Franke Hosts A Leadership Event, "THINK NEXT by Franke"

Nearly 500 entrepreneurs, opinion leaders, innovators and influencers gathered in Franke's Aarburg, Switzerland headquarters on Thursday, Aug. 31 for the company's first thought leadership event, "THINK NEXT by Franke." Experts discussed innovations and trends in the food industry - with a focus on cuisine, design, consumer behavior, architecture, sustainability and technology - via panels, insight sessions and trend labs. "THINK NEXT by Franke" was born from Franke's commitment to "Make It Wonderful" - a promise to make everyday life more special for its business partners and customers. "THINK NEXT by Franke" concluded with a food festival featuring stands from around the world with presentations by renowned chefs René Schudel and Bruno Barbieri as well as cookbook author Nadia Damaso. Renowned specialists from every corner of the world shared valuable insights:
 

• Claus Meyer, culinary entrepreneur, emphasized the need to reflect varying seasons in a meal and use exceptional ingredients based on climate, landscape and waters.
• Philippe Starck, French designer, involved the audience in a presentation that focused on "The Duty of Creativity."
• Matteo Thun, Italian architect, discussed the importance of integrating nature and architecture so that architecture is perceived as a part of nature and not treated as a foreign object.
• Marius Robles, CEO and co-founder of ReImagine Food, and Stephan Sigrist, head of W.I.R.E., presented "The Influence of Technology on the Future of Cooking," showcasing how smart devices and machines are shaping new ways of cooking, eating and shopping.
• Marije Vogelzang, food designer, invited guests to participate in a multi-sensorial food experience, discovering foods such as tangerines, marshmallows and rice pudding by smelling, touching and tasting only.
• Tyler Brûlé, editor-in-chief of Monocle, discussed insights on innovations and trends in the food industry.
• Melchior Lengsfeld, executive director of Helvetas, and Michael Lammel, designer and co-founder of NOA, illustrated that developing new designs and technologies for faucets is not contradictory to the importance of providing worldwide access to clean water.