Designex will celebrate its 25th birthday at this year’s three-day exhibition, to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 30 May to 1 June.
Designex 2013 marks a quarter of a century working with the country’s best names in design and architecture, and is situated alongside the Australian Institute of Architects’ national conference, promoting a greater forum for its industry professionals to get together and see the latest in architectural innovation and design on both national and international levels.
Hundreds of top brands will come together for the exhibition, with companies like Great Dane Contract, Rock & Stone, Weathertex, Karndean Designflooring and Dulux to launch new products. The event’s interiors sector is having a renaissance of textiles and fabrics, and featurs leading brands including Milgate, Basford Brands, Boyac and Seneca.
Internationally acclaimed designer Michael Young is the keynote speaker of the series “The Business of Design,” which aims to discuss the economic climate and its effects on local practices/studios, sharing the challenges in creating and maintaining workplaces that promote thought leadership and idea generation, and highlighting the benefits of collaboration and interdisciplinary projects.
The 25th-birthday exhibition will also see Yellow Goat Design return to showcase its latest products, alongside an installation designed especially for the event. Yellow Goat Design has teamed up with Swarovski Elements to design a large installation that will become the centrepiece of the Laurent Perrier Champagne Bar.
The annual Nest showcase, a platform for the country’s best local talent, is curated by design consultant and journalist Anne-Maree Sargeant and will feature 14 of the country’s top designers, who will come together to unveil a collection of original and innovative products. The display will include designs from Adam Cornish, Simone LeAmon, Flynn Talbot and Christopher Boots, with more to be announced.
Sargeant will also bring together a display of the best products from around the world for the popular Hives showcase. This is the industry’s chance to see leading products exhibited under the themes of technology and collaboration. Last year’s showcase presented a diverse collection of products, ranging from never-before-seen designs to museum pieces on loan.
Opening times:
- Thursday 30 May 12.00 pm – 8.00 pm
- Friday 31 May 10.00 am – 6.00 pm
- Saturday 1 June 10.00 am – 6.00 pm