The theme of The Superyacht Design Forum changes annually, and 2019’s theme certainly differs the most from any former editions of our event.

That may seem like an empty sentence, or perhaps sound cliché, however, this year’s theme, ‘An External Perspective’, has truly allowed for us to reach out into industries that have previously been strangers to superyachts and delve into the cutting-edge technology and design at the forefront of these industries.

Our hand-selected speakers are currently making their way to Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, from France, Italy, Spain, Finland and Russia, as the one-week countdown commences…

Last year, our loyal delegates and dedicated readers asked us to consider event speakers from beyond our industry. So, in answer to your wishes, we are proud to present this year’s line up!

On day one (Tuesday 25th) and day two (Wednesday 26th) of The Superyacht Design Forum, our opening keynote speakers will set the scene for two days of inspiring and thought-provoking discussions by identifying new ways to approach business and design within the superyacht market.

French architect and designer, Arthur Mamou-Mani AA dipl, ARB/RIBA FRSA, will kick-off day one, sharing his perspective on the superyacht industry, and how his unique approach to art and design through cutting-edge technology such as 3D-printing with bioplastic illustrates the potential of renewable materials and sustainable processes.

As director of the award-winning practice Mamou-Mani Architects, which specialises in a new kind of digitally designed and fabricated architecture, Mamou-Mani will explore how these methods may contribute to minimising the impact of carbon heavy manufacturing processes across industries.

Day two will commence with Smart4tech founder and CEO, Anna Poberezhna, illustrating the necessity of circular economics through a unique case study, and how this can be applied to the superyacht industry.

As a strategy and innovation expert, Anna will explore how the years she has spent addressing efficiency, security & sustainability challenges through merging the circular economy, innovation and finance, led her to the creation of Smart4tech, her boutique technology and sustainable innovation venture.

The Superyacht Design Forum is also delighted to welcome Ben Jeffries, CEO & Co-Founder of Influencer, and Chris Donnelly, Founder & Managing Director of Verb Brands, to this year’s event. Jeffries and Donnelly will use their significant expertise to consider what the superyacht industry is doing right, or indeed wrong, in terms of social media. For all the superyacht market’s varied genius few would argue that it has conquered the world of social media, meaning that the ideas presented by Donnelly and Jeffries may prove to be invaluable…

Marking its London debut, award-winning Italian architect Beatrice Bonzanigo will present 'Casa Ojalá'. Within 27sqm, this flexible living space developed from a manual mechanical system of ropes, pulleys and cranks, will reveal the real meaning of space optimisation.

Many of The Superyacht Design Forum’s workshops will put a spotlight on sustainability, and Casa Ojalá will provide an insight into alternative sustainable design processes. IB Studio provides customers with the foundation components that make up the integral structure of Casa Ojalá, while an instructional construction manual accompanies the product, providing guidance on how to source and utilise sustainable materials to produce the spectacular final product.

Saku Sysiö, co-founder and designer at Aivan, will introduce us to synthetic biology - an interdisciplinary branch of biology and engineering. Sysiö’s session will reveal the design process and inspiration behind the world's first microbe grown headset, illustrating the potential of the SynBio movement in product design.

We have invited all of our speakers to provide their honest perspective on the superyacht industry, so please prepare in advance for your feathers to be ruffled as we sail close to the wind in each of this year’s sessions.

Hosted by Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, the largest of its kind in Europe, home to 120 showrooms and over 600 of the world's most prestigious luxury brands, The Superyacht Design Forum is an opportunity to meet like-minded, innovation-friendly design professionals and get access to a selection of the most forward-thinking showrooms.

Final tickets available here.

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