November brought many opportunities for travel and professional development. The Design Leadership Network (DLN), an organization that creates educational programs for design firm principals, members of the design media and corporate leaders, hosted their annual Summit in London. The itinerary was rich with fascinating events held at some of the most iconic historic venues. Combined with the wonderful design community in attendance, it made for an incredibly inspiring trip.
Before the summit began, our friends at Kravet, G.P. and J. Baker, and Benjamin Moore, hosted a private tour of the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, followed by a lovely dinner. It was much like our very own preview to Season 3 of “The Crown” currently playing on Netflix!
The conference kicked off with a cocktail reception at Kensington Palace, after which DLN members were dispersed across London to be treated to a dinner in a variety of charming locations. Earlier in the day, we took a tour of Sir John Soane Museum, which now serves as a national center for the study of architecture, and had high tea at Kit Kemp’s newly renovated London residence. Such a treat!
The first day of the summit consisted of inspirational talks at the Royal Institute of British Architects. Afterwards, a cruise along the Thames took us to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich for cocktails and a private tour of Inigo Jones’ Queens House, a classical Palladian inspired estate, commissioned by Anne of Denmark in 1616. The evening culminated with a Design Leadership Award dinner in a recently restored Painted Hall by Christopher Wren.
The following day offered more interesting talks and presentations along with time to catch up with many friends in our design community. Our trip to London wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Liberty for a spot of Christmas shopping!
After the Summit, we were delighted to travel to Spain with a small group hosted by our friends at Cosentino, for the grand tour of their impressive facilities. The factory and the warehouse are situated close to their quarry. We enjoyed the unique opportunity to see their newest products and interact with their talented design development team. It was an experience of a lifetime!
Marble Quarry, Macael
While in Spain, we visited the amazing Alhambra Palace in Granada, with its beautiful gardens, and ended the trip with a tour of the Royal Palace in Madrid.
We returned exhilarated by our incredible experiences and the time spent with friends, old and new. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Summit in Mexico City!
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso
