Photo credit: Mateo Mučnjak
Experience in building brands through design, space, music and marketing strategy will form part of the programme for the second edition of KIOSK Branding Conference. The first announced speakers include Eric Boudart, who worked for IKEA for 35 years, Michael Leon, Global Senior Creative & Design Lead at Patagonia, Ivana Medo from Oatly and Fabiana Pacini, former Head of Global Marketing at Boiler Room. The conference will take place on 19 February at Zagreb’s Ambienta, a former department store preparing for a new purpose.
The announced participants bring experience across different disciplines and industries. Boudart is a creative director and interior architect, while Leon held leading design roles at On, Sonos, Levi Strauss & Co. and Nike before joining Patagonia. Medo leads brand and marketing strategy for the DACH region and Poland at Oatly and is a member of its Core Leadership team. At Boiler Room, Pacini led campaigns with artists such as Charli XCX and Fred Again, as well as collaborations with brands including Budweiser, Ballantine’s and Levi’s.
The first part of the programme also features Mihailo Andic, a designer and photographer from Canada who has worked with musicians Lil Yachty and PARTYNEXTDOOR. They are joined by the Netherlands-based Random Studio, whose portfolio includes projects for Jacquemus, Nike, Moncler, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Chanel, as well as Kitten Production from the field of creative production.
The change of venue is connected to the conference’s concept, in which space, production and visual identity help shape the experience. The first edition at Zagreb’s Lauba took impulse buying and the K67 kiosk as part of everyday life as its starting point. The second explores the department store and the experience of a planned shopping trip, for which Ambienta provides both the space and a historical connection.
Opened in the 1970s as UPIN, Ambienta was the first purpose-built exhibition and sales showroom to bring together the entire furniture industry in one place. The conference will be the first event in the renovated space, which will continue to host events afterwards. The long-term plan is to develop a centre dedicated to culture and creativity, while the KIOSK team is also working on its identity and public launch. This marks the organisers’ first project extending beyond the conference itself.
The venue and the first part of the programme were presented on Friday at a KIOSK pop-up event at Kabinet club. Early bird tickets are available on the conference’s official website.
