This year Belgium is partner country to the Business of Design Week (BoDW) 2013, which will take place from 2 to 7 December at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. The world’s spotlights will be shining on the BoDW stage as Belgium will present its “Belgian Spirit”, bringing the country’s creativity, design and innovation to a higher level of internationalization. Belgium’s selection as BoDW partner country is a clear acknowledgement by BODW’s organizers of Belgium’s importance in the global world of creativity.
The week-long BoDW programme features the BoDW Forum, an authoritative pointer for global design trends, and around 12 concurrent events covering brands, design, technology, culture and the city, design management and education, business of intellectual property etc.
The BoDW Forum will host around 20 Belgian keynote speakers. A Belgian pavilion called, “The House of the Belgian Spirit”, will be set up at the InnoDesign Tech Expo from 5 to 7 December. In this “House of the Belgian Spirit” Belgium’s forefront design concepts, products and services will be showcased by over 20 exhibitors. Moreover, Belgian Spirit will also present the exhibition “Tales of Heroes” featuring around 45 design objects that were created by Belgian designers based on a contemporary vision but combined with a sense of nostalgia.
Belgian fashion will be showcased at the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) in a four-month long exhibition Dress Code curated by Charles Kaisin.
Belgian architecture will be presented at 2013 the Shenzhen - Hong Kong Biennale from December 2013 until February 2014, where XX Models, young Belgian architecture will be exhibited.
Other Belgian Spirit initiatives such as seminars, workshops and master classes will also take place throughout the week. Last but not least, a large economic delegation of Belgian designers in fashion, architecture and design will meet with their Asian counterparts at BoDW to network, exchange views and explore business opportunities.
Belgian Spirit was set up in 2011 to promote Belgium’s tradition of creativity, design, technology and innate talent. It aspires to internationalize Belgian creativity even more than it already is, and it is focused on creating and developing a long-term collaboration platform with Business of Design Week in Hong Kong and partners throughout China.