Join us for coffee and pastries as we welcome attendees before the opening sessions begin. A relaxed start to the day to meet fellow designers and set the tone for the conversations ahead.

A short welcome from Car Design News editor-in-chief James McLachlan to kick things off. Setting the tone for the day ahead, with a quick look at the themes, conversations and ideas shaping this year’s event.

A design leadership conversation on how studios create connection between car and customer. From brand storytelling and visual identity to closer collaboration with marketing and sales, exploring how design drives engagement, builds identity in new markets and becomes a decisive factor in the purchase.

A closer look at how truly distinctive vehicles come to life, exploring emotion, collaboration and the design principles behind creating forms that stand the test of time.

Meet the Pininfarina Global Design Team and discover the vision behind one of the world’s most iconic design houses. With the Shanghai Design Center joining our Italian team, this panel introduces the global talent shaping Pininfarina’s future and shares how ideas travel across studios and cultures. The conversation then moves inside the creation of the JAS Tensei, unveiling the thinking behind its design features. Pininfarina’s leaders will guide the audience through their creative process and design philosophy, showing how an initial concept evolves into distinctive forms, volumes, and the meticulous details that make every Pininfarina supercar unique.

A discussion on how emotion is shaped, interpreted and sustained across different forms of mobility and design culture. From performance and brand expression to heritage and storytelling, this session explores how designers create products that resonate beyond function and connect with people on a deeper level.

Start off this session block with coffee, tea and pastries and use the time to continue conversations and reflect on the morning sessions before we move into the next discussions.

This panel explores how CMF strategies are evolving to support new brand expressions, balancing physical and visual identity while responding to circularity targets and material responsibility. From zero-waste approaches to leather and trim development to the integration of next-generation materials, the discussion examines how sustainability is reshaping not just what designers specify, but how they design.

As platforms, technologies and processes become increasingly shared, how do designers create truly distinctive products? This session explores the tension between efficiency and originality, from brand storytelling and material honesty to the role of craft, process and user experience in defining authentic design across different scales of production.

Sustainability may now be expected, but what comes next for automotive materials? This session explores the realities behind innovation, from the challenges of testing and scaling new ideas to the role of storytelling, brand identity and concept cars in bringing future materials from experimentation to production.

Enjoy snacks and refreshments as we gather for the final sessions of the day. A final opportunity to connect with the community before closing discussions begin.

This panel will explore how designers draw inspiration from architecture, interiors and digital design—not just aesthetically, but as new ways to think about space, narrative and emotional experience. 

The closing session explores how materials, lighting and surface design combine to shape interior atmosphere, perceived luxury and user experiences.

A relaxed close to the day with drinks, music and informal networking, surrounded by the energy of Salone del Mobile.