More than 135 international design luminaries will give talks as part of the Business of Design Week, which begins at the end of next month. The event, organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre, will embrace various types of design including fashion, products, brands, culture and architecture. Participants will also discuss the West Kowloon Cultural District project. Designers at the event will include David Butler, the Coca-Cola Company's vice-president of design, Beijing-based architect Zhu Pei, Japanese architect Toyo Ito, and Kathy Halbreich, associate director of New York's Museum of Modern Art. Designers from France, this year's partner country, will also come to the city to share their experiences and opinions. Speakers from France include vertical garden designer Patrick Blanc, who grows plants on building walls, Pierre-Alexis Dumas from the fashion label Hermes International, and Matali Crasset from Matali Crasset Productions. Marc Fonbaustier, France's consul general in Hong Kong, said the Business of Design Week would be a high-spirited cultural exchange that would enhance business opportunities for both Hong Kong and France. 'With a long history of artistic and cultural developments, France is a cultural mecca as well as an essential design destination,' he said. Hong Kong Design Centre chairman Victor Lo Chung-wing said he expected 'an inspiring week of discussions, programmes and business opportunities'. Business of Design Week will run from November 30 to December 5 at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Entry to some programmes is free. More information is available on the event's website, www.bodw.com . The South China Morning Post is the event's sole English-language newspaper partner.