Demetrios Fakinos, managing director of the European Design Awards, says the decision was based on many factors, chief among them the enthusiastic involvement from local designers and creative institutions. He says he is confident that the event in Luxembourg will be memorable.
“Luxembourg is an exciting place of unique and diverse venues, a country of green innovation, a destination of remarkable infrastructure, [and] a community of enthusiastic and knowledgeable designers,” he said.
The event will give Luxembourg the chance to showcase itself before the European design community, including some of the most successful and innovative agencies. Parallel activities will likely include exhibitions, workshops, and studio walks that highlight local talent. Design Luxembourg will concurrently host the Luxembourg Design Awards in order to further bring the country’s dynamism to light. These awards will show that although Luxembourg is relatively small, it is open, bubbling with creativity, and oriented to professionals.
Design Luxembourg played a central role in putting together the bid. Its new office, formed earlier this year by Thomas Tomschak, did not wait long to prove its worth, putting together a compelling bid in only six weeks. “We are absolutely delighted to have been able to win the reception of this prestigious event alongside Business Events Luxembourg. The festival will take place the day after Esch2022, and we are obviously counting on this superb period of international visibility to properly prepare the European Design Festival,” said the president of the non-profit.
Mr Tomschak says the national motto ‘Let’s Make It Happen’ aptly characterizes the country’s vivacious design sector, which energetically promotes itself despite its petite taille. “The Grand Duchy is home to an eager and enthusiastic creative scene which includes talented professionals producing design in various disciplines: product, service, fashion, and even photography,” Mr Tomschak said.
Of course, the decision to pick Luxembourg as the location for the European Design Festival 2023 also provides great satisfaction for Business Events Luxembourg, which helped to prepare the bid.
“We are very proud that Luxembourg will host this distinguished festival,” said CEO François Lafont, emphasizing how vital it was to enlist the participation of local talent and key players during the selection process. Many of these experts played a role in wowing the representatives of the European Design Festival who visited earlier this year.
Of course, both Design Luxembourg and Business Events Luxembourg are grateful to the working group that also hugely contributed to the success of the bid. These contributors include Kultur | lx, Esch2022, Casino Luxembourg, Cercle Cité, the Creative Industries Cluster by Luxinnovation, Rotondes, and Konschthal.
If you would like more information about the European Design Festival 2023, go to europeandesign.org. To know more about Design Luxembourg, visit designluxembourg.lu.
