Award ceremony of the Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2024
Honouring the best designers and agencies
Tokyo, 22 November: Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, and Kazuo Tanaka, juror and ambassador of Red Dot and president and CEO of the GK Design Group, invited guests to a dinner to exchange ideas about design, the design industry and its development in Japan and the world. The guests included representatives of renowned companies such as Canon, Yamaha, Yamaha Motor, Seiko Epson, Olympus, Lixil, Daikin, Toto, Okamura, Panasonic, as well as the Japan Industrial Designers Association (JIDA).
The evening not only provided a platform for cultural and professional exchange, but also paid tribute to the extraordinary commitment and innovative strength of leading companies that shape the Red Dot Design Award.
Located in the middle of bustling downtown Tokyo, the event venue Meiji Kinenkan impressed with its rural, traditional atmosphere. Well-kept green spaces and picturesque trees created an unexpectedly serene backdrop that provided the perfect setting for the start of the evening: an aperitif where the high-profile guests were able to meet in a relaxed atmosphere.
After the welcoming address, two inspiring speeches followed: in their contributions, Kazuo Tanaka and Peter Zec provided insights into the history and the reputation of the Red Dot Award, which is considered the benchmark for outstanding design quality worldwide. Both speeches were very well received and provided a successful prelude to the subsequent discussions.
The dinner itself provided an opportunity for intensive exchange. At the tables, the participants not only discussed current challenges and developments in design, but also gained insights into Japanese culture and the design philosophy of the companies represented. The pleasant atmosphere and the diversity of perspectives made the evening a special experience.
At the end of the evening, each guest received a Red Dot Diary as a gift – a token of appreciation and a souvenir of the evening. The response to the dinner was very positive, and several guests suggested that similar events be held in the future.
The connection between the Red Dot Design Award and Japan is deeply rooted and characterised by decades of cooperation with Japanese companies and designers. As early as 1994, the Tokyo Design Centre hosted the exhibition “German Design – Made in NRW”. The Red Dot Design Museum in Essen has also honoured Japanese design on several occasions, most recently with the special exhibition “The KOUBA Principle: The Fundamentals of Japanese Design in the Tsubame-Sanjo Region”, which last year showed how craftsmanship, technology and design interact in perfect harmony.
The dinner in Tokyo was another milestone in the deep-rooted partnership between Red Dot and Japan – a country whose unique combination of tradition and innovation has enriched the history of the award for decades.
