Speakers confirmed for Interior Motives China Conference 2010

Speakers are being confirmed for CDN's China conference this year, an event that seeks to bring together the changing design tones of global OEMs with the best of local design.

Titled ‘New brands and the search for a design identity', the conference will explore both global and Chinese influences in this exploding market, and include both international and Chinese design chiefs within global OEMs.

The event is hosted by CDN's print magazine, Interior Motives, and takes place in Beijing on 21-22 April, just before the auto show opens to the press on 23 April. It is the third in an annual series of conferences from Car Design News.

Presenters will include both Simon Loasby and Cia Qian, respectively director of design for VW China, and head of the Shanghai design studio for the Shanghai VW joint venture. VW has the largest sales of the Western OEMs in the market.

Likewise, Double Du and Robert Walker, respectively chief of the China design team, and project manager in the China design studio, for PSA Peugeot Citroën will also be speaking.

New Chinese design will be represented by rising talent such as Wulin Gaowa, a graduate of both Qinghua and Pforzheim, who has experience at the Mercedes Technology Center in Sindelfingen and Italdesign Giugiaro in Italy. She is now a senior designer at BATC (Beijing Automotive Technical Center), the design hub for Beijing Auto Works, and will be at the conference together with the director of design and development at BATC, Shan Wei.

Last year's Interior Motives conference was in Shanghai, and saw lively debate about the nature of the so-called ‘C-factor' as the key to Chinese automotive design. Chery's director of styling Li Chuanqun told delegates that "there is a misconception from young Chinese designers that Western design is the modern way to go.

"When they see traditional Chinese references they somewhat look down on them. Experienced designers need to show them examples of old culture. We need to bring the tools and processes from the West, but want our Chinese nationals to draw on their own influence."

Progress towards that goal will be one of the measures to look for at 2010's event.

The conference is supported by sponsors Alcantara, Eagle Ottawa, Johnson Controls and Stile Bertone, and is organized in partnership with the Beijing Auto Show, an affiliate of CCPIT (the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade).

The Interior Motives China Conference is the only event where Western and domestic car makers talk exclusively about the interior design of cars. Find out more at the conference website, where you can register to attend. There will be simultaneous English/Mandarin translation.

The conference is one of a trio of Car Design News events taking place on the eve of the Beijing Auto Show. Also among them is the announcement and presentation ceremony for our China Design Awards, which will be held at a dinner on 21 April, the evening of the first conference day.

Related Website:
http://china.interiormotivesconference.com

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