Blogging Interieur

I am flying to Belgium as I type this. How did I get here? A few months I ago I was invited by the Flanders Investment and Trade Commission to attend Interieur, an international design biennale in Kortrijk, Belgium. Though honored, I had never heard of this trade show and didn’t think it could justify four days out of the office. But after taking a closer look at the lineup of presenting designers, keynote speakers, themes, competitions, and creative work that has spawned from this show—I would have been crazy not to go.

THE SHOW AT A GLANCE

300 Exhibitors: Design firms from 14 different countries are filling the 120,000 square feet of exhibition space with every realm of fresh decor

Guest of Honor: Jamie Hayon, design’s most beloved wild card, will be the keynote speaker

Interieur Design Competition: The theme for this year’s battle of the most functional and creative decor prototypes is work-live-play.

Young Designers Fair: A competition to challenge design’s future stars and their shining ideas.

Design at Work Preview: A sneak peek of the innovative 2009 expo that explores product development across several sectors (communications, mobility, home, leisure, work, and care).

Workshops, Presentations, Debates: Subjects will cover trend forecasting, problem solving, and dreaming about the design world today and tomorrow.

Kortrijk’s Interieur will be the highlight, but for the next week I’ll be on the hunt for good design around the country. We’ll be traveling to Brussels which is hosting a Biennale of Art; Antwerp, the country’s fashion capitol; Ghent, the home of the Belgium’s premier design museum; and I am going to try and sneak in Bruges because I hear it’s one of the most charming cities in the world. In all these regions well be visiting different design firms and meeting with some of Belgium’s most influential designers.

During this whirlwind design tour I’ll be reporting on as many exciting new products, exhibits, people, ideas, and street-happenings as possible. So check back for the latest in European design and the adventures of PointClickHome abroad.