NB: Please note places are bookable for this event by debit (Switch Maestro) or credit (Mastercard / Visa) ONLY. Thank you.

THE EVOLUTION OF TEXTILES, TECHNOLOGY & THE CONSUMER...

This unique full day symposium highlights the emerging climate of ‘smartness’ encompassing intelligent textiles, textile technology, wearable technologies, and design.

A DesignPlus conference - tickets bookable through NMK

The event will match-make cutting-edge innovative development with on-the-pulse market opportunities, here in London and beyond. Key issues to be addressed include; the real needs of consumers, the opportunities for brands and developers, the social and environmental impact of smartness.

The event brings together a diverse range of speakers to inform and bring this broad agenda to life. The four main sessions each tackle a different dimension of Smartness:

Smart Climate introduces the spectrum of trends and drivers: technology and textiles convergence, the consumer and environmental perspective. Keynote speaker James Woodhuysen will take a typically polemical, but humanist view and challenge any complacency about our smartness.

Smart Talk explores in more detail the divergence of practice and terminology that can create barriers to multidisciplinary work. A short documentary film and work from Central St Martins are presented as methodologies to break through these challenges.

Smart Endeavour looks at an exciting range of cutting edge brands and companies experiencing the commercial realities of bringing products to the market place across a range of sectors, levels of innovation and scales of business

Smart Impact brings the speakers together for a panel discussion that will map out the smart terrain for the future, from the perspective of real users, the environment, technology, economics and the working methods that will lead to success.

The symposium ends with a Smart parade, networking, drinks and the Smart Materials Bazaar range of materials and technologies. This has been assembled by Smart.mat KTN and the speakers, for hands on experience by the delegates.

Symposium speakers and brands presenting include:

James Woudhuysen - International forecasting guru
Suzanne Lee - Author of Fashioning the Future
David Buirski - World Sports Activeware Journal editor
Jane McCann - Smart Clothes and Wearable Technology Research Group, University of Wales
Brian McCarthy - TechniTex network
Rob Holdway - Giraffe Innovation
Suzi Webster - Electric Skin
Bas Raijmaker - Documentary maker RCA
Stan Swallow - Intelligent Textiles
Mark Oberholzer - Charcoal Cloth International
Richard Palmer - D3o Lab

This event signals the establishment of a regular annual forum, network and communications channels for bringing together the diverse audiences of Designers, Brands, research, textiles and technology companies.

It is the first major event of the London Design Festival which takes place throughout the 2nd half of September.

Cost: £150.00

Places are bookable here through the NMK website by credit and debit card ONLY.