Let Melbourne Design Week (MDW), expand your horizons and dive into the latest in our local and international design scene with a lineup of events that are too good to miss. Top of our list is “Design Knows No Borders: Unlocking collective strength through alliance“, a collaborative event hosted by Cosentino, GH Commercial, and design extraordinaire Lorena Gaxiola.

Running from 5pm-7pm AEST on Thursday 23rd May in Cosentino City Melbourne showroom, this event is sure to be a highlight of the MDW program. Guests can enjoy drinks and canapes and welcome the first night of MDW with a design talk covering sustainability, partnerships, commercial synergy and professional development through a lens of bridging cultures and collaboration.

Designing without borders

Since immigrating to Australia some eight years ago, event host Lorena Gaxiola’s Mexican American descent has seen her forge successful commercial relationships that are founded on diversity and co-creation. Working to a philosophy of “Design Knows No Borders”, her approach has seen her drive unique and lasting collaborations with brands including Cosentino and GH Commercial.

Across this event, Lorena will be joined by fellow global citizens Itay Shimony (Cosentino’s Vice President, Oceania) from Israel, and Joel Williamson (National Commercial Sales Manager, GH Commercial) from Pennsylvania, for an immersive and educational evening. Unpack how to achieve a commercial and aesthetic synergy, understand the key strategic goals that partnerships can reach, and explore how thoughtful collaborations can help brands and designers reach new demographics and increase your market share.

“My passion and inspiration come from understanding global market trends deeply” says Gaxiola. “Growing up in Mexico exposed me to designs that break the rules, while over 20 years of practice in the United States taught me to balance form and function effectively. The panellists bring to Australia inspiring stories that blend cultural heritage and experience across various design mediums”.

The event will also provide exclusive insights from Cosentino and GH Commercial on how leading global brands harness diversity to help them thrive. From setting up thriving and cross-cultural working environments, to building long-term commercial strategies, and using creativity to drive sustainable growth, the content for this event is all about sharing stories and experiences to help drive success in an increasingly multicultural industry.

Register for free to confirm your place

Regardless of whether you’re an international designer, an Australian-based professional, or even just starting out in design, this event is a must-attend session with something for everyone. Grab a seat and bask in the knowledge of some of design’s biggest players, pick the brains of the experts along with some of their emerging creative teams to apply learnings to your own practice, or further your own design career with internship opportunities and an immersive Q&A session.

With all this and more on offer, this is an event we’ll be counting down the days for. And the best part? It’s totally free! Simply RSVP to confirm your attendance and be quick – as this event is only open to 100 people and with content like this, we’re willing to bet it’ll be bursting at the seams.

Register now and get ready to take a round the world design trip, all without leaving Melbourne’s CBD.