This weekend will be marked by the start of the 2015 Superyacht Design Symposium. Another successful edition of this essential event for superyacht owners and industry professionals will take place at the quintessentially Austrian Bio-Hotel Stanglwirt, an exclusive 5-star resort in Kitzbühel.
Bio-Stanglwirt is the venue for this year’s Symposium
Now in its seventh edition, the Superyacht Design Symposium, hosted with the support of Gold Sponsor, Swarovski, continues to draw the biggest names in the industry for two days of lively interactive presentation and debate about prevalent issues in superyacht design.
Proceedings kick off on Sunday with a Welcome Cocktail at the exclusive Kitzbühel Country Club for all delegates, speakers and sponsors. The Symposium itself commences on the morning of Monday 23 February, presenting two days of designed-focused discussion and debate in a dynamic, open forum, attracting yacht owners and industry specialists from around the world.
Day one tackles issues such as, Exterior or Interior Design – Which Comes First? and Responsible Sustainable Yachting: Luxury that is Gentle with the Environment. An expert panel of world class designers from within and outside the yachting industry including Rémi Tessier, Ian Stallard and Patrik Fredrikson of Fredrikson Stallard and Lady Tina Green, yacht owner and co-founder of Green & Mingarelli Design, will discuss Craft and Craftsmanship: The Building Blocks of Luxury at Sea.
Interior Designer Rémi Tessier takes to the stage on Monday
Day two approaches Glass as a Construction Material: A Window to the Future and how this impacts the future of yachts structurally and visually. Is Audio Visual an experiential revolution or frustration in usage? Panellists Ameet Sarvaiya, CTO at Van Berge Henegouwen and Hans Konings, Head of Design at Amels will contemplate their ideas and explore how we can learn from other industries. Conclusively Piero Lissoni and Boat International’s Editorial Director Sacha Bonsor will summarise proceedings by reflecting on the discussions over the last two days.
As a result of the enthusiastic response to the breakout Technical Workshops that we instigated last year, a number of workshops for smaller groups of delegates will follow the panel discussions in the main room, allowing for more in-depth technical discussion.
The ShowBoats Design Awards ceremony and celebration party will take place on Monday.
The ShowBoats Design Awards ceremony and celebration party will take place on Monday
During the final Symposium session on Monday afternoon, the 2015 ShowBoats Design Awards will bring the specialist design skills of the superyacht industry’s most talented teams into the spotlight. Honouring the craftsmen and innovators responsible for the most exceptional new superyacht designs on the water, the coveted golden Neptune awards have become a symbol of pride and distinction for the industry’s design professionals. The anticipated prize giving will be followed by celebrations in traditional Tyrolean style at a nearby mountain lodge where an Austrian banquet awaits, complete with schnapps, traditional Austrian entertainment and dancing into the early hours.
Inspired by the picturesque mountains, ski enthusiasts can take to the slopes to participate in the Blohm+Voss Ski Cup presented by Foil, hosted in the popular ski area of Oberndorf in Tirol – a charming village in the heart of the Kitzbühel Alps set halfway between St. Johann and Kitzbühel. Here they can take part in competitive skiing, winter games, music, Foil ski trial sessions and après ski designed to entertain ski enthusiasts and non-skiers alike.
