CityNews – Organisers are busy preparing for the first Chiang Mai Design Week, which will take place at locations across the city centre from December 6-14.
Chiang Mai governor Suriya Prasartbandit, left, with Apisit Laistrooglai of the TCDC at a press conference last week.
The aim of the event is to “bridge the Thai creative potential with business opportunities in the international market” and stimulate growth in the local creative industries.
It will feature 56 creative showcases, 26 workshops and 25 talks, in collaboration with more than 100 renowned local brands as well as governmental and private organisations.
“Chiang Mai’s services and products need to be enhanced, supported and developed to achieve higher quality, creativity and value creation,” said provincial governor Suriya Prasatbandit.
“In doing so we need to put together knowledge, skill, creativity, design development, material quality, marketing plans and images to enter Chiang Mai into a higher standard, international level to cater to foreign tourists that reach two million yearly.”
Chiang Mai Design Week 2014 will link architecture, product design, fashion, graphic design, art, and more with local communities, educational institutions, international organisations, and state and private agencies.
The goal is to maximise the city’s economy, as similar events such as the London Design Festival, Tokyo Designers Festival and Milan Design Week have done, said Apisit Laistrooglai, director of the Thailand Creative and Design Centre in Chiang Mai (TCDC), which is organising the event.
“Chiang Mai Design Week is initiated with the vision to form a platform for business bodies, designers, entrepreneurs and locals to meet and work together in convenient, fully equipped venues. For the whole week, participants can expect festive vibes and feel through various unique creative activities that help enhance the local business scene and at the same time generate a series of income flows within the community, and hopefully launch Thai talents and products into the international market.”
Events include:
– Design showcases, featuring the latest collections made by iconic designers, manufacturers and entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai.
– Creative space workshops, where members of the public can meet successful designers and marketers who will share their professional experience. The workshops aim to inspire novices to try their hands at creative work.
– Citywide installations and tours, including an exhibition, multimedia projects, a bicycle trip and more.
– Business programmes, including a buyers’ meeting, networking and business matching.
-Creative dialogue, bringing together international speakers including thinkers, writers, creators, designers and entrepreneurs from various professions and organisations to talk about craft, design, business and marketing.
For more information please contact TCDC at 500 808052 extension 1, visit www.ChiangMaiDesignWeek.com, Facebook.com/TCDCChiangMai and Twitter.com/TCDC or email [email protected].