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Business of Design Week 2021: Brand Rejuvenation, Hospitality with Purpose and Connected Health and Wellbeing

Business of Design Week 2021: Brand Rejuvenation, Hospitality with Purpose and Connected Health and Wellbeing
Courtesy of BODW

This year, the Business of Design Week Summit in Hong Kong covers the design and architecture sectors through discussion on how to rebuild a post-pandemic world. It has only just begun so don’t miss tuning in for streamed sessions. This information comes directly from the official press release for BODW.

Dec 1 – 4, 2021—Business of Design Week (BODW) 2021, Asia’s premier annual event on design, innovation and brands since 2002 organized by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), officially kicked off its 19th edition on December 1. Presented jointly with Strategic Partners the UK and ViuTV, the week-long summit features a compelling line-up of cross-disciplinary speakers and exciting TV sessions that paint the context for this year’s theme, ‘Global Design Reset’. Gathering local and international speakers and being produced in hybrid format, the BODW 2021 Summit is simulcast online, on ViuTV, and at partner locations including PMQ, making the summit accessible to viewers all over the city and around the world.

The Honorable Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, GBM, GBS, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Guest of Honour for BODW 2021, stated in a speech:

“The Hong Kong SAR Government is honoured to be the Lead Sponsor of BODW again through the CreateSmart Initiative, our dedicated funding scheme for the creative sectors. With a new $1 billion injection into the CreateSmart Initiative earlier this year, we will continue with our efforts to assist the trade in talent nurturing, capacity building and skill upgrading, with a view to enhancing the long-term competitiveness of our trade under the ‘new normal’.”

To officially kick off BODW 2021, Prof. Eric Yim, JP, Chairman of HKDC said in his welcome remarks: 

“After this turbulent period all over the world, a new chapter awaits us all. Business of Design Week 2021 revolves around one word: Reset. It’s all about rethinking and resetting our world and the way it works, hence our theme: Global Design Reset. As we reimagine our collective future, we’ll need big ideas, collaborative creativity, decisive leadership, and plenty of wisdom. We hope BODW can show us how we can thrive amid a crisis, and create a meaningful and sustainable future together through design and technology.”

BODW 2021: Global Design Reset provides a unique programme accessible for all, from anywhere in the world. In addition to being live-streamed online, key sessions will be aired on ViuTVsix every night from 1 to 4 December at 20:00 GMT+8. Featuring over 30 insightful sessions, the BODW 2021 Summit offers a rare opportunity for viewers to catch some of the most powerful and prolific visionaries in business and design.

A new project by Thomas Heatherwick. Image credit: Qinyan Zhu.

Among the sessions are:

Keynote: How Design Changes the World (1 December, 20:15 – 20:40 GMT+8, also live on ViuTVsix) – For over 30 years, world-renowned design guru Bruce Mau (Chief Executive Officer, Massive Change Network and Founder, Bruce Mau Studio, US) has collaborated with leading brands, companies, heads of state, and more to affect positive change and innovation across a broad range of projects. At BODW 2021, he talks about how designing for nature is synonymous with design for success – and the significance of design in today’s world.  

Sustainable Business Leadership (2 December, 15:45 – 16:30 GMT+8) – Apart from improving a company’s reputation, can commitments to sustainability targets impact the bottom line? Business leaders Eric Quint (Former Senior Vice President, Chief Brand & Design Officer, 3M Company, The Netherlands), Ronna Chao (Chairman, Novetex Textiles Limited, HK),  and Ian Spaulding (Chief Executive Officer, ELEVATE, HK) discuss the merits and challenges of advancing sustainability in business.  

Keynote: Rewilding Urban Space (2 December, 21:05pm – 21:25 GMT+8,  also live on ViuTVsix) – Keynote speaker Thomas Heatherwick CBE (Founder, Heatherwick Studio, UK), the award-winning and prolific British designer behind some of the most iconic architectural projects of our time – including Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Coal Drops Yard in London, and Little  Island in New York – talks about his vision to bring nature back into urban spaces and other ideas for designing for the future. 

A new project by Bruce Mau. Image credit: Massive Change Network.

Celebrating Chinese Aesthetics in World Architecture (3 December, 10:45  – 11:30 GMT+8) – The nature-infused aesthetics of Chinese architecture is an emerging force to be reckoned with in the world of design. Hua Li (Founder and Principal, Trace Architecture Office, Mainland China) and Tiffany Dahlen (Associate Partner, MAD Architects, Mainland China) discuss the cultural,  aesthetic, and environmental nuances of Chinese architecture with moderator  Betty Ng (Founder and Director, COLLECTIVE and Adjunct Associate  Professor, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HK). 

The Future Vision of Museum (4 December, 16:00 – 16:45 GMT+8,) – On the heels of the successful opening of Hong Kong’s highly anticipated M+  museum, Suhanya Raffel (Museum Director, M+, HK), Gong Yan ( Director,  Power Station of Art, Mainland China), and Lilli Hollein (General Director and  Artistic Director, Museum of Applied Arts, Austria) delve into the experiences offered by museums and its role in the socio-cultural landscape of cities.  

Courtesy of Freeman Lau, DFA Award winner 2021.
Courtesy of Freeman Lau, DFA Award winner 2021.
Courtesy of Freeman Lau, DFA Award winner 2021.

A Summary of the Event: Video on Demand

Business of Design Week (BODW) 2021 concluded its 19th edition on 4 December 2021. Presented jointly with Strategic Partners the UK and ViuTV, BODW 2021 was produced in a hybrid format, simulcast online, on ViuTV, and at partner locations including PMQ, making the highly anticipated yearly summit accessible to the public across Hong Kong and around the world.

Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of Hong Kong Design Centre, stated in his closing speech:

“This has been a wonderful week, and I hope you have learned as much as we have about the transformative power of life-centred design, and the importance of designing for a sustainable future. Living in these volatile times, we are in a unique position to rethink the way we live, work, and design a better world – that is, act as forerunners for a ‘Global Design Reset’, our BODW theme this year.”

From now onwards, over 30 sessions from  BODW 2021 are available to watch on-demand on BODW 2021 website, the interactive design knowledge platform launched this year by HKDC. For year-round access to a wealth of engaging evergreen information, such as live broadcasting of flagship programmes BODW and KODW, interviews with design icons and emerging talent, and other exciting content in various formats, the public can register for free to join bodw+ at bodw.com, envisioned to become Asia’s leading online design portal. In addition, a one-hour ViuTV Chinese Highlights programme focused on BODW 2021 will air on 19 December (Sunday).

As in previous editions of BODW, audience tuning in both live and from other platforms witnessed stimulating discourse from some of the world’s most respected visionaries, including keynote speakers Bruce Mau (Chief Executive Officer, Massive Change Network and Founder, Bruce Mau Studio, US) and Thomas Heatherwick CBE (Founder, Heatherwick Studio, UK). 

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