The first World Design Summit

On March 20, 2025, CIFF Guangzhou hosted the first edition of the World Design Summit, a gathering of interior designers from all over the world, coordinated by curator Tung Ching Yew.
Many topics were addressed, with a common thread of sustainability and inclusivity. The four keynote speakers presented their perspectives on the theme, drawing from their professional visions.

Ms Crystal Deng, General Manager at CIFF, introduced the Forum.

Discover more on CIFF Guangzhou

Crystal Deng, CIFF General Manager

Design as an inclusive culture

The speaker form Italy, Antonio D. De Antonis, President of AIPI (Italian Association of Professional Interior Designers), based in Milan, shared a video remotely. His speech emphasized the aspect of inclusivity. Drawing on his long experience, he showcased how architecture and interior design can become tools for the inclusion of diversity.

World design summit: our life is a design journey

Tung Ching Yew, the curator, is a distinguished interior designer from Singapore with over 25 years of experience in design consultancy and project management, and president of the Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS). His keynote address focused on aspects of life usually overlooked by interior designers, including the end of life, as a design element. His talk was therefore of great interest and highly engaging, encouraging the audience to reflect on how interior design is a constant element in shaping our daily lives.

Read more on the first World Design Summit

Tung Ching Yew, the World Design Summit Curator

The vintage is a value

Luthfi Hasan, on the other hand, is a leading Indonesian interior designer and author, known for his unique design philosophy that fuses historical charm with contemporary flair. He is also the founder of Jakarta Vintage, a platform celebrating vintage furniture and design, and a member of HDII (Indonesian Interior Designers Association). In his speech, he explored the role of vintage in interior design, continuing a discourse he began years ago and which in 2025 culminated in his fourth book, MAKSIMALIS: Spaces of Vintage Hipsters (2025), exploring the cultural depth of maximalist design.

Lufthi Hasan

The Middle East: a booming market for design

The fourth speaker, Brian Shegar, took a very practical approach. He is an accomplished figure in international banking, with a career spanning the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions. He has also served as CEO of top global banks. His speech delved into the dynamics of business expansion in the Middle East, offering a broad overview of business opportunities in the region. He also explored the requirements for operating successfully in the Middle East.

Mr Brian Shegar

The panels dicussion

In the afternoon, three panels discussion took place, each delving into specific issues.

The first panel, moderated by Kezia Karin, included Mr. Francis Surjaseputra (Board of Councils, Indonesian Society of Interior Designers – HDI), Mr. Koji Sakai (Board of Directors, Japan Interior Design Association), IDr Norshafina Ibrahim (President, Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers – MID), and Ms. Roberta Mutti (Journalist and Consultant, The DesignWeekGuide). They addressed questions on the role of technology in creating a borderless design business. An interesting discussion also emerged around advice for young designers just starting their careers, with a digression on the benefits of travel.

Technology to build a borderless design business

The second panel, made up of Mr. Emil Chao (Chief Advisor, Chinese Society of Interior Designers), Ar. Sarosh Wadia (President, Institute of Indian Interior Designers), Ms. Cathy Veninga (CEO, Designers Institute of New Zealand), Ms. Vachira Thanmathikom (Secretary General, Thailand Interior Designers’ Association – TIDA), Mr. Nguyen Quoc Thong (Vice President, Vietnam Interiors Association), and Mr. CM Jao (Vice President, Hong Kong Interior Design Association), again moderated by Kezia Karin, also focused on the role of technology in building a borderless design business. Another interesting line of discussion developed around the importance of preserving local identity while integrating technology.

The third panel, which included Brian Shegar (Director, M-E Asia Consultancy Pte Ltd, President, UAE Singapore Business Council), Mr. Fouzi Ali Bondagjy (CEO, Technical Support Trading & Construction), and Ms. Tonya Tan (Founder & Business Sustainability Enabler, World Future Enterprises), outlined the details of a rapidly expanding market: the Middle East.

The World Design Summit: key takeaway

The first World Design Summit – a natural evolution of the Asia Pacific Design Summit – demonstrated how global collaboration in interior design is evolving. With inclusivity, sustainability, and technology as its pillars, the event highlighted the power of design to shape not only spaces but also societies. The presence of voices from across continents emphasized a shift towards a more connected, thoughtful, and culturally rich future in the field of interior design.
So, we are ready for the next edition of the World Design Summit.

Some images from the Summit

Previous

Next