Say yes to Singapore: Exciting regional hub for all things design

The FIND – Design Fair Asia held in Singapore last year clocked a fruitful inaugural edition – with more than 80 per cent of exhibitors and visitors keen to return in 2023. Co-organiser dmg events' vice president for Asia, Marcus Magee, lists Singapore’s winning qualities as the ideal destination of choice to stage the flagship event

The inaugural FIND – Design Fair Asia in Singapore welcomed over 12,000 attendees
The inaugural FIND – Design Fair Asia in Singapore welcomed over 12,000 attendees

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With over 12,000 from the local and overseas design community congregating in Singapore for three days, the successful staging of the first edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia last year placed Singapore on the map for global design events.

As the anchor trade event of Singapore Design Week 2022 and among the first in-person global design fairs to take place since the pandemic, it also debuted EMERGE @ FIND, a new exhibition platform for up-and-coming designers, alongside established creators from South-east Asia.

 

More than 80 per cent of exhibitors and visitors plan to return for the next edition in 2023, Marcus Magee, vice president, Asia, of co-organiser dmg events, told TTGmice.

To be staged once again in Singapore from September 21 to 23 at Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo & Convention Centre, this year’s event will unveil the best in furniture, interiors and design from the global marketplace and upcoming trends. It is also expected to attract over 500 global brands and 15,000 attendees.

In the final instalment of the Say yes to Singapore series, Magee explained why Singapore’s winning qualities made it the ideal destination of choice to host the regional and global architecture and design community for the definitive platform for design in Asia.

What are some of the highlights at your event last year in Singapore?
FIND – Design Fair Asia intended to put Singapore on the map for global design events, which we absolutely achieved, with over 12,000 architects, designers, contractors, developers, agents and distributors as well as the international design community convening at the inaugural three-day event.

It was also strategically designed to showcase the influence and convergence of both East and West design philosophies.

Highlights included the Italian Design Futures Capsule designed by world-renowned Stefano Boeri Interiors and sponsored by the Italian Trade Agency. The exhibition set-up was characterised by a concentric circular system designed to replace the traditional grid layout to allow free flow inside the pavilion, as well as ensure fair visibility for all exhibitors.

Also noteworthy was the Compasso d’Oro Award Showcase presented in collaboration with Milan-based ADI Design Museum to honour design visionaries, as well as the EMERGE @ FIND exhibition presented by FIND – Design Fair Asia and DesignSingapore Council, which spotlighted up-and-coming talents of South-east Asia design.

The budding designers included Karyn Lim, Robert Sukrachand, Hoang Anh Vu and Jim Zarate-Torres from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines respectively. Inspired by their roots and streamlining materiality, they gave their unique takes on how existing materials can preserve South-east Asian culture while paying tribute to social reality and environments.

The Urban Living Showcase, presented by the Singapore Furniture Industries Council, featured sustainable cardboard modules fitted together to form cave structures, complete with decorative foliage where key products and posters are nestled.

Another major draw was the FIND – Global Summit which was curated by the event’s content chair, Tony Chambers and co-chair, Yoko Choy.

Featuring more than 60 prominent and highly experienced practitioners and key opinion leaders in the design industry, the discussions and masterclasses centred around six key pillars: sustainable development; post-pandemic hospitality; biophilic design movement; the future of wellness; designing the metaverse; as well as creativity, commerce & communication.

What aspects of Singapore made you choose it for your event, and why are these considerations important to host destination selection?
Singapore’s status as a regional design hub in South-east Asia and its commitment to forward-thinking design makes it undisputedly the ideal location to host the regional and global architecture and design community.

Its access to the Asian market and the ASEAN free trade zone, and international connectivity, make it Asia’s top business destination and a regional financial hub.

Singapore, with over 10,000 furniture, interiors, and design brands, is also home to consumers with a taste for upscale home furnishings and decor, offering strong opportunities for the domestic interiors market.

As an anchor event of the Singapore Design Week – one of Asia’s premier design festivals, FIND – Design Fair Asia, collaborates closely with the DesignSingapore Council to bring together the best of design in a showcase of global interior brands, key opinion leaders, designers, and content from the East and West.

How would you describe your experience working with MICE professionals in Singapore?
The business events industry in Singapore is mature and professional, with a strong focus on solution generation, making it a very positive experience overall.

Despite the challenges on various fronts that were encountered for the launch of FIND – Design Fair Asia against a backdrop of the world transitioning to a new normal with Covid-19, I was very pleased that our local organising team soldiered on and delivered a successful inaugural edition that created countless opportunities for the community to connect in-person and discover the latest trends and innovations that will shape the future of the furniture, interiors and design industry.

How likely would you return to Singapore for future events?
We are stoked that 83 per cent of exhibitors and 87 per cent of visitors plan to return to the next edition of FIND – Design Fair Asia. We will continue to build momentum and further establish FIND as the preeminent meeting place in Asia for the entire regional architecture and design community.

The upcoming edition is set to return with a bigger bang from September 21-23, 2023, at the iconic Marina Bay Sands Exhibition Centre with over 500 global brands and 15,000 attendees expected. Planning for new initiatives that will spark fresh conversations and inspiration are also well underway.

For example, novel technologies such as 3D visualisation and smart home solutions will be unveiled at the all-new innovation zone at FIND – Design Fair Asia 2023.

The FIND – Global Summit curated (once again) by China editor of Wallpaper* magazine, Choy, and leading industry insiders, along with masterclasses hosted by INTERNI and experts will also be held in the imaginative Italian Design Futures Capsule by multi-disciplinary star studio Stefano Boeri Interiors.

Stay tuned and we look forward to staging many more successful editions of FIND – Design Fair Asia in Singapore in 2023 and beyond!

All images are to be credited to FIND – Design Fair Asia.

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