International design stars in Łódź. We're counting down the days to BiznesUp! design made in Poland

On May 24 - 25, Łódź will shine with the stars of an international design. The leading representatives of Polish contemporary design, international experts and market practitioners will meet at the Art_Inkubator in Łódź, Poland to talk about the potential of the creative industry on the foreign markets. During two-day event Łódż will host Piet Hein Eek (Dutch designer and trendsetter), Ake Rudolf (IDZ), Audrone Drungilaite (BEDA), Pete Kercher (EIDD) and many other world-class design experts. The focal point of the program will be presentation of the 40 Polish brands, including 20 companies from Łódź. Panel discussions, open lectures and PolishUp exhibition by Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka and Paweł Grobelny are just a part of the attractions waiting for BiznesUp! guests.

International and Polish experts

The two-day formula of the event will allow discussing the condition of the design industry in Poland, as well as its position on the German, British and Scandinavian markets. In addition, participants of BiznesUp! design made in Poland will have the opportunity to take part in workshops and panel discussions conducted by international experts.

During the event, participants will have a unique opportunity to attend and take part in workshops and lectures conducted by, among others, Audrone Drungilaite, board member of BEDA, winner of the Lithuanian Design Award and executive director of the Lithuanian Design Forum (LDF), Ake Rudolf, organizer of many exhibitions and presentations at such events as Tokyo Design Week, Seoul Design Festival, Taiwan Design Expo, the person who shaped the content strategy of the International Design Festival in Berlin and Pete Kercher, board member of BEDA, founder of EIDD - Design for all Europe and currently its ambassador.

Among Polish speakers, participants will meet such great personalities as Monika Czaplicka, CEO of Wobuzz, social media specialist and start-ups mentor, Aleksandra Przegalińska, researcher at MIT Sloan School of Management as well as Beata Fabisiak - assistant professor at the Department of Furniture Technology at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań and project coordinator of BaltSe@nioR.

Open lecture by Piet Hein Eek - Ecology in service of design

A special guest of this year's edition of BiznesUp! design made in Poland is Piet Hein Eek, world-famous Dutch designer and trendsetter, graduate of the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven. Piet Hein Eek during the open lecture on Friday, May 25 at 17:30 will talk about ecology in service of contemporary design.

Presentation of 40 unique brands

In the first stage of the BiznesUp! design made in Poland, 40 proactive brands characterized by creativity and original design have been selected. Their representatives will present their products during the forum on May 25. Participants will also take part in discussions, meet with investors and distributors, and present their products at the special PolishUp exhibition which promotes Polish design and is curated by Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka and Paweł Grobelny.

- The exhibition communicates on three levels. On the basic – visual, it presents attractive items that you should look for in stores. The second - deeper level is information. Often, we have no idea that the things we like were designed by local designers and were produced in the neighbourhood. Finally, at the third level, the exhibition reveals the connection lines between the craftsman and the industry, between the designer and the producer, between the product and how it can be communicated – says Agnieszka Jacobson-Cielecka, curator of the PolishUp exhibition.

The project "Increasing the international economic rank of the Łódź Voivodeship through the organization and promotion of Łódź Design Festival 2018 and Łódź Design Forum" is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Regional Operational Program.

More information: http://www.lodzdesign.com/biznesup/