Japan's Largest Design Conference "Designship 2026," with Over 50,000 Cumulative Participants and 290+ Companies, Adds New Sponsorship Plans Due to Popular Demand

General Incorporated Association Designship (Representative Director: Moe Hirono) has begun recruiting sponsoring companies for "Designship 2026," Japan's largest design conference, to be held at Tokyo Midtown Hall on Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th, 2026. Due to some plans selling out quickly after recruitment began, new additional plans have been established.

What is Designship?

Designship is Japan's largest design conference, bringing together all people involved in design across various fields such as UX, UI, product, graphic, and service design, under the concept of "connecting design that has spread too wide." Since its first開催 in 2018, this year marks its 9th anniversary, with cumulative participants exceeding 50,000. It has been held for 8 consecutive years with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Achievements of Designship 2025

"Designship 2025," held last year, recorded the following achievements:

・Total Participants: 2,518 people (cumulative over 2 days)
・SNS Reach: Over 28 million
・Number of Sessions: 70+ / Number of Speakers: 80+
・Number of Sponsoring/Partner Companies: 60+

Approximately 80% of participants are creative professionals such as designers, engineers, and students, with over 80% of them being in their 10s to 30s. Many companies support us every year as a venue that can expect high cost-effectiveness in both recruitment and branding.

New Initiative for 2026: Establishment of a Sponsor-Exclusive Networking Area

Designship 2026 plans to establish a new networking area exclusively for sponsoring companies. This will serve as a place to create connections between sponsoring companies, as well as with universities and government officials, further promoting industry-academia-government collaboration. This is a new endeavor to further enhance the networking value for sponsoring companies, in addition to sessions and booth exhibitions on the day of the conference.

Announcement of New Additional Plans

After starting to recruit sponsors, some plans gratefully sold out early. To allow more companies to participate, we have newly established additional sponsorship plans. We offer a variety of plans tailored to your objectives, such as session presentations, booth exhibitions, and novelty distribution, so please request the sponsorship materials for details.

Individual consultations: Late April 2026 (scheduled)

Application deadline: Late June 2026 (scheduled)
※Plans are on a first-come, first-served basis, so please inquire early.

In addition, we are conducting individual consultations throughout April for companies considering sponsorship. Please feel free to consult us on matters such as "Which plan is right for our company?" or "What results have past sponsoring companies achieved?"

Over 290 Companies Have Sponsored Cumulatively - The Reason for Continued Selection

Over 290 companies have sponsored Designship over the past 9 years. This conference, which attracts attendees primarily composed of designers and engineers, serves as a valuable point of contact for sponsoring companies to directly convey their initiatives.

Beyond recruitment purposes, companies have realized multifaceted benefits such as building a brand image as a "company that invests in design," boosting the motivation of in-house designers, and building relationships with the design community.

Focusing on Nurturing Student Designers and Engineers - "Hack-1 Grand Prix" Sponsored by the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo

In addition to operating the conference, Designship is also committed to nurturing the next generation of design talent. With the sponsorship of the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo, we have been holding the "Hack-1 Grand Prix," a hackathon for student designers and engineers, since last year. This is a practical program where participants develop apps and services over approximately one month under the theme of "Monozukuri in the AI Era." In its first開催 in 2025, over 100 students from across the country participated, achieving a satisfaction rate of 93%.

This year, a demo day is scheduled for May, and over 110 students from across the country have already applied.

▼ Report by the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, The University of Tokyo
https://www.iii.u-tokyo.ac.jp/research/20250725report

By collaborating across industry, government, and academia, we aim to foster talent that will lead the future of design – Designship will contribute to the development of Japan's design industry beyond the framework of a conference.

Additionally, we are also recruiting sponsors for the Hack-1 Grand Prix Demo Day, which will be held at the University of Tokyo until the end of April. Interested companies are encouraged to consider this as well.

▶ Hack-1 Grand Prix Official Website

▶ Hack-1 Grand Prix Sponsorship Material Application Form

"Designship 2026" Inquiries and Individual Consultation Applications

▶ Designship 2026 Official Website

▶ Sponsorship Material Application Form

Event Overview

Event Name: Designship 2026
Dates: October 10th (Sat) - 11th (Sun), 2026
Venue: Tokyo Midtown Hall (Hall A + Hall B)
Organizer: General Incorporated Association Designship
Official Website: https://design-ship.jp