COVER has invited some of the most successful and creative minds in the industry to discuss inspiring projects and exemplary practices. The online COVER Connect Talks, 12-15 January 2021, are free to watch and open to all. Register to attend via the COVER Connect website.
SUSTAINABILITY
Grant Gibson 
Simone Post 
Tanja Kirst 
Claudy Jongstra
Grant Gibson, host of the Material Matters podcast, will be discussing Sustainability in Design with the sheep farmer, artist and activist Claudy Jongstra; Tanja Kirst who is researching ways to transform the use of hemp fibre; and Simone Post who has made rugs from recycled waste materials in partnership with Adidas and Vlisco.
Ben Evans 
Susan Inglis 
Reto Aschwanden 
Scott Welker 
Michael Christie
On the Sustainability in Practice panel, chaired by HALI Editor Ben Evans, will be Michael Christie (aka The Ruggist); Reto Aschwanden, MD of Label STEP; VP of International Business Development at GoodWeave Scott Welker and Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council.
COLLABORATION
Matteo Cibic 
Kiki van Eijk 
Fabrizio Cantoni 
Bethan Laura Wood 
Yogesh Chaudhary
Talking about their Collaboration in Design experiences will be: Kiki Van Eijk who currently has a solo show of her collaborative product designs (including rugs) at the Textiel Museum, Leiden; Bethan Laura Wood with Fabrizio Cantoni from cc-tapis, collaborators on the Super Fake rug collection; and Matteo Cibic with Yogesh Chaudhary from Jaipur Rugs, collaborators on the Wunderkammer rug collection.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Erinn Valencich 
Vanessa Brady 
Shalini Misra 
Kar Hwa Ho 
Carol Sebert
Carol Sebert, Creative Matters’ President, will speak with Canadian interior design clients about their bespoke collaborations including the founders of design agency Yabu Pushelberg, Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu; Emma O’Neill, VP of Studio Sofield; and Eric McClelland, owner of Fleur-de-Lis.
Vanessa Brady OBE, founder of the Society of British and International Design (SBID) will speak to three renowned interior designers about their approaches to successfully incorporating rugs into their projects: Erinn Valencich, Founder of the L.A.-based Erinn V. Design Group; London-based Shalini Misra; and Kar Hwa-Ho, Head of Interior Architects at Zaha Hadid.
There will also be a special panel hosted by COVER Connect sponsor DOMOTEX, featuring its Global Director, Sonia Wedell-Castellano, in conversation with Reza Rejaye, CEO of Reza’s Oriental & Modern Rugs; Christoph Ziereis, MD of Oritop, and HALI Editor Ben Evans.
Register to attend COVER Connect Talks
