week (BODW) 2023 Summit runs from 29 November to 1 December. The event organised by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) brings together leaders of design, innovation, and brands for a premier event under the BODW’s theme of ‘Game Changers’

Partnering with the Netherlands and its CreativeNL platform, alongside Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) as the lead sponsor and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) as the co-organiser, BODW is set to presents an array of programmes at the BODW 2023 Summit. The summit talks are set to run from 29 November to 1 December at Freespace of the West Kowloon Cultural District.

“BODW 2023 will gather over 50 international, regional, and local creative leaders for an inspiring week-long programme across the city. Among them, we have already confirmed heavyweight speakers for the BODW summit especially from the Mainland and ASEAN countries,” says Prof. Eric Yim, chairman of HKDC.

Arjen van den Berg, the consul general of the Netherlands to Hong Kong says “the Netherlands is proud to be partnering with Hong Kong in a year-long exchange program around the business environment, sustainable fashion, and products and brand-new design to forge long term international cooperation, promote exchange and exchange of ideas and knowledge and co-creates innovative solutions for current and future challenges.”

Meanwhile, Anna Cheung, the director of service promotion at HKTDC, believes the circular- design-focused BODW ties in with flagship creativity promotion, DesignInspire. The sessions from 29 November to 1 December certainly cover a myriad of industries and issues.

On 29 November, the spotlight is on urban planning and new urban models. Ben van Berkel, the founder and principal architect of UNStudio explores how continuous transformation occurs in certain building projects, while Kenya Hara, the president of Nippon Design Center, Inc. shares his principles on aesthetics and their practical implications in addressing Japan’s evolving challenges.

Highlight sessions on 30 November focus on transformative brands and consumers’ experience. Prof. José Teunissen, director of Amsterdam Fashion Institute, will have a panel discussion with Cai Jinqing, the president of Kering Greater China, on sustainability strategies for the luxury market. Teo Su Seam, partner at LTW Designworks will engage Jill Goh, general manager of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, and Ed Ng, co-founder of AB Concept, on how they are using design to change luxury hospitality.

Enter 1 December and the final day of the summit brings it AI, technology and future trends. We are intrigued by what Wang Jian, the founder of Alibaba Cloud, has to say on how its City Brain AI programme can enhance smart cities. Yao Yingjia, the vice president of Lotus Group and Janice Tsang, Porsche China’s head of innovation, discuss the rapidly transforming electric vehicle industry.

For the full programme schedule, further BODW activities, and tickets, please check out BODW’s website. Psst, we also have an exclusive promo code for #legend readers. Use BODWLG50 to get 50 percent off (only applicable to premium pass & 1-day pass).

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