The Superyacht Design Forum is fast approaching, and the programme is focused on bringing together the superyacht market for a number of compelling topics. The event, held at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour from 26 - 27 June, is a two-day event packed with workshops aiming to inspire and educate. The programme is available to view online, and this year, there are a number of sessions offering different perspectives on design. 

The Women in Design session will be an interactive discussion with some leading female designers, naval architects and creatives from the superyacht industry and beyond. Daria Cabai, Director at Navalmartin; Lizzie Deshayes, design director for Fromental; Fiona Diamond, founder of Seymour Diamond and Lay Koon, co-founder of Nature Squared will form the panel. The conversation will examine the female imprint on design, what challenges are faced in this industry and ask whether a gender-neutral superyacht design market is an achievable endpoint.

Having been lucky enough to walk around S/Y Black Pearl, I am also interested to hear from members of its crew – alongside technical director of Dohle Yachts, Jo Assael – about the importance of considering crew safety in design. The operational spaces on yachts are often pushed to their very limits and, with high-profile accidents occurring in the last few years (some tragically resulting in the death of crew), the safety of practical spaces on board are hugely important to the design of any vessel. These behind-the-scenes areas are expected to be functional, fit in with the rest of the yacht’s design and work seamlessly. However, often problems occur within these spaces if they are impractically-engineered. For designers and naval architects, this is an opportunity to hear directly from crew about how to ensure these areas are the best they can be.

I spoke to Chris Donnelly, MD of Verb Brands for The Superyacht Report to discuss tangible ways that the superyacht brokerage sector can better market themselves to owners and potential clients. At The Superyacht Design Forum, Donnelly will be drawing on this to discuss the most effective way to create an online strategy for today’s market. This session will highlight how luxury brands use various digital platforms to improve their online presence, using actual case studies of successful campaigns.

Finally, I’m intrigued to hear from Adam Grant of the non-profit NEPCon, who will be discussing how rare materials can be sustainably (and crucially, legally) sourced for a yacht’s design. This is an issue that rarely receives the publicity it deserves and, as some clients specifically request increasingly finite materials for their yachts, it is a topic that designers need to be aware of.

Over the next few days, the SuperyachtNews team will be sharing their picks for the event. In the meantime, the programme is available in full here, and you can purchase your ticket to the event here.

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