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Design Indaba 2012 includes the Design Indaba Conference and Simulcast from 27 February to 1 March 2012, and Design Indaba Expo from 1 to 3 March 2012.
Design Indaba Conference
Since 1995, the Design Indaba Conference has invited the world’s top creative minds to address professionals from the creative, corporate and educational sectors alike. Championing creativity that enhances every aspect of the world around us, Design Indaba recognises graphic design, advertising, film, music, fashion design, industrial design, architecture, craft, visual art, new media, publishing, broadcasting and performing arts shoulder-to-shoulder.
Why attend?
The Design Indaba Conference and Simulcast promises:
- Over 30 local and international speakers under one roof.
- Three days of inspiration and design overload get your creative juices flowing.
- The speakers are masters of their industries and disciplines with knowledge that you will not find on the internet or in a book.
- Everything at Design Indaba Conference has cross-disciplinary application possibilities.
- Design Indaba Conference attracts business people, designers, creatives and educators, making it the ideal event at which to network and meet like-minded individuals.
- Delegates who attend come from far and wide with as much as 20% of the audience from abroad. This highlights Design Indaba’s influence in the international creative community.
- It is a one-of-a-kind conference in South Africa and renowned globally for the value it adds to the design industry both locally and abroad.

There are lots of benefits to being young. One of the best reasons is the discounted rate at which young designers and professionals under the age of 25 can attend a live simulcast of the 2012 Design Indaba Conference, at venues in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.
As the foremost creative platform in the country, Design Indaba is committed to promoting the industry by making it accessible to young people, laying a foundation for a better future by design. As such, Design Indaba’s Young Designers Simulcast (YDS) is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for under-25s to experience the magic of the main Design Indaba Conference through a live broadcast to a second auditorium.
Here’s some of the feedback from the YDS delegates at the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture in 2012.
It was truly amazing and exceptionally inspirational. Most of the things there I would have thought were impossible but I was proven wrong. It was an incredible experience! - Tanya Blaeser, multimedia student, University of Johannesburg
The simulcast was amazing, what an experience! Thank you so much for organising it. - Lee-Ann van der Westhuizen, multimedia student, University of Johannesburg
It was very very cool!! Very inspiring and exciting. - Stephanie Ryder, architecture student, University of Johannesburg
It was fantastic. Really exciting to see what is being done out there and how boundaries between disciplines are breaking down. I found it very worthwhile and am very grateful for the opportunity. - Caroline Turner, jewellery design student, University of Johannesburg
Thank you so much for the opportunity! The Young Designer Simulcast was nothing short of mind-blowing. Really amazing to hear what makes top creatives tick. - Roland Richartz, industrial design student, University of Johannesburg
I really enjoyed it. It helps to see design from an outside perspective. I think we all get very caught up in trying to define what South African design and Design Indaba helped me realise that it’s nothing more than contextualising the problem. The opening video, which ended with "I am not a designer", spoke to me. It made me realise that what we do is solve problems and the method by which those problems are solved is not as important as the solution itself. All in all, I'm overly inspired and under-funded for all the projects I have in mind. - Maneesh Chiba, multimedia student, University of Johannesburg

Cape Town International Convention Centre
Located on Cape Town's northern foreshore beneath Table Mountain, the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) provides a flexible facility that meets the high expectations of Design Indaba's organisers.
The spacious conservatories are flooded with natural light and surrounded by indigenous flora. These relaxing, less-formal settings are perfect for exhibits, cocktails, light lunches, a meal on the run, or just a moment of quiet reflection in the course of a busy conference schedule.
The largest and most advanced kitchen facility in the Western Cape, manned by internationally-trained kitchen staff, ensures superb banqueting facilities that provide quality menus. The kitchen is linked to seven satellite kitchens located strategically around the centre, ensuring timeous and efficient delivery of hot, fresh meals for any number of people.
1 400 secure on-site parking bays are available for visitors.
The complex is disabled-friendly, with international standard wheel-chair access, designated drop-off points and parking bays, toilets for the physically challenged and elevators with Braille inscription.
Website: www.cticc.co.za
UJ Arts Centre
The UJ Arts Centre offers great shows and stunning exhibitions in a secure environment. The Centre consists of an art gallery and a 436-seat high-tech theatre building. Since 2005, the UJ Arts Centre has been the venue of choice for many prestigious events. The most acclaimed of these are the Sundowner Concerts held on Mondays at 17:30, featuring some of the best South African classical musicians. International musicians also perform frequently and it is absolutely free.
UJ Arts in association with the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, also hosts four Architecture Lectures annually. The speakers are award-winning professionals who have designed landmark buildings across South Africa. The lectures are accredited (0.1 CPD points) and a finger supper is included.
This Art Centre has a prime location on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus of the University of Johannesburg and is easily accessible directly off Kingsway (c/o University Rd and Kingsway). Convenient and secure parking on campus is also available for visitors to the centre.
