The Design/Management Europe 12 conference is titled “Design: The linking force”.

Design is an integrating activity and process, a way of thinking, an increasingly significant contributor to organizational success. The role of design is evolving beyond just the physical process of creating beautiful objects, desirable packaging or unique branding. Design can be a linking force, a unifying element across the enterprise, a connection between business, culture, and environment.

This year, DMI’s European conference will explore the evolution of design thinking and strategy to the next level. An international roster of forward-thinking experts will provoke, educate, and share. Come to Paris for three days of immersion in cultural exchange, and knowledge-building. Learn to make more holistic and meaningful contributions to the organization.

For more than a decade, this conference has explored the best in design and management thinking, through structured presentations, focused discussion groups, receptions, and networking opportunities.

Laval Virtual is the top trade fair in Europe for virtual reality. Laval Virtual 2008 also includes VRIC 2008, the 10th Virtual Reality International Conference (and a symposium on 3D interaction).

The Webdesign International Festival, WIF 2008, will bring together at least 40 teams made up of the best web designers in the world for 24 hours of non-stop competition.

In addition to the competition, the festival will be an international gathering about interactive design, with presentations by experts on web design and user experience.

The Design Management Institute’s Education Conference will take place 14-15 April, 2008, in Paris. The title of the conference is “Design Thinking: New Challenges for Designers, Managers and Organizations.”

Papers are welcome that contribute to theory building, provide examples of empirical research, or use case studies to illustrate how, when, and why designing turns into an organizational asset and a tool for managers. This conference is open to members from academia, business, government agencies, and other researchers and practitioners whose work relates to the topic of design in the organization. The program will comprise keynote presentations, panel discussions with key opinion-formers in the field, and full paper presentations.