About MA
MA (Modern Atlanta) is an enterprise and a brand that believes that DESIGN is a five-letter word: HUMAN. We’ve even named our annual event “Design Is Human”, in part because MA’s mission is to promote design excellence that comes through the creation of sought-after services and desirable products that inspire and satisfy the needs of humanity, and in turn, encourage sustainable practices in lives, businesses, and the public.
The original event was born in 2007 out of a desire for an Atlanta-based forum diverse in content, eclectic in spirit, and international in appeal. Each year the event will be built on these aspirations, attracting a diverse range of speakers, exhibitors and attendees prepared to push the boundaries of applied contemporary design and urbanism.
MA’s aim is to embrace and connect a wide spectrum of practices including architecture and design, retail and trade, industry and academia, the arts, and NPO foundations. MA activities attract innovators, visionaries, independent minds, creative leaders, students, and non-specialist audiences with discussions on how design and innovative products improve everyday lives. MA provides the right conditions and venues for manufacturers and designers to successfully connect with businesses, consumers, and the public alike, by way of elevated local and international design exhibitions that expose all facets of the creative process including innovation and implementation.
MA produces programs and events and provides marketing and promotional services for cultivating and showcasing the international design industry in Atlanta. These programs and services are not only a platform for professionals, but also an arena for experimental and student work, and a meeting point for the international community.
images courtesy CARE
Because design really is human and a catalyst for good, MA with an ever-expanding coalition of like-minded international sponsors, also hosts design-related fundraisers under its MA-ology format. For the third consecutive year our efforts will benefit CARE INTERNATIONAL’s critical work that helps empower women and children in Africa.
This year’s MA DESIGN IS HUMAN program (May 2009) engaged new audiences and attracted more than 4,000 visitors. This figure is expected to rise significantly for the 2010 program that is scheduled for June 1-6, 2010.