Sarawak Design Centre (Saradec), the organiser of Sarawak Design Week 2023, is thrilled to announce that the four-day design-led event was a great success, despite being held over business days. The event, which took place from February 13th to 16th, brought together industry professionals and enthusiasts to the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) to celebrate design in all its forms, with a special focus on the SayD’Singers Pavilion.
While having the expo organised over several business days presented a unique challenge for Saradec, the company was determined to create an inclusive and accessible event that would appeal to a wider audience. Sarawak Design Week saw a strong turnout, which is well beyond expectations.
“Over the course of the four-day event, we welcomed some 10,000 visitors, including industry professionals and design enthusiasts, as well as the general public, who came to experience the very best in design presented here at the expo on Level 1 and Level 2,” said Saradec Chairman, Datuk Haji Mohd Naroden Bin Haji Majais, in a statement read by Saradec CEO Dayang Nena Abang Bruce in a press conference on the expo held at BCCK earlier this afternoon.
“We have yet to receive the final figure for sales and trade enquiries for the expo, but as of now, we have arrived at RM446,716, which we must say is a good start,” he added, saying that this was a testament to the strength of the design industry and the creative individuals who worked hard to bring their designs to life.
The four-day design week is a dynamic and vibrant platform that gives Sarawak’s young designers under the SayD’Signers program a chance to show how they push the boundaries of creativity and innovation to create bespoke, one-of-a-kind pieces that are aesthetically forward-looking while incorporating Sarawak-inspired design philosophy.
It also includes other exhibitions, workshops, and talks by prominent local and international names in design held throughout the expo.
“The Speakers sessions were an excellent platform for educating the public about the potentials of the design industry and the challenges it presents, particularly in Sarawak,” said Naroden. “Our foreign speakers thanked us for bringing them here to Sarawak, where they had the chance to reach a wider audience and share their knowledge on design.”
BorneoTalk’s Design Cube @ Art Wall was also one of the biggest crowd-pullers at the expo, attracting streams of visitors over four days. a
The Design Cube is an artsy, colourful, eclectic space where visitors can express themselves creatively through scribbles and drawings on the Art Wall, and take beautiful memorable moments inside the Cube itself. The design concept expresses our beautiful culture, accentuated and given a modern take for all to enjoy as one in a community.
The Art Wall sees a delightful mix of people, from toddlers and their parents to businessmen and artists, even Sarawak’s Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah bin Ali Hasan, leaving their mark and their personal brand of art on the “wall”.
A good design raises people’s spirits, creates a higher quality of life, enriches the existing environment, creates higher capital value, attracts people, increases marketability and prestige, and gives confidence in one’s surrounding areas.
Sarawak Design Week is set to become an important fixture on Kuching’s calendar of events, and the success of this year’s event is a testament to Saradec’s commitment to drive the growth of Sarawak’s furniture industry and transform the State into a vibrant design hub.
A collaboration between Saradec and Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, Sarawak Design Week 2023 is endorsed by the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment Sarawak (MINTRED) and supported by STIDC.
