Southern Guild's ICON Awards gets new sponsor

The Design Foundation's Awards Programme is an annual event aimed at motivating the industry and its contributors and broadening awareness of the growth and progressions of South African design. The Awards relate directly to the 'Business of Design' for the winners, and recognise excellence and facilitate future growth and development for emerging talents, designers and manufacturers.

"Our aim is to make a radical difference to the industry from the outset, targeting a range of issues from our specific areas of expertise. We want to give support to the development of designers, both established and emerging, helping to integrate good business models and building a more vibrant and professional design industry," says Southern Guild co-founder Julian McGowan. "We hope to provide inspiration and encouragement, to provoke thinking, encourage discussion and debate, stimulate imaginations and help to make design businesses more profitable."

"As Adams & Adams plays such an integral role in promoting and protecting the intellectual property rights of our flourishing South African creative / design industry, the Foundation is delighted that the firm will be partnering with us and sponsoring the 2014 ICON Award."

The ICON Award is given in recognition of the work done in the past twelve months by a regarded South African designer, acknowledging outstanding achievement, innovation and advancement of their career and their business practice.

Mariëtte du Plessis, senior partner at Adams & Adams, says, "We have a passion for local design and are committed to supporting the local design industry. South Africa has a long-established reputation for producing designers whose work is admired by the rest of the world. The design contributions are fresh and highly innovative and meet international standards."