Dion Chang talks design, trends at Decorex

Dion Chang

The series of talks kicks off alongside Decorex Durban on 20 March, followed by Cape Town on 25 April and Joburg on 7 August 2014.

Sian Steyn, GM of Decorex SA, says, "We are confident that visitors will jump at the opportunity of a trend update which ties into the Decorex SA offering. It is always a pleasure to work with a brand like Caesarstone and we are delighted to have them on board as the headline sponsor."

Lisa Aspeling, communications manager of Caesarstone, says, "We have worked successfully with Decorex SA for many years to bring design professionals the latest ideas in architecture and design, so being a part of the 2014 trend talks was a natural progression."

Chang, a former magazine journalist and fashion editor, heads up one of the country's top trend consultancies, Flux Trends, working with corporates to provide insight into the ever-changing relationship between brands, consumers and the communication channels that bind them.

Companies and individuals turn to him as a brand consultant and specialist activator because of his ability to see the world from a unique perspective and gauge trends ahead of the curve. He is frequently invited to speak at high-level conferences because of his ability to question and shift, an audience's perspective.

He says the Design and Trend Forecast will include a look at the cultural and lifestyle trends for the year ahead. "The content will be of interest to the public and to interior and other professionals. Our presentation on the 2014 zeitgeist and major trends looks at all aspects of our lives, including food, popular culture as well as shifts in consumer tastes. Anyone involved in the marketing of products to consumers would be particularly interested in finding out where the shifting tastes were going."

There will be a strong African focused section to his 45-minute presentation. "Everyone is looking to Africa as the last frontier - the interest in this untapped market has simply exploded," he concludes.

Tickets are R300, including VAT and entry to the Durban expo and R350 to the Cape Town and Johannesburg talks. The talk in Durban starts at 9.30am and ends at 11am; in Cape Town and Johannesburg, they start at 9.30am and end at noon. Registration is at 9am.

For more information, go to www.decorex.co.za.