KBDi Conference + Design Awards Gala

Q Events, 123 Queen Street, Melbourne
Dress: Smart Casual
*Times are subject to change

Marketing without Money: Building brand collaborations that deliver
Proudly sponsored by Lincoln Sentry

Partnership Marketing is the fastest way to grow your audience, your brand, and your sales. By collaborating with carefully selected businesses, you have the potential to get your brand in front of thousands of your ideal customers, increase your credibility and improve the profitability of your business.

Therese Tarlinton is a partnerships expert with a passion for helping small business owners improve the bottom line of their business. In this session, she’ll introduce her unique SWAP strategy and share how you can build brand collaborations that will actually deliver.

About the Speaker
Therese Tarlinton is a best-selling author, business advisor, keynote speaker and educator who has walked the talk of her SWAP marketing strategy. Therese took her small business start-up from baby steps to big business, operating in five countries and manufacturing for Jeep, Sesame Street and United Colors of Benetton. She ultimately sold the company and has since committed to creating collaborative campaigns for a long list of brands.

The Mid-Century Modern Home: Legacy, Lifestyle and Laminate Laid Bare
Proudly sponsored by Lapitec

More than 42,000 followers share Patricia Callan’s passion for Modernist design and delight in her online curation of Australia’s most magnificent Mid-century Modernist homes. As the author of ‘The New Modernist House’, she is a highly regarded expert in this era, and she’ll be sharing her specialist knowledge in this session. You’ll lean into the history of Mid-Century Modernism in Australia and learn what variations one might see in any Australian city. You’ll discover the classic MCM conundrums encountered across the country and explore how to plan a sympathetic renovation.

About the Speaker
Patricia Callan is the founder of Modernist Australia, an online archive of local mid-century architecture with a whopping following of over 40,000 fans. She has appeared on ABC radio, The Design Files and in Fairfax publications to champion modernist architecture. Lapitec Australia is proud to be sponsoring this session, and we can’t wait to hear Patricia’s take on designing a Modernist makeover.

Getting your work and business in the media
Proudly sponsored by KBDi Corporate Plus Partner, Blum.

Jen Bishop is a newspaper and magazine journalist obsessed with interiors. In 2011, she founded the wildly popular ‘The Interiors Addict‘ blog, successfully turning her hobby into a full-time gig in less than two years. In this session, Jen will draw on her media background and share her top tips for pitching and productive PR.

About the Speaker
A newspaper and magazine journalist and editor by background, Jen started The Interiors Addict blog as a hobby in 2011. Less than two years later, the blog became her full-time job and continues to thrive today. It is widely considered a leading Australian interior design and renovating digital publication offering inspiration to renovators and exposure to the nation’s leading design professionals.

Destination Design: Crafting a Vision for Success
Proudly sponsored by Cav’Art

To truly take charge of our lives, we need a plan. A plan can transform how we approach our daily work life and ultimately provide us with freedom and choice. Andrew Mitchell is a successful interior designer and the Founding Director of The Design Coach, and he’s here to tell us that creating this life plan needn’t be a chore. Andrew believes that strategy can be sexy when linked to the emotions that drive our actions. In this session, he’ll share examples from his own business journey. He’ll show you how overcoming crippling challenges, analysing his work desires and unravelling the emotions behind them has helped him plot a path to success.

About the Speaker
Andrew has been working in the design industry for more than 25 years and established his award-winning business, MR. MITCHELL, in November 2000. With a particular focus on building meaningful relationships within the industry, he has established a strong network of professionals with whom he collaborates regularly.

As an avid proponent of Australian design, Andrew loves collaborating with local artisans and craftsmen to produce interiors uniquely curated to suit the personalities of his clients. Skilled in the art of listening and blessed with an innate ability to connect the dots behind a brief, he leads his team to successfully exceed client expectations, time after time.

As the founder of The Design Coach Australia, Andrew contributes to the ongoing professional development of architects, designers and stylists and is creating a platform for connecting and advancing the design community. Established in 2018, The Design Coach offers a range of classes, coaching services and retreats that aim to empower designers with knowledge and equip them with the confidence to successfully achieve their dreams.

Valiant Bar, 412 Little Collins St, Melbourne (next to Q Events)
Dress: Smart Casual

To wrap up Day 1, delegates will gather at The Valiant Bar for three hours of food, drinks and networking. Located in the centre of the Bankers Quarter on Little Collins Street, The Valiant Bar is a stylish, retro hideaway and the perfect place for our ultra-cool community to connect. 

Meet at the Cosentino Showroom, 460 Collins St, Melbourne
Dress: Smart Casual (comfortable shoes)

9.30 AM Conference Session 1

The Story behind the City (Cosentino City Melbourne)

Grant Wheaton is the head of Construction, Marketing and Business Development at RAMVEK, and was privileged to be a part of the spectacular renovation of the heritage space now housing Cosentino City Melbourne. Grant oversaw the project’s construction – from demolition to completion – and knows the building inside out. In this session, he’ll share the story of the making of this magnificent space and inspire you with his enthusiasm for great design and workmanship.

Grant will be joined by Antonia Anderson, Cosentino City Melbourne Manager, who will guide you to this incredible showroom and show you the full suite of Cosentino surfaces in a stunning display of varying applications.

Conference Session 2 and Light Lunch
Curious Bar, 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (Underground W Hotel)

Take a trip with us into the Curious Bar, the magical underground venue in the W Melbourne Hotel in the CBD. The multi-award-winning bar is a designer’s delight and is sure to kickstart your creativity.  The session will conclude with a light lunch and a final toast to our 2024 Conference.​

W Melbourne Hotel, Great Rooms, 408 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Dress: Cocktail / Lounge suit

6.00 pm – 6.30 pm Pre-Dinner Drinks
6.30 pm – 11.30 pm Dinner and Presentations

Our much-loved KBDi Design Awards Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday evening.

This spectacular event is KBDi’s ‘Night of Nights’ and a wonderful celebration of Australia’s finest kitchen and bathroom designers.

This year, the Awards Gala will be held in the stunning W Melbourne Hotel. Prepare yourself for five fantastic hours of wining and dining, entertainment, networking and, of course, the country’s best presentation of award-winning kitchens and bathrooms.

Our good friend James Treble will be back as our Emcee for this year – if you attended our 2023 Awards Gala, you’ll know what a talent he has for keeping us on the ball.