Times and guests confirmed for The Hello! Show

Hello! - Anatomy of Communication is more than just an installation; it’s a forum for an in-depth and far-ranging discussion about design. The Show can be seen at Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair on 5-9 February 2013.

“From the very beginning, the idea has been to create a spatiality for communication in which furniture and design have a presence in words and images, as well as a physical presence,” explains Hello! producer Sanna Gebeyehu.

Just as in previous years, The Hello! Show will be highlighting a wide range of design, furniture and working environment issues. The main focus this year is on what, when and how we communicate through them. Starting on the Tuesday afternoon and for the next three days, The Hello! Show will run a morning session between 11:00 and 12:00, as well as an afternoon session between 15:00 and 16:00.

Moderator Johanna Agerman Ross – founder and chief editor of Disegno design magazine – gets the ball rolling and her show immediately follows the project’s press briefing. The theme is design communication and the international discussion panel consists of Marcus Fairs (dezeen.com), Justin McGuirk (Strelka Press) and Hanna Nova Beatrice (lecturer and author of “Behind the Scenes - stories from the Design Industry”).

“I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about contemporary design culture, which is extremely focused on images and which places extremely little weight on debating the subject of design. Most design communication is carried on via online images these days, instead of op-ed articles or design reviews. The panelists are sure to provide insightful observations on this contemporary phenomenon,” predicts Johanna Agerman Ross.

Stefan Nilsson is hosting the Wednesday and Thursday programs.

“I’m enormously proud and pleased to have been asked to be talkshow host for the Hello! Show. This is the third time I’ll be discussing and debating with some of the brightest minds in our industry,” he says.

The Friday program is completely dedicated to architecture and the rather special role architects play in the world of design.

“Despite the fact that architecture is the most present of the fine arts and we live with it every day, it’s seldom discussed with much passion in the media,” notes Mark Isitt, who’s in charge of the Friday program.

“What’s that all about? What happened to the debate? What can be done to advance architecture’s position? Our panelists from The Swedish Museum of Architecture, the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design and the Swedish Association of Architects should have all the answers.”

‘Show 'n Tell’ is a new feature in the program and is a series of short presentations that come right after the morning show.

“To explain the concept behind an item of furniture, what you were thinking and how you arrived at the design, gives a deeper dimension to the object. This is something we’ve wanted to focus on more this year and so we’re giving furniture companies a chance to introduce themselves, their products and designers,” explains Sanna Gebeyehu, Producer of The Hello! Show.

Another new feature this year is “The Hello! Phone”, where members of the audience can send a question straight to the panel by text message for the moderator to put during the concluding ten minutes of the show.

Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair is taking place at Stockholmsmässan 5-9 February 2013.

To find out more, please visit www.stockholmfurniturefair.com or contact:

Jessica Agert, Media Relations Manager at Stockholmsmässan, tel +46 8 749 4336, jessica.agert@stockholmsmassan.se

Cecilia Nyberg, Event Manager for Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair, tel +46 8 749 4386, cecilia.nyberg@stockholmsmassan.se

Time schedule for The Hello! Show:

TUESDAY 5 FEB

14:30 Press Conference A42:20 In the Hello! Exhibition

Sanna Gebeyehu – Hello! Producer

Gert Wingårdh – Architect

Kustaa Saksi – Illustrator

14:45

Designology - The art of communicating design (in English)

How do you communicate design today – and how important is communication for a designer? How has design media changed in the last five years and what are its biggest challenges? What role does the image, written word and newsletter play in communicating a product? In a time where we see less critiquing of design, both in specialist and in mainstream media, and more opinion-free posting and publishing of images, how will the quality and look of products be affected in the long-term?

Moderator: Johanna Agerman Ross, Chief Editor of Disegno

Guests: Hanna Nova Beatrice, lecturer and author of “Behind the Scenes - stories from the Design Industry”, Marcus Fairs, Chief Editor of Dezeen, Justin McGuirk, Director Strelka Press

WEDNESDAY FEB

11:00-12:00

Furniture in and out of the box – Communicating design values

Once a piece of furniture is finished, it needs to be packaged and sold. How do you send a message about the design, and what should that message be? How do you package the item in terms of pure communication and marketing? A look at design through the eyes of communications professionals.

Moderator: Stefan Nilsson

Guests: Mary Lee Copeland, Storytelling expert, Björn Kussofsky, Chief Executive Officer /Creative Director Stockholm Design Lab, Karin Wallenbeck, designer What´s What, Olle W Stråhle, CEO Wolfgang Design, Karl Fredrik Mattsson, copywriter R-B-K, Erik Larsson, Art Director R-B-K

12:00-13:00 Show’n Tell

15:00-16:00

Personalizing the business - The Designer as USP (in English)

“Wanted: Un-personal brand seeks designer with personality for mutual benefits”. What role does the designer’s personality and status play for furniture manufacturers? What makes a designer attractive to work with in addition to his or her knowledge and skill?

Moderator Stefan Nilsson

Guests: Luca Nichetto, Designer , Mary Lee Copeland, Storytelling expert, Johanna Agerman Ross, Chief Editor Disegno, Gustav Carlberg, designer Greenhouse, Daniel Svahn, designer

THURSDAY 7 FEB

11:00-12:00

The world’s most wonderful reception – The office as a means of communication

Has the brand face moved into your workspace? Communicating corporate values through your office design is becoming increasingly popular. The corporate identity boundary is slowly but surely making its way further and further into the office. Highlighting your company identity in your reception area and branded conference rooms is no longer enough. The way we work and where we work act as a communication channel for the company as a whole. How do we create a balance between undisturbed working and branding?

Moderator Stefan Nilsson

Guests: Christopher Norman, Brand Strategist Essen International, Susanna Toivanen – Researcher, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology, Zeke Tastas, Creative Director, Helena Thoresson – Architect Wingårdhs, Frida Wanselius, Interior Designer Reflex

12:00-13:00 Show’n Tell

15:00-16:00

How should we be sitting, how should we be working? Communication technology and working environment

Communication technology has developed at a tremendous pace. Over the course of 20 years, it has changed when, where and how we work. How does technology influence us, our working environment and the way in which we plan our workspaces? How will it develop in the future?

Moderator: Stefan Nilsson

Guests: Peter Ullstad, Architect Co Design, Susanna Toivanen – Researcher, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sociology, Tobias Berneth, Chief designer in Europe, Huawei

FRIDAY 8 FEB

11:00-12:00

Architecture – Where did the debate go?

Newspapers devote a lot of space to books, ballets, plays and movies. But what about architecture? Despite the fact that it has more impact on us than any of the other fine arts, there is a curious lack of debate about our buildings.

Moderator: Mark Isitt

Guests:Stina Nilimaa Wickström, Chairman of the Board of the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, Monica Pourshahidi, The Swedish Museum of Architecture, Catherina Fored, The Swedish Association of Architects

12:00-13:00 Show’n Tell

15:00-16:00

To draw or not to draw?

On which side of the table does the architect do most good? Do you have a greater impact on community development by doing what you have been trained to do, drawing and planning, or by working as editor, city architect, teacher, curator…? Mark Isitt chats with a group of people who have dared to step away from the drawing pen.

Moderator: Mark Isitt