Date posted: 2015.06.02

On Anniversary, PMQ Reviews Ongoing Development of “Create-preneurs” New Facilities Introduced to Support Business Development Needs of Designers

Hong Kong, 2 June 2015 Located in Hong Kong’s Central District, PMQ has been dedicated to the promotion of “create-preneurships”, turning creativity into business opportunities. By putting forward the dual concepts of “Participation” and “Co-creation”, PMQ has nurtured local “create-preneurs” and designers and accelerated the development of the local creative industries. PMQ provides opportunities for local designers to exchange ideas and interact with their overseas counterparts, and encourages them to develop synergies through various forms of collaboration. In order to promote creative thinking and engagement with the public, PMQ organises various types of events and activities to public participation, successfully attracting arts and design enthusiasts from local and overseas communities. Over the past year, the number of PMQ visitors nears 4 million.

Nurturing designers and “create-preneurs” to accelerate the development of creative industries
PMQ organises various training sessions and seminars for PMQ tenants, for which industry leaders are invited to share their knowledge and experience with participating designers. Topics covered have included brand building, intellectual property rights, resource utilisation by SMEs, shop security and online marketing. PMQ has also actively collaborated with overseas organisations in offering overseas exchange opportunities for designers, such as participation in the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Forum cum Youth Cultural Camp in Taiwan; the staging of the “GOOD DESIGN x Hong Kong Design” exhibition at Shibuya LOFT in Tokyo, Japan; and attendance in classes at L’École Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris, France, allowing local designers to exchange ideas with their overseas counterparts and broaden their international exposure. Since the PMQ’s launch in 2014, the designers at PMQ have made significant strides in their development, serving as a reference point and inspiration for young people aspiring to a career in the creative industries.

New facilities serve to support the business development needs of designers and create synergies
Mr. Victor Tsang, Executive Director of PMQ Management Ltd., said: “We are pleased to see the growth of our designers over the year. PMQ was founded on a vision to assist the designers in their future development. Therefore, at this stage, we are introducing more facilities, including Hub PMQ, Resources Centre, and the “Designers-in-Residence” Programme, to support the designers’ business development needs.”

PMQ has turned the 7th floor of Staunton into “Hub PMQ,” a co-working environment that breaks the boundaries of collaboration among creative enterprises. Included in Hub PMQ are Brinc IOT Hub, Co-working Space, Designer Lounge, Education Parlour and KEF Studio x PMQ. The Co-working Space offers the most flexible way in which creative start-ups and individual designers can join the PMQ family. Units in the Co-working Space can be rented out by number of desks and duration on either a daily or monthly basis. The Designer Lounge is an open and leisurely environment furnished with authentic classical furniture and books about design, where creative people can freely exchange ideas. The Education Parlour can house an audience of over 60 in a single session to facilitate meaningful engagement and interaction between designers, “create-preneurs” and the general public. KEF Studio x PMQ provides two audio-visual rooms for the playback of presentations by PMQ tenants.

On the 5th floor of Hollywood is the Resources Centre, which includes the Taste Library and Canon Studio x PMQ. The 2,000-foot library is divided into three sections, namely a magazine corner, reading rooms and an open kitchen area. The Taste Library will host various cultural culinary events such as book launches and discussions, food demonstrations and tasting sessions. Canon Studio x PMQ provides imaging solutions to PMQ tenants, and includes a studio featuring product photography equipment and another studio for portrait photography. The Canon team will also provide photography training sessions and activities for tenants and the general public. Situated on the same floor are also six guest rooms for the “Designers-in-Residence” programme. The Designers-in-Residence programme aims to encourage international design talent to visit, stay and collaborate with their local counterparts and the general public. Three of the guest rooms were designed by Japanese lifestyle brand, Muji, and the other three by British design studio Conran and Partners, serving to highlight the differences between Eastern and Western design styles.