•  Sri Lanka Design Festival 2024 will be hosting three leadership forums, each focusing on impact of design thinking and innovation on apparel, travel and craft to support gain global market insights, identify new and niche opportunities and lean into industry-wide strategies that feed into a greater vision for Sri Lanka as South Asia’s creative industries’ hub
•  This year, with India as a focus, the forums also explore maximising synergies across sectors
•  Held at Cinnamon Life City of Dreams, these forums are a must-attend for professionals in apparel manufacturing, sourcing, design, travel and tourism experiences as well as craft-based manufacturing and product design; tickets now available

Sri Lanka is at a pivotal point. Its resilient human resource, rich heritage and natural beauty have paved the way for economic successes in apparel, craft-based innovation and retail, as well as tourism. But, to meet the country’s new economic challenges and the changing market demands, these potent industries must reach beyond low-hanging fruit and strategically elevate their offer to respond to the call for sustainability, customisability, transparency and authentic cultural immersion across global markets. 

Sri Lanka Design Festival 2024 offers a series of forums that bring these elements into sharp focus, positioning Sri Lanka as South Asia’s hub for innovation across multiple sectors in the creative industries, from apparel and craft to tourism. The forums aim to elevate industries by initiating timely conversations and sharing prized knowledge sourced from local and global expertise. 

South Asian Tourism Leadership Forum: Designing Experiences – Enhancing Sri Lanka’s Luxury Travel Offer  
Friday, November 8, 2024, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

As the global luxury travel market evolves, travellers are seeking more than just high-end accommodation—they’re looking for authentic cultural experiences that foster deep connections with their destinations, connecting them to local communities and their true stories. The South Asian Tourism Leadership Forum, making its debut this year, will focus on how Sri Lanka can position itself as a premier destination for immersive, luxury travel that blends high-end hospitality with rich cultural heritage. This forum explores how businesses can craft bespoke travel experiences that cater to the conscious traveller, emphasising sustainability, cultural authenticity and meaningful engagement with the island’s history and people.

The forum will also highlight new opportunities for the island’s travel experience sector in designing experiences that build Sri Lanka into regional travel as the gateway destination to South Asia, strategically positioned between other destinations.

The session will be valuable to businesses in hospitality, tourism and travel-related sectors, offering insights into how to attract high-end tourists by offering them personalised, culturally immersive experiences that go beyond traditional tourism.

South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum: Knowledge and Innovation Hub – Gateway to South Asia
Saturday, November 9, 2024, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Held annually since 2009, this year’s forum explores how Sri Lanka, along with its regional partners, is charting a new course for the apparel sector. By prioritising innovation, design thinking and collaborative efforts across borders, the forum underscores South Asia’s vast potential as a leading centre for sustainable fashion and future-focused industry growth.

Continuing the conversation from previous years, the South Asian Apparel Leadership Forum will unpack Sri Lanka’s role in unlocking regional synergies that position South Asia as a global apparel powerhouse. With India emerging as a key market, the forum will emphasise innovative, collaborative strategies to enhance growth and competitiveness across the region’s apparel and textile value chain. Discussions will focus on design thinking and innovation to seize opportunities in a post-pandemic, eco-conscious landscape with industry experts discussing the future of the business, new trajectories and opportunities enabled by technology as much as consumer aspirations. It’s an invaluable investment in the people who shape your apparel or textile company’s future.

South Asian Craft Leadership Forum: Craft, Education and Creative Industries 

Sunday, November 10, 2024, 8.30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Sri Lanka’s centuries-old traditions in craft are poised to transform into engines of economic resilience. The South Asian Craft Leadership Forum brings together designers, artisans and industry leaders to discuss how the fusion of heritage craftsmanship with contemporary design can elevate the region’s creative economy. The panellists will discuss how craft can serve as a cornerstone for sustainable design, providing both cultural preservation and new business opportunities for markets interested in authentic, richly storied products with a sense of place and people.
This forum is particularly beneficial for businesses in the design, fashion, product and cultural retail sectors, offering strategies for leveraging local crafts to meet their consumers’ shifting demands. By combining education, design innovation and traditional craftsmanship, Sri Lanka and the South Asian region can create unique, globally relevant products while fostering sustainable economic development.

Why these forums are a must-attend for business community

These forums offer businesses across industries—including apparel manufacturing, design, retail, hospitality and tourism—insight into emerging trends that can reshape their offer and influence the future of Sri Lanka’s economy. From what it means to maintain a competitive edge in a market increasingly driven by conscious consumerism, strategies that merge heritage with modern experiences, creating new opportunities for global recognition and economic growth, to catering to the evolving expectations of luxury consumers, who now seek more meaningful, authentic experiences that give them a greater connection to the world, these forums are packed with insights and knowledge that can transform your business.

Held at Cinnamon Life City of Dreams, Colombo, as part of Sri Lanka Design Festival 2024; Tickets are now available; for more information and to purchase, visit www.srilankadesignfestival.lk or contact
[email protected].