The Nature, Culture and Design (NCD) 2015 International Advisory Board has been created to provide market insight and guidance on the development of South Korea's first major design center, to be constructed by 2015 in the City of Guri outside of Seoul. The proposed $30 billion mixed-use project will include the a center for expositions, as well as condominiums, hotels, retail, parks, a design university, a monorail system and more.

Michelle Finn, vice president of Nielsen Exposition's Hospitality Design Group, was elected as chair of the board at the inaugural meeting last October in New York City. Representatives from leading design and architectural firms and manufacturers including Fabricut, Maya Romanoff, Pierre-Yves Rochon, Rockwell Group, Valley Forge Fabrics, among others were present at the meeting. Board members were selected for their leadership positions in the global design markets for hospitality, commercial and residential, as well as their business acumen, expertise and talent.

"We are thrilled to be involved in the prestigious NCD 2015 International Advisory Board to advise in the development of one of the largest mixed-use projects in the world," said Finn. "The Guri World Design Center will ultimately provide the tools and resources to architects, manufacturers and marketers from across the globe that wish to engage in the rapidly growing Asian market."

Officers and committee chairs were also nominated and elected. Board members went on to discuss how companies market their products in Asia, projected growth trends and elements needed for the Guri World Design Center to succeed; this board will report directly to the City of Guri.

In attendance were influential Korean government officials including New York consul general of the Republic of Korea Ambassador Young-mok Kim and City of Guri mayor Young-sun Park. During the board meeting, Park unveiled his vision to transform the city into the new design hub for Asia.