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Join us for Next Now Design, an extension of the 2025 DesignPhiladelphia Festival. This half-day event will convene influential designers, innovation leaders, and industry disruptors who are using their imagination and vision to create a vibrant, thriving City and region for everyone.
Design is pervasive and touches every part of our lives. From the products manufactured in our factories to the vibrancy of our public squares, design is the engine of a thriving city. Our manufacturing sector is reinvigorated by a focus on innovative, well-designed goods that compete globally. Welcoming and beautifully designed public spaces, from parks to plazas, become the city's living room, fostering community and improving well-being. A dynamic nightlife, hosted in creatively reinvented venues, ensures a safe and joyful urban energy after dark. Finally, our world-class museums, theaters, and galleries are not just cultural institutions but vital anchors that educate, inspire, and draw visitors from around the world.
Join us for an inspirational afternoon, followed by a happy hour with light bites and refreshments.
In Partnership wih
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
MEDIA PARTNER
Schedule
12:00-12:30pm – Networking, Snacks & Refreshments
12:35-1:20pm (45 mins) – Designing Nightlife for the Next Generation
Today's young people are reshaping social life: they're drinking less but craving connection more. So, what replaces the traditional bar? Nightlife is less about what's in your glass and more about what's in the room. Shared experiences and third spaces are more vital than ever as society shifts. We'll explore how to design spaces that feel authentic for all ages. What does a venue look and feel like when it's built for connection first?
Join Raheem Manning, Senior Director of Nighttime Economy for the City of Philadelphia, Janice Woodcock, Woodcock Design and Daniel McLaughlin, Mission Taqueria for a discussion on the new anatomy of a night out. Moderated by Jessie Tettemer, Marketing & Brand Strategist, Culture & Hospitality.
1:25-2:10pm (45 mins) – Plazas & Parks – Importance of High-Quality Public Space
Let's dive into one of Philadelphia's most transformative urban projects: the capping of I-95 and the creation of new public parkland. This monumental initiative, known as The CAP, promises to reunite Old City with the Delaware River waterfront. What does reconnecting Old City to the waterfront mean for the future of our entire city?
Our conversation featuring Joe Forkin, President & CEO of the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, Job Itzkowitz, Executive Director of the Old City District and Patrick Morgan, Senior Officer, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative at Pew Charitable Trust will explore the importance of high-quality public space in shaping a city's identity, economy, and community.
In this conversation, we will unpack The Design Vision, The Economic Catalyst, A City-Wide Impact
2:10-2:30pm – BREAK
2:35-3:20pm (45 mins) – The American Atelier: Philadelphia’s Future is Handmade
In an era of mass production and overseas outsourcing, a bold wave of designers, makers, and manufacturers is proving that American craftsmanship isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving. From Philadelphia’s industrial roots to modern workshops redefining luxury and functionality, this panel brings together the innovators who are keeping fabrication local, intentional, and extraordinary.
A conversation with Adam Kamens, Amuneal; John Pomp, John Pomp Studios; and Robert Ogden & Natalie Page both of Lostine Home Goods. Moderated by Julianna Julia of Modern Luxury Interiors
3:25-4:10pm (45 mins) – Revisiting the Past, Designing the Future: A Fireside Chat on Modern Design at the Philadelphia Art Museum
Let’s gather for a fireside chat with Tiffany Lambert, the Lisa Roberts and David Seltzer Curator of Modern and Contemporary Design at the Philadelphia Art Museum, and Eileen Tognini of Eileen Tognini Design, Co-Chair of Collab at the Philadelphia Art Museum, and DesignPhiladelphia Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. We'll explore how a museum celebrated for its historical collections is boldly redefining itself for the 21st century. The discussion will move beyond the iconic steps to investigate the very fabric of the institution: How can design serve as a bridge from the past to the future? How do we build a globally-significant design community that is deeply rooted in the heart of Philadelphia? Join us for a conversation about legacy, inclusion, and the power of design to unify our diverse human experiences.
4:15-5:30pm – HAPPY HOUR RECEPTION
