Luca Palermo on the new, Singapore-based FIND — Design Fair Asia coming this September

What does the design trade fair landscape look like this year?

The outlook is positive. As more restrictions are streamlined and lifted, borders are becoming increasingly permeable. People are able to travel to different parts of the world to explore and discover more designs and trends. However, there is still an insufficient amount of information on the Internet to cover the needs of designers and consumers. We still need tangible and tactile experiences – touching and feeling materials, seeing furniture close up, and more.

As a result of streamlined restrictions, more people with similar interests can gather in one setting, gathering more
information and having a deeper understanding of trends. In our observations, people have developed a strong desire to meet in person to exchange ideas.

In Europe, we’re seeing fairs in hotspots such as Paris, Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki. In Milan, the 60th edition of Salone del Mobile will be returning with more fervour in June. It will focus on sustainability, and showcase the progress made by creatives, designers and companies. It will be at Salone del Mobile that FIND – Design Fair Asia will be introduced to the design community, and we are confident that this will generate a great deal of interest among exhibitors and fair goers.

Are virtual design fairs here to stay?

As a result of the unprecedented pandemic, we have adapted to new norms, such as presenting through digital means. Using hybrid event management, visitors can interact with exhibitors virtually or physically at dmg events. Attendees can access a virtual event platform where exhibitors will be allocated an online space to showcase their brands/products. Speakers can participate via a high-speed digital platform. Content for marketing campaigns, event schedules, and exhibitors’ e-catalogues can be posted to the website for viewers to browse as well. Virtual visitors and exhibitors can also connect using advanced technology.

Through virtual design fairs, companies can expand their outreach, and provide visitors with an alternative way to attend. However, while this may augment and amplify the experience, digitalisation cannot replace physical interaction and seeing and feeling accessories up close.

Could you comment on the shift in consumer preferences following the pandemic?

As the world begins to recover and reopen its economies after managing the Covid-19 crisis, the period of contagion, self-isolation, and economic uncertainty – while not entirely behind us – is beginning to seem distant.

Travel has been severely curtailed since the pandemic, so interior designers and architects aren’t as footloose as they used to be. A fair like this, set in a design hub and gateway to Asia enables more than 500 international exhibiting brands and over 15,000 physical and virtual attendees to exchange ideas and trade. As the first new international design fair to emerge amidst the pandemic, it is an important part of Singapore Design Week.

Visitors in Asia can view collections from across the globe in one venue over three days without having to travel to key design fairs in Europe or to individual countries, gaining access to solutions that will grow their business.

Though FIND is a global event, we want to promote and introduce the East’s creative and design talent to the West. Our hope is that designers, architects and corporations will be inspired by the curated content of exhibits, talks, showcases and more that we have developed, and that they will find work that has a lasting impact on the design scene and society. Consumers will also be able to pick up inspired pieces that can add interest to their living spaces.

Could you also share some of your observations about how brands exhibit today?

The exhibiting strategies of brands are far more nuanced these days. Furniture and accessories designers are focusing more and more on storytelling, formulating holistic solutions, and setting a scene or context for use rather than selling pieces blow-by-blow. Sustainability, climate change, and fair trade are also more widely understood.

Additionally, the Italians have shifted their mindset from Made-in-Italy to Made-with- Italian approach. Using this consultative approach, Italian brands are now creating pieces tailored to markets such as Singapore that take into account the market context as well as spatial constraints and climatic factors.

Why not create a South-east Asian-Focused version of the Salone like Salone Del Mobile.Shanghai? Why start from scratch?

Because FIND – Design Fair Asia wants to embrace more design. As the host of the Salone del Mobile. Milano and the organiser of HOMI, the Italian lifestyles trade fair, we will share our expertise with partners such as Dsg, dmg events, and STB. FIND will be the showcase and host to design tastemakers and key opinion leaders such as Tony Chambers, Yoko Choy, architect Andre Fu, and more.

Additionally, we wish to create a platform where South-east Asian designers can exhibit their work, shine on the international stage, and achieve positive outcomes in terms of branding and revenue. Our goal is to create a radically different experience for the design community by avoiding templates and formulas.

For more information, visit www.designfairasia.com.

Read Next

Homegrown designer Clara Yee about her Salone del Mobile debut

Nigerian-American designer Ini Archibong on how mythology and culture inform his art

Han Sai Por shapes rural Singapore into art