- On November 9, a meeting will be held that will bring together companies, designers, creators and architects around Spanish design at the Universal Exhibition site. 

- The conference -which will be held as a framework for the celebration of Dubai Design Week- is organized by the Spain Pavilion and promoted by Cosentino, Roca and Andreu World. 

Dubai, November 07, 2021:  Next Tuesday, November 9, the Spain Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will host Design Day. The main objective of the conference -organized by el Spain Pavilion and the official sponsors: Cosentino, Roca and Andreu World- is to value Design, as an engine of talent, innovation, technology and sustainability in our country, and bring together renowned architects, designers, institutions and companies in different fields of design. 

The Spain Pavilion, managed by Acción Cultural Española (AC / E), -the public company responsible for the presence of Spain in the Universal and International Exhibitions -, will host the meeting, which will be divided into different blocks. The first one - organized by Cosentino - is entitled Spanish Design: Freshness and Innovation for a Global Market and will feature the success stories of Juli Capella García Arquitectos and Stone Designs. At its conclusion a round table will begin with two basic areas: International Design: Challenges and Spanish Design: What it brings to the world and how to enhance its dissemination. The debate will be moderated by Pilar Marcos, Director of the Interior Design Magazine, will also feature the participation of Santiago Alfonso, VP Strategic Communication of Cosentino and Pablo Conde, Director of Habitat at ICEX. They will discuss topics such as the dilemma between local and global design, the ecological and environmental responsibility of the designer and companies, innovation in processes and materials: how they improve the designer's work and the quality of projects or design perspectives: From design experiences to environmental commitment. 

The second block - by Andreu World - will focus on 'Design as strategy: Case studies', a meeting that will analyze different outstanding cases in which design is the key factor for the generation of value, through different areas such as sustainable product and furniture design focused on the well-being and health of people, design as an axis of construction and planning of cities or as a factor of mobility. The designer Alfredo Häberli will speak about the concept, development and creative process of Giro Soft, a sustainable and circular furniture system, serving as an example of the application of design, ergonomics, comfort and sustainability to furniture and its adaptation to public and private spaces. Under the title, World Design Capital Valencia 2022: Past, Present and Future, Xavi Calvo, Director of  World Design Capital Valencia 2022, will share the experience, strategy and design plans to turn Valencia into the design capital of the world. The last session, “Andreu World. Sustainable Design”, will be in charge of Jesús Llinares, CEO of Andreu World, who will explain the case of Andreu World, as an example of innovation around the manufacture and creation of sustainable design. At the end, a round table will be moderated by Lena Marcuccilli, Editor-in-chief of Love That Design, and it will be attended, in addition to Marisa Santamaria, Director of RED of Leading Spanish Brands Forum (FMRE).  

The third block - by Roca - will be entitled Mediterranean design: a strategic value for a global Brand and will revolve around three sessions. The first session will be entitled ' Roca: from Barcelona to the World”, where through the case study of the Roca Barcelona Gallery, the brand's flagship building, Xavier Torras, Brand Communication Director de Roca- will talk with the architect Borja Ferrater about the origin and concept of this project, architectural or unique. The second session - Sustainable Design for a new future - will feature the designer Andreu Carulla presenting his work with one of the best restaurants in the world, Celler de Can Roca, and will talk with Marc Viardot -Roca's Marketing and Design Director- about the role of sustainable design. The third session Barcelona design and creativity hub will focus on the experience of this city as a world center of talent in the area of ​​design and creativity. Through different points of view (city, knowledge and business), the key elements for a city to become a benchmark in these fields will be analyzed and in which Jaume Collboni, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council and Laura Cleries Director of Elisava Research- Elisava University. These sessions will be moderated by Isabel Roig, Director of the Barcelona Center Disseny. 

The day will close with a meeting dedicated to Design and Gastronomy, which will feature a round table made up of Pablo Conde Díez del Corral, Director of Habitat - ICEX; Pedro Vargas,  

Director of International Projects - Leading Brands of Spain, Juli Capella, Capella García Arquitectos; Andreu Carulla, Industrial Designer; Borja Ferrater, OAB Office of Architecture Barcelona; Santiago Alfonso, VP Strategic Communication Cosentino; Xavier Torras, Brand Communication Director of Roca and Jesús Llinares, CEO - Andreu World. The panel will be moderated by Lena Marcuccilli, Content Director at Love That Design. 

The meeting on Spanish design - which will take place at Dubai Design Week- will be held from 7 to 14 November in this city and is a meeting point for the design and architecture community of the Middle East. It aims to encourage and promote projects, companies, products, initiatives and experiences based on design, which are carried out in our country and which are the engine of innovation, talent, sustainability, strategy and cultural, economic, urban and social development. 

The Attendance at the conference is free upon confirmation (RSVP) by registration: https://forms.office.com/r/GatBQD3d2S 

SPONSORING COMPANIES OF THE DESIGN DAY 

Cosentino Group, a global, Spanish and family-owned company, leader in the production and distribution of innovative surfaces for architecture and design, provides more than 2,800m2 of state-of-the-art materials that will cover different areas of the Pavilion. 

Roca is a company dedicated to the design, production and marketing of products for the bathroom, ceramic floor and wall tiles. Its origins date back to 1917, one hundred years after its founding, the company employs more than 24,200 people.  

Andreu World, a leading manufacturer of sustainable design furniture for workspaces, corporate and public global companies. With more than 65 years of experience and a National Design Award, the Spanish design brand will be in charge of the comprehensive furnishing of all areas of the Pavilion. 

COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS OF THE DESIGN DAY 

Spanish Cultural Action. Public entity dedicated to promoting and promoting the culture and heritage of Spain, inside and outside its borders, through a wide program of activities and initiatives that promote the mobility of professionals and creators. 

Leading Spanish Brands Forum (FMRE). Founded in 1999, it is a public-private alliance made up of more than one hundred Spanish companies with leading brands in their respective sectors, together with the Ministries of Industry, Trade and Tourism, and of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation. in addition to ICEX, Spain Export and Investments, the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM), the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Turespaña and the Secretary of State for Tourism. Its objective is to promote the strategic importance of the brand, innovation and design and promote the internationalization of companies as a key lever for improving the competitiveness of the Spanish economy, thus helping to enhance the image of Spain. 

The Spanish Business Council is a private non-profit organization whose goal is to establish a corporate platform that strengthens business and cultural ties between Spain and the United Arab Emirates, fostering relations between Spanish companies and Emirati public and private entities. 

ICEX. A national business public entity whose mission is to promote the internationalization of Spanish companies and the promotion of foreign investment.