MGM and Fortune Conclude Macau’s Third Fortune Brainstorm Design Conference

The Fortune Brainstorm Design conference, co-hosted for the third consecutive year by MGM and Fortune, successfully concluded today at the Fantasy Box, an innovative multifunctional space in MGM MACAU. Under the theme “Future Tense: Prototyping Tomorrow,” the forum established a global platform for exchange, covering more than 30 international speakers including world-class designers, innovators, and industry pioneers. Against a backdrop of profound global transformation in an age of AI and accelerating technological progress, discussions centered on how design thinking can guide the construction of new societal frameworks for the intelligent age.

The third Fortune Brainstorm Design event attracted over 700 participants including international designers, corporate executives, scholars, youth, and students.

First launched by Fortune in 2018, Fortune Brainstorm Design has become a flagship, globally recognized forum at the intersection of design and business. The event integrates main-stage presentations, cross-disciplinary dialogues, and community networking to facilitate robust knowledge exchange and collaboration across the design, technology, business, and policy sectors.

This year’s edition not only continued its global influence but introduced fresh topics and a dynamic speaker lineup, along with an exclusive workshop designed for local youth and students to foster deeper interaction with the international speakers. The two-day event attracted over 700 participants. The workshop held on the eve of the forum (December 1) featured the theme “Cultural Preservation with Technology”, aimed at engaging the younger generation, while the event today (December 2) focused on industry leaders and senior executives under the theme “Future Tense: Prototyping Tomorrow,” driving cross-sector collaboration and cultural integration.

Invited leaders and experts shared their experiences and insights on driving innovation during the forum sessions.

Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, said: “MGM is committed to bringing premium international conference topics and speakers to Macau. Through the ‘MICE+’ initiative, we aim to strengthen Macau’s role as a hub for global connectivity, as well as to foster diversification and cultural tourism upgrades. With the introduction of Fortune Brainstorm Design to Macau in 2023, we have deepened ties between the local creative economy and the global community, establishing an important bridge for international design and business dialogue. We will continue working with Fortune and leading global partners to advance Macau as an innovation-driven international center, injecting long-term value into the city’s development.”

Invited leaders and experts shared their experiences and insights on driving innovation during the forum sessions.

Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia Editor, expressed: “Macau’s unique cultural fusion provides fertile ground for design innovation. Hosting Fortune Brainstorm Design here in Macau for three consecutive years, we have witnessed the forum’s significant contribution to advancing design-focused dialogue in Asia. Macau is the perfect location to host this conference which bridges Eastern and Western design philosophies and inspire new ways of thinking to navigate the changes brought about by AI and other new technologies.”

This year’s Fortune Brainstorm Design assembled an esteemed roster of over 30 international design and business leaders, including: Mauro Porcini (President & Chief Design Officer of Samsung); Ole Scheeren (Principal of Büro Ole Scheeren); Martin Voelkle (Partner, Bjarke Ingels Group), Andrew Lazarow (Studio Leader at LAB, Rockwell Group), Ismael Merchan (Architect, Populous), Monika Bielskyte (Futurist in Residence at Nike and founder of Protopia Futures), Toby Smith (Deputy Chairman, Swire Hotels), Andre Fu (André Fu Studio), Kevin Bethune (Founder of dreams • design + life and author of Nonlinear Dreams); Llisa Demetrios (Chief Curator of the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity); Tony Bynum (Director of the Executive Academy of Institute of Design (IIT Chicago); Tina Norden (Partner & Principal at Conran and Partners); Mike Peng (CEO of IDEO);; among others. They engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as creative transformation in the AI era, ethical frameworks for responsible innovation, and design practices evolving from sustainability to ecological regeneration. Together, they explored how design thinking can help address global challenges and unlock new possibilities for shaping future business models and social structures.