Future Talks at Decorex Joburg announce speaker lineup

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The event brings together a diverse group of speakers, including interior designers, architects, sustainable designers, branding experts, and educators. This diversity ensures that a wide range of perspectives are represented, providing attendees with a holistic view of the design landscape and its future direction.

Renowned international interior designer Tristan du Plessis will kick off the talks programme on 1 August. His presentation will set the stage for the four-day event, promising to be an inspiring and influential gathering for all attendees.

Steve Smith, an experienced media brand editor and writer, will lead a panel discussion on ‘The Business of Sustainability’ – tackling how to incorporate sustainability into standard business processes – as well as a talk delving into what inspires the new generation of designers.

Georgina Smit, green building specialist and senior manager at the Green Building Council South Africa, will discuss green building solutions as she highlights various strategies and innovative solutions that can be deployed to achieve net zero carbon, as well as how designers can avoid greenwashing by sharing globally agreed frameworks on circular design and principles.

Exploring how interior design can advance spatial justice and inclusivity in South Africa, interior architect and educator Audrey Nanjala will delve into the intersections of social design and spatial agency. Her talk will highlight how thoughtful design practices can create equitable and inclusive spaces.

Attendees will discover key principles, insightful case studies, and the transformative power of interior design in fostering environments that support diverse community needs.

Thapelo Ramahlo and Tshegofatso Choenyane of MaXhosa Africa Lifestyle will join Ngwendu in a conversation about the brand's expansion from fashion to lifestyle. They will share experiences, challenges, high points with MaXhosa Africa, along with the vision for the brand's future, including sustainability efforts.

Andrea Kleinloog, one half of the HesseKleinloog and Anatomy Design team alongside Megan Hesse, will offer an honest insight into working in Africa as both a designer and a woman. In her talk titled "Women in Design: Working in Africa," Kleinloog will discuss the realities of the design trade and environment. This session is specifically targeted at students in the industry, providing them with a candid understanding of the trade and the environment they will encounter upon graduation.

Pumla Maswanganyi, the founding principal of MM + Co, a design agency dedicated to democratising access to art and design to promote development mandates, will headline a presentation titled ‘African Life-Centric Design: Principles for Moving from Extraction to Regeneration’. This talk will explore the construction of a next-frontier approach to design and creation, with a focus on shaping the continent’s future.

In ‘Designer Futures: Reflecting on the Past, Understanding the Present, and Imagining the Future from a South African Perspective’, the Dean of the Built Environment Faculty at Inscape Education Group, Esther Martins, will emphasise sustainability, cultural integration and technological advancements in shaping our built environment.

Other speakers set to take the stage include Jana Hamman and Koos Groenewald of the in-demand creative branding and design agency Jana + Koos, who also designed the mind-bending 2024 Future Talks visual identity.

Joining them are multidisciplinary sustainable designer Matthew Edwards; architect Nerina Naude; Andrew Berry, director of brand consultancy The Bread; artist and curator Siwa Mgoboza; circular designer Pim Dekkers, and more.

The Future Talks series provide a unique platform for networking with industry peers, experts, and influencers. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, create new partnerships, and exchange ideas that can lead to collaborative projects and career advancement.

The Future Talks are free to attend with general admission tickets to Decorex Joburg, which is collocated within 100% Design Africa. Pre-registration is required, as the talks will have limited space.

Future Talks takes place from 1-4 August 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre. For more, go to https://www.decorex.co.za/joburg/en-gb.html