On Wednesday, December 23, 2020, UAFM held a meeting that, despite all the misunderstandings and lack of rules of the game, brought together furniture manufacturers and designers for a friendly brunch.

The new format of meetings and a new platform for communication between the furniture maker and the designer received the conceptual name Design Brunch with UAFM.

The first event in this format opened the topic of “presentations”, the speakers shared with furniture manufacturers their experience and knowledge of how to present themselves, their product and their brand.

The interest and activity of the participants of the first brunch confirmed the importance of creating a culture of interaction and understanding between the representatives of both spheres: production and design, which is why we continued.

New hospitality establishments appear in Ukraine every year. HoReCa is one of those segments where the collaboration of a furniture maker and a designer has the greatest manifestation and here it is very important to understand and find a reliable partner. Therefore, the cross-cutting theme of our second brunch was the collaboration of a furniture maker and a designer in the HoReCa segment.

It was no coincidence that Urban Space 500 was chosen as the UAFM Design brunch site because it is a bright example of creating a product through unification, which is what we want to achieve as a result of our meetings – to unite!

Collaboration Furniture VS Designer

The first speakers were half-successful and can serve as an example for many. Designer and furniture maker – an effective tandem.

Oleg Volosovsky is a Ukrainian architect, designer, set designer, stage and TV project decorator, and HoReCa expert. Founder of Loft buro – a creative team of professional architects, designers, artists and engineers.

Serhiy Levkovsky – Founder and Owner of FREID, Trone Grande, VERDI.

What they were talking about:

• Working diagrams of a furniture designer
• Cases of collaborations

After the speech, Oleg and Serhiy invited the participants to join the dialogue, thanks to which everyone present had the opportunity to get answers to exciting and topical questions.

Find 10 differences if there are no differences “or how to go into exploration with a new supplier?

The next speaker was Oleksandra Pendrakovska – architect, designer, producer of TV programs about repairs.

Alexandra creatively and significantly answered the following important questions:

• Is the site enough?
• Speed ​​is everything
• And where can you see?
• Blackmail, sorry – tender!
• LLC, Private entrepreneur, black cash?
• Project documentation – whose hand is it?
• Oh …. they were wrong. Should a designer know about problems?
• Who solves problems with the customer?
• Like us
• Bonuses – ashamed of the main thing

How to set up communication furniture designer in a competitive environment

Then the attention of guests was captured by Yova Yager, designer of restaurants, hotels, bars, founder of the studio YOVA YAGER hospitality design. For more than 10 years he and his team have been implementing various projects in the Ukrainian and European markets. Considers it important to create inspiring and functional spaces, while remaining responsible and environmentally friendly, following the principles of sustainable development in life and design. Why does it offer first of all rethinking – it’s time to RETHINK, and then design.

Talked about:

• The best examples of worse communication with designers
• Develop a marketing strategy or die
• The right team is who these people are and how to find them
• The image of key people and the secrets of their successful communication with designers
• Time for social networks. Do you exist if you are not on Instagram?
• Be on the same wavelength with the designer

This was the end of the speakers’ speeches, but the conversation continued with a timely dessert. In order to create a relaxed atmosphere of effective communication and increase the number of useful contacts, random seating was used. The organizers deliberately violated the boundaries of a comfortable choice of interlocutors, but the pre-holiday atmosphere and new interesting acquaintances very quickly set everyone up for fruitful networking and made each guest a direct participant in the event.

UAFM invites everyone to be active and participate in our events, each of which is a meaningful part of a single process – our joint improvement and strengthening of the Ukrainian furniture environment.

The events that are planned to be held in the format of brunches are united by a common goal – to create quality furniture under a single brand Furniture of Ukraine with a modern Ukrainian design. Designer brunches will be held systematically, will promote collaborations and will cover important topics that will help achieve this goal – will add value to Ukrainian furniture and make them competitive and in demand in the world.

UAFM sincerely thanks all the speakers and participants of the second Design Brunch. Together we have taken a successful step towards understanding. We are grateful for honest, sometimes even harsh and straightforward, comments and opinions. Finally, we have reached the required level of openness, which has made our dialogue what it should be for fruitful friendly cooperation.

Let’s move on!

The next Design brunch is scheduled for March 3, 2020, follow our announcements and register!