Brisbane will welcome 600 leading minds in global design research after winning hosting rights for the Design Research Society (DRS) Conference 2020.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the competitive bid, led by the Brisbane Convention Bureau in partnership with Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art, will see the biennial international conference return to Australia in 2020 for the first time in 16 years.

“As Australia’s New World City, Brisbane is an ideal destination to bring together world-class researchers, academics, designers and students to share insights on evolving design trends and research,” Cr Quirk said.

“Every convention that flows into Brisbane supports our tourism and hospitality businesses including hotels, restaurants, retailers and service providers. Thanks to an impressive bid from Brisbane, this major international event will attract the world’s leading minds in this cross-disciplinary area and boost our city’s economy by more than $971,000.

“Design has many applications in our daily lives and I’m delighted that DRS2020 will provide the opportunity for industry and academia to discuss its future impact on how we live, work and play.”

Brisbane Convention Bureau general manager Juliet Alabaster said the winning bid added to the Bureau’s continuing success in growing the city’s business events industry.

“The collaboration between the Brisbane Convention Bureau and Griffith University delivered an outstanding bid that showcased our city’s design research credentials, an inclusive cross-disciplinary approach, on-the-ground support and unbeatable location,” says Alabaster.

“Outside of the conference room, delegates of DRS2020 can look forward to soaking up Brisbane’s trademark sunny days and enjoy a bounty of local cultural and dining experiences.”

DRS2020 co-chair and head of design at Griffith University’s Queensland College of Art, professor Ming Cheung, said winning hosting rights for the conference was a coup for Brisbane and Australia’s design research community.

“Hosting DRS2020 will see Brisbane and Griffith University take the lead in promoting excellence in design research. With 600 of the world’s most talented academics and designers expected to meet in Brisbane, this conference will also provide significant development opportunities to local researchers, designers and students.”