“If I was to rate this weekend out of ten, I’d give it 100,” Shona McElroy turns to me on the Sunday afternoon of Australian Design Review’s inaugural 30UNDER30 Creative Retreat. At this point, we had both kicked off our shoes and had our feet dangling in the pool. “It was above and beyond. It exceeded all my expectations,” McElroy smiles, as if catching her memories from a weekend she was still living.

An accomplished interior designer and head of Smac Studios, based in Sydney, McElroy thought she knew her industry. But, with an open mind and unbridled enthusiasm, she, along with 29 others in her cohort, packed a bag and headed to the warmth of Bali for the 30UNDER30 Creative Retreat. Joining her was Michael Boer from Melbourne’s Parallel Studio, Blake Hawthorn of Brisbane’s BVN office as well and Zannah Anderson, who had the shortest flight of all as she took off from Perth where she works with Hassell Studio. They were joined by the others in the cohort for a weekend to celebrate the best and brightest minds under 30 in interior and product design.

What happened next was a weekend to last a lifetime. I’m sure I don’t just speak for myself when I say it will be in the memory books for a long time. As mentor Sophia Leopardi says, “these memories will be imprinted on us for long after the tan fades.”

The Creative Retreat was held at the picturesque (and very Instagrammable) sustainable hotel Potato Head in the heart of Seminyak. Not possible without the support from our practice partners BVN, Hassell, SJB, Gray Puksand and BLP and our major sponsors Neolith, Miele, ownworld and Tongue & Groove, the Retreat was designed to celebrate the hard work of the cohort. But it grew into so much more. Kirsten Stanisich, IDEA Gold Medal winner and 30UNDER30 mentor says, “I went thinking I was going to be a mentor, but instead learned so much from the [cohort]. I look forward to watching them all flourish.”.

Fridays are for creating connections

The Creative Retreat started at a staggered pace, as people slowly started checking into Potato Head. From the deep earth tones through to the wood details in each thoughtfully designed hotel room, the under 30s took the opportunity to show off the rewards of their hard work on Instagram. Melbourne-based interior designer Melanie Ting might have grown up working and living in New York, but it’s Potato Head that occupies her memories now, “Can we go back, please?” she emails me after being back on home soil for only 24 hours.

Official festivities started with welcome drinks. As the cohort came down to the sunset bar, Bali decided to put on a show. With the sun setting, the sky went from orange to bright pink hues, before settling on purple. The cohort sipped on exotic cocktails and had some local cuisine – it was a time to get to know each other. All of the Instagram-stalking of their fellow under 30s paid off as people recognised each other and their work. It was a moment of shared admiration. And just a taste of the deep connections that would be formed that weekend.

Saturdays are for vulnerability

For those up early enough, Potato Head had a range of morning activities to get the blood flowing and the under 30s, sponsors and mentors were encouraged to explore Potato Head’s offerings. Yoga was available, or for those wanting to try something new, sound healing was also on the menu. But for the perhaps more mellow of the group, a colourful fruit breakfast was served poolside, and never was a moment of content missed by anyone – everyone was stopping for a moment of gratitude. 

After breakfast, the under 30s attended a three-hour workshop titled ‘How To Increase Workplace Performance, Happiness and Energy’. This high performance leadership session held by Tegan Wallis of Griffith Consulting gave the under 30s a wealth of tools to put in their arsenal focused on combating burnout and stress, as well as how to be a leader – not only of a business, but how to lead yourself. 

The session ended with Ayurvedic breath work used to centre and realign balance. New South Wales sales manager of ownworld Jakob Reh brought some of the lessons learned back home with him.

“We have already implemented the breathing exercise taught by Tegan into our weekly meetings,” Reh eagerly explained after touching back down in Sydney.

And the cohort loved it, Angela Chun from SJB describes it as “the best leadership session I’ve ever been to”.

Saturday afternoon was free time for exploring, whether that be discovering Potato Head’s expansive grounds or attending a workshop about making furniture out of recycled ocean materials. For Canberra-based Rene Linssen, looking at the intricacies of this unique part of Potato Head was “an honour”.

A celebration dinner was booked for Saturday night. Held in the exclusive Kaum restaurant in Potato Head, the family style meal was a time for our mentors and the cohort to get to know one another. The attendees were treated to a modern Balinese seafood feast. “I had such vulnerable and open conversations,” says PTID’s Emily Carter of the dinner. 

After Kaum, some headed down to Potato Head’s famous beach club for Saturday night cocktails, getting to know who each other was beyond just their jobs. “It was truly unforgettable,” Monica Colla from BVN says when talking about the Saturday night celebrations.

Sundays are for frank and open conversations

The last morning of the Retreat included the final two sessions. To kick things off, we hosted a media and personal branding session led by myself, Marketing magazine managing editor and 30UNDER30’s head of content. It drew from my ten years’ media and PR experience to help the under 30s understand how to work with the press. From social media profiles to press releases, the session was a quickfire lesson in making your work standout.

“I loved every aspect of this,” says Adelaide-based designer Tessa Sporn.

After media training, it was time for an open forum. The five mentors who were able to attend – Andrew Parr, Kirsten Stanisich, Ara Salomone, Carolyn Solley and Sophia Leopardi – took to the stage. Moderated by Tongue and Groove’s showroom consultant Iv Hout Kuoch, this was a time for the under 30s to really get to know the mentors. From industry questions to balancing work and personal life (particularly for young mums) the under 30s were not afraid to be curious and ask the tough questions. 

When asked about balancing motherhood and her career, Sophia Leopardi held back tears. This vulnerability forged a strong connection for soon-to-be-mother from the cohort, Millicent Griffiths. “Sophia Leopardi is a great mentor for me,” says Griffiths. “I’m about to embark on my next journey into motherhood.”

“The mentors’ honesty and vulnerability is a testament to how much they care about sharing their insights and their passion for design and the industry,” says Stephanie Clark.

…and then, we danced

Sunday afternoon was spent by the pool and relaxing after an informative morning. But a weekend such as the one we had all just experienced required a suitable send off. Making our way up to nearby club La Favela, the cohort, the sponsors and the mentors all remembered one important thing: their dancing shoes. 

As a dance circle broke out, people showed the skills they have beyond their work. For some, that was break dancing, others it was ballroom dancing and for the rest it was just singing songs at the top of their lungs. It was the party to end all parties, and as we dragged our weary bodies back to our beautiful suites, the excited chatter couldn’t be stopped. What was our favourite part? What would we do differently? (Nothing!)

One final Bali sunrise saw the under 30s pack their bags. They might have been tired, but this weekend made every attendee feel alive.

Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 program celebrates young, talented Australians working across the design and architecture industry. Our inaugural program focuses on product and interior design, and the program will expand to include architecture later in 2023. Register your interest by subscribing to receive news and notifications.