Business of Design Week (BODW), Asia’s leading event on design, innovation and brands, brings 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” between November 30 and December 5, 2020. Under the theme “VISION 20/21”, BODW harnesses the power of collaborative creativity to provide timely insights into future trends that could help us find clarity in uncertainty.
The event is organized by Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) and co-organized 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. “The change and uncertainty of 2020 have 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”, the organizer says.
Global Creative Leaders to Inspire a New Vision of Success
Over 80 local and international design and business leaders converge at the BODW Summit between December 3 and 5, 2020, with over 15 of them from the UK with the continued partnership of the UK as a strategic partner. Curated with the theme “VISION 20/21”, this year’s summit features plenary talks, forums, and 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, and more.
Going “Beyond virtual, LIVE global” with TV Partnership
To provide international audiences with a “Beyond virtual, LIVE global” experience, the BODW Summit 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 customized virtual platform. Selective sessions will also be aired on ViuTV channels, live-streamed 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). Just preceding the Summit is the BODW CityProg (28 November–6 December), which features a series of design-related events throughout the city to foster collaboration among creative units, businesses, and community organizations.
The week of the summit kicks off with a Leadership Forum on Design Education (30 November), followed by a Design for Asia Forum with DFA Awards winners as speakers. After that, Fashion Asia Hong Kong hosts a two-day Fashion Challenges Digital Forum and the “10 Asian Designers to Watch” Virtual Exhibition, running till January, 2021.
When: Monday–Saturday, November 30–December 5, 2020
Leadership Forum on Design Education – 30 November, 2020
Design for Asia Forum with DFA Awards winners – December 1, 2020
Fashion Challenges Digital Forum – December 2 and 3, 2020
“10 Asian Designers to Watch” Virtual Exhibition – December, 2020–January, 2021
Festival de Tour 2020 – November 27–December 6, 2020
Creativity showcase DesignInspire ONLINE 2020 – December 3–9, 2020
Business of IP Asia Forum – December 3 and 4, 2020 (for IP professionals and business leaders)
*To check BODW 2020’s full program, check here
Where: Live Broadcast Platforms: Virtual live-stream, with selective sessions broadcasted on social media, ViuTV channels, and screened at partner locations across the city (hybrid live)
How much: Experience Pass (full summit live) – Free admission
Individual Full Pass (includes full summit, one-month on-demand and networking platform) – HKD $200 (early bird), HKD $400 (regular)
Individual Premium Pass (includes masterclass, full summit, one-month on demand, networking platform, one-year complimentary access to Design Anthology digital edition) – HKD $800 (early bird), HKD $1,600 (regular)
Corporate Sponsorship Pass (five Premium passes and brand exposure on BODW website) – HKD $8,000 (early bird), HKD $1,600 (regular)
*Early bird offer ends on November 13, 2020
For more information and ticketing, click the event’s official website
Events are in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin (with simultaneous interpretation)