Website: http://www.uj.ac.za/en/artsacademy/Pages/home.aspx
Suncoast Conference Centre
Suncoast, with its unique architecture, bright lights, theme imagery, luxurious facilities and comfortable atmosphere, makes it the perfect conference, event and function destination on Durban's North Beach.
Conveniently situated on the first floor of this magnificent art deco building, Suncoast Conference Centre boasts two purpose built conference/function rooms that are capable of hosting both large and small meetings, awards functions and banquet dinners.
Over and above this, the Suncoast Cincecentre houses a multi-purpose 490 seater cinema/auditorium with ultra luxury seating, writing facilities and large screen, which is ideal for conferences, business presentations, product launches and corporate hospitality events.
Website: http://www.suncoastcasino.co.za/Conferencing/Pages/default.aspx
Where is the event and what about parking at the venue?
The event will be taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, with secure, pay-on-foot parking facilities available on the basement level of the building.
Can I share ticket with my friends?
For security and access control reasons, each Design Indaba delegate accreditation is assigned to a single user only. Unfortunately the delegate accreditation is not transferable and non-registered delegates with a delegate accreditation will be turned away at the access control.
How do I buy tickets?
Bookings open at the beginning of November. You can either register to attend the event online or download the delegate registration form and follow the manual registration process.
How do I collect my ticket?
Once you register online or manually with the delegate registration form, your details will be added to our delegate database. Registration will only be validated once fee is received before 20 January 2012. On-site accreditation stations will be setup in the registration foyer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre from the day before to provide all delegates with access cards, delegate bags, event programmes and delegate t-shirts.
Can I buy tickets on the day?
If there’s any available, yes, but it would be at a premium to cover additional admin. Historically, the conference tickets are sold out two weeks prior to the first day of the event.
Can I attend one day?
Very limited tickets are available for each day of the event. They are R2 680 including VAT per day per ticket and no discounts are available for this category of tickets.
When can I get a copy of the speaker programme?
Typically, a draft of the event programme and full speaker list is only released in February. However, speaker names will be released from December onwards.
Can I get a copy of a speaker presentation or transcript?
Unfortunately not. Many videos of past speaker presentations are available on designindaba.com, as well as the latest articles, interviews and profiles on leading creatives.
How do I register to attend as media?
Please note that registration opens at 2pm on Tuesday 28 February 2012
Wednesday 29 February 2012
| MC | Michael Bierut & Michelle Constant | |
| 7:00 9:00 |
Registration and tea/coffee Serame Taukobong opens conference |
|
| 9:10 9:50 |
FoxP2 John Bielenberg |
|
| 10:30 | Tea/coffee | |
| 11:00 11:40 |
Dan Pearson René Redzepi |
|
| 12:20 | Lunch | |
| 13:20 14:00 |
Eddie Opara Pecha Kucha: Rahim Bhimani, Carly Berger, Andy Chen, Renée Rossouw, Brynjar Sigurðarson, Sputniko! & Massoud Hassani |
|
| 15:00 | Tea/coffee | |
| 15:30 16:10 |
Urban-Think Tank Chris Milk & Aaron Koblin |
|
| 17:05 | Finish |
Please note that the programme and speaker listings are subject to change without prior notice.
Thursday 1 March 2012
| MC | Michael Bierut & Khaya Dlanga | |
| 08:00 | Tea/coffee | |
| 09:00 09:40 |
Heinrich Wolff Hellicar Lewis |
|
| 10:20 | Tea/coffee | |
| 11:00 11:20 11:40 |
Tonic Tsai Porky Hefer |
|
| 12:00 | Extended Lunch break for sneak preview of Expo | |
| 13:40 14:20 |
Akshat Verma United Visual Artists |
|
| 15:00 | Tea/coffee | |
| 15:30 16:10 |
Piet Hein Eek Mathieu Lehanneur |
|
| 17:00 | Finish | |
| 21:00 | Design Indaba Afterparty |
Please note that the programme and speaker listings are subject to change without prior notice.
Friday 2 March 2012
| MC | Michael Bierut & Michelle Constant | |
| 08:00 | Tea/coffee | |
| 09:00 09:40 |
Clive van Heerden Paul Sahre |
|
| 10:20 | Tea/coffee | |
| 10:50 11:30 |
Sissel Tolaas Andrew Shoben |
|
| 12:10 | Lunch | |
| 13:10 13:50 |
Hans Ulrich Obrist and Carsten Höller Carlo Ratti & Assaf Biderman: MIT's SENSEable City Laboratory |
|
| 14:30 | Tea/coffee | |
| 15:10 15:50 |
Bjarke Ingels Mystery Performance |
|
| 17:00 | Finish - Closing Drinks | |
| 20:00 | A Taste of Sónar presented by Design Indaba |
Please note that the programme and speaker listings are subject to change without prior notice.






























