As 2023 winds down, the world of design is already preparing for next year’s major events. Among the first to kick off the year of inspiration for A&D professionals is Toronto’s own Interior Design Show (IDS), which returns from January 18 to 21 2024 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre – and to its original (and much better) location in the North Building – with exciting exhibitors, a full conference schedule and keynote talks on its main stage.

Azure will be there, too! The AZURE Talks return for Trade Day, on January 19. Here’s a look at our roster:

The One Image, at 10:00am

Azure Senior Editor Stefan Novakovic moderates this talk with architecture photographers Ema Peter and Younes Bounhar that delves into the many ways to successfully capture the essence of a project for publication. Over the past 12 years, Peter has worked with firms across North America, her images having been published in Azure, Architectural Digest, Objekt International, Dwell, Wired, The New York Times and many more. One half of Doublespace, Younes Bounhar has covered projects by firms as diverse as MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple, Zaha Hadid, KPMB and FBM; the last’s splendid Cabot Cliffs’ cabins project in Cape Breton is shown above.

Interior Design and the Changing Climate, at 12:00pm

How can interior designers and architects embrace solutions that take into account climate change while simultaneously promoting health and wellness? Which tools can they use to source low-carbon materials? How can layouts (Passivehaus or otherwise) be maximized for cross-ventilation and access to sunlight? What are some of the new ways to incorporate biophilia into workplaces and homes? Editor in Chief Elizabeth Pagliacolo moderates this Azure-curated talk with panelists Joshua Belczyk, Sustainability Officer, Keilhauer; Vanessa Fong, Founder, VFA // Architecture + Design; and Martha del Junco, Interior Project Designer and Associate, Perkins&Will.

In Conversation with Marva Griffin, at 2:00pm

Marva Griffin is the design legend who founded Salone Satellite, the world’s most renowned showcase of young designers, at Milan’s Salone del Mobile before exporting the platform around the world. Elizabeth Pagliacolo joins Griffin on stage to discuss her unusual career path, how she has championed many generations of designers, and how getting into this discipline has changed over the last quarter of a century.

In Conversation with Oskar Zieta, at 4:00pm

Oskar Zieta’s innovative, inflated metal furniture is an art form and a feat of engineering. Azure Senior Editor Eric Mutrie interviews Zieta about the inspiration behind his process, the growth of his studio, and Poland’s evolving role in the European design industry.