This November 2019 APID will host both international and local entrepreneurs, who will gather for the first time in Dubai for the ‘Road to Dubai Interior & Wellbeing Expo’.
The Expo will open the doors for design, economical and cultural exchange and will put emphasis on the value of interior design in generating wellbeing and happiness. Hosted by the Association of Professional Interior Designers (APID) and Hallaus Events, the Expo will then move onto Lahti, the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region, for the Finland Design Week in 2019.
The initial idea for the Road to Dubai came from Mrs. Farida Kamber Al Awadhi, the owner and Managing Director of Cinmar Design, and the President of APID and Emirati Women Business Council, with the event inviting new companies to exhibit their wellbeing and design products. The target audience consists of hoteliers, designers and wellbeing agencies and anyone who is looking for the latest and most innovative top-quality interior design and wellbeing products.
The main objective of the Road to Dubai is to boost economical exchange and encourage relationships between the UAE and Finland. There will be workshops, lectures and case studies, with companies and individuals also being able to book quick meetings in advance with designers, suppliers and manufacturers in order to increase and promote the economical and commercial exchange between the different stakeholders.
Following the Road to Dubai, all event participants will be invited to Lahti Design Week 2019 in Finland. The Finnish government is already supporting Finnish participants with a 50% refund of their attendance fees and the city of Helsinki is also offering a travel grant for Helsinki-based start-up companies who will attend this event.
This is a wonderful initiative that can, in the future, be adapted to many other disciplines and countries, so where better to kick it off than in the happy city of innovation, Dubai!
APID Ambassadors for the IFI Congress
APID has also announced the names of the UAE-based design professionals who will be the official ambassadors for the 13th instalment of the Biannual International Federation of Interior Designers (IFI) Congress, which will be held in Dubai in 2019. The event will be hosted by APID, who won the bid at the last edition of the Congress held in 2017 in Nigeria, picking up 17 out of 18 votes.
The ambassadors for the IFI Congress have been chosen based on their level of active participation within the field of design in the UAE, as well as on the extent to which they have ‘helped the region meet its design goals’. Their support for APID, a non-profit organisation that has been promoting the development of the architecture and design community throughout MENA since 2005, was also taken into consideration.
The ambassadors, taking in professionals who promote and endorse design in the region, business executives and owners, practicing interior designers, in addition to professors and academics, are: Esra Lemmens, Laura Bielecki, Omaima Ibrahim Mohammed Alrebati, Alison Grace-Gahan, Jane Muff, Faisal Ali Raisi, Ayida al Riami, Maja Kozel, Indu Varanasi, Pallavi Dean, Dr. Gamal el Samanoudy, Carlos Montana, Dr. Nagla Mahmoud, Kristin Lee, Juan Roldan, Annamaria Lambri, Roman Lafner, Darshan Shetty and Samiha Al Hashimi.
Creating a Vision of the Future
A visit for the delegates of the IFA was recently organised, which was used to help plan the Congress; this was the first of what will be a series of meetings that will be held to discuss various strategies for the event. The visit allowed delegates to get a sense of how the UAE architecture and design community operates, with a variety of ambassadors representing different sectors of the industry.
The decision as to what the theme of the Congress will be has not yet been made public, although it has been suggested that ‘how interior design and architecture is shaping and enhancing economies of wellknown cities’ is one possibility, with other themes revolving around smart cities also being muted.
The overall vision is to improve the experience for society in general by using advanced design methods that promote an attitude of sustainability, whilst establishing better guidelines in terms of designing experience-oriented spaces. There is also a strong desire to improve the education system for aspiring designers.
Travelling the Silk Road
Finally, this September will see INDEX provide a twist on the traditional show and an exploration of one of the most momentous design journeys one could ever make.
The theme of the show will take visitors on a journey from east to west, celebrating that ancient network of trade routes, ‘The Silk Road’, with colours and patterns that represent both the terrestrial and maritime routes connecting Asia with the Middle East and southern Europe.
INDEX will focus on individual designs and value driven products from Asia, together with premium products from Europe. Collectively, they will allow the show to present an extensive selection of interior products, aimed at the tastes and budgets of visitors who are looking to source their needs and requirements this autumn.
ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL INTERIOR DESIGNERS (APID)
P.O. BOX 408
DUBAI
UAE
T: +971 4 3252053
E: UAE.APID@GMAIL.COM
W: WWW.APID.AE