1st November 2019 / Prue Fletcher: Welcome to Fletchers Design Night Series

In collaboration with our friends at Silver Star Motors, Fletchers had the pleasure of hosting our final Design Night Series for the year at the Mercedes Benz Showroom in Doncaster.

On the night, guests were treated to an evening of champagne and delicious canapes, before a panel session on '2020: The Future of Art & Design' was expertly delivered by industry leading professionals; Ali Waight, Antoinette Ferwerda and Denise Leki.

Together with some wonderful local businesses, Fletchers hosted 130 longstanding clients for an exclusive look into what's coming next in the world of art, homewares and design.

Heading into a new year and a brand new decade, we asked ourselves; will Scandi stay? What's next in the digital space? And, will bold colours prevail? Our panel of experts gave great insight into what's ahead for 2020 as they each delved a little deeper into the tips and trends seen within their respective industries.

@AntoinetteFerwerda, talented artist and leading international creative, highlighted the need to go offline when letting your creative juices flow. With Pinterest being the No. 1 online source for inspiration, Antoinette spoke of the confusion that can come with looking for inspiration online.

'I think we can all get confused as there is just so much in the way of online inspiration these days. Creativity is about employing a connection, and for me that comes from being grounded and getting outdoors.'

@AliWaightstylist, our Bellarine Property Stylist and interiors extraordinaire, gave some sound advice when asked where the future of digital is going in the design space.

'Augmented reality has been around for quite a while now, but when it comes to the design stage it's very much becoming mainstream. Companies such as @bigplansmelbourne are leading the charge with their technology projecting 1:1 scale rooms onto blank canvases. It's very impressive and exciting to see where digital is going'.

And last but not least, Denise Leki, Corporate Manager of @Adairs, walked us through their new Summer Range and gave us an insight into how the homewares giant is responding to the demands consumers are placing on big players having a more sustainable footprint.

The night was again elevated with the opportunity to collaborate with some outstanding local businesses:

• @Feastandcomelbourne, who made magic happen with their bespoke grazing tables.

• Our friends at @brownbrothers, who provided the bubbles on pour throughout the event.

• @Meloraevents, who created a visual masterpiece with their stylish balloon installation.

And to our gift bag sponsors @Swisseau, @wellbeing_ magazine, @kalonhairandwellness and @debortoliwines, just to name a few. As always, it was a pleasure to have you all as part of the evening.

What was first inspired by Fletchers Customer Experience Manager, Caroline Dawborn, has now truly become a calendar event not to be missed! Brought to life by our talented marketing visionaries and Design Night Committee; Sarah Lowry (CMO) and Beth Oleyar (CCO), the night has grown from humble beginnings of 40 guests hosted at our head office in Canterbury, to a staggering 150 guests at the Mercedes Benz Showroom in Doncaster. That's an increase in attendance of 225%!

'My highlights of the evening were the panelist discussion and having the opportunity to meet and chat with them afterwards. The event had such a friendly and welcoming vibe and an amazing grazing table!' Said one guest.

At the core of these events is the ability to give back to the communities we serve and this year, we were privileged to have partnered with Front Yard Youth Services, an arm of Melbourne City Mission, who are working to prevent youth homelessness across Melbourne.

Our panelist, Antoinette Ferwerda, so graciously donated an original piece of her artwork for silent auction on the night and all proceeds have gone directly towards their schools initiative, where children are able to learn what services are available to them should they find themselves in an at risk situation. Knowledge and early intervention is key when working towards creating positive change for the future.

Our next event is never too far away, so if you'd like to be on the VIP mailing list to ensure you don't miss out on what's coming up, please email us at events@fletchers.net.au.