HOW Design Live
HOW Design Live operates annual multi-track conferences for creative professionals, including graphic designers, art directors, freelancers, and creative leaders. The brand, founded in 1985 and operated by Emerald X, LLC, runs the flagship 3-day event plus specialized summits and digital content extensions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What HOW Design Live does
HOW Design Live operates an annual multi-track conference business targeting creative professionals, including graphic designers, web designers, art directors, in-house creative teams, freelancers, and creative leaders. The flagship event is a 3-day in-person conference supplemented by specialized one-day and virtual summits: HOW Women Lead, HOW Design Creative Freelance, HOW Design Creative Leadership, and the DIELINE Conference (packaging design). The company originated as a print magazine in 1985 and has served the creative community for over 35 years.
The technology stack is an event management and conference content platform supporting tiered registration (Big Ticket all-access passes, 1-3 day options, early bird pricing), an on-demand Video Vault containing top-rated sessions from the past 5 years, Digital Sessions with live Q&A, the HOW-To monthly article series, and the HOW Design Today newsletter. Distribution occurs through self-serve online registration, direct event marketing, social media, podcast, and a network of 10+ promotional and sponsorship partners.
Revenue is generated primarily through conference ticket sales and event sponsorships; HOW Design Live is privately held and operated by Emerald X, LLC (formerly Emerald Expositions). The company has 11-50 employees and is headquartered in New York, with annual events rotating across US cities including Denver, Boston, Chicago, and Atlanta. The 2024 flagship was held in Denver, CO (September 23-25, 2024), but the company postponed the 2025 event to better align with the evolving industry landscape.
HOW Design Live firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HOW Design Live
- Legal name
- Emerald X, LLC
- Website
- https://howdesignlive.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- HOW Design Live operates annual multi-track conferences for creative professionals, including graphic designers, art directors, freelancers, and creative leaders. The brand, founded in 1985 and operated by Emerald X, LLC, runs the flagship 3-day event plus specialized summits and digital content extensions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HOW Design Live industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Conference Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
Keywords
Where HOW Design Live is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
HOW Design Live business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Conference Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live conferences including HOW Design Live (3-day main event), HOW Women Lead (1-day summit), Creative Freelance Summit, and Creative Leadership Summit. Registration packages include Big Ticket all-access passes and 1-3 day options with early bird pricing discounts available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Big Ticket All-Access Pass |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 1-3 Day Pass Options |
| Subscription | Annual | Early Bird Pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual Summit Recordings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
HOW Design Live product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HOW Design Live is an annual multi-day conference and event portfolio targeting creative professionals. The flagship offering is a 3-day in-person conference featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, and networking, supplemented by specialized summits (HOW Women Lead, Creative Freelance, Creative Leadership, DIELINE Conference) and digital extensions including Video Vault, Digital Sessions, the HOW-To article series, and the HOW Design Today newsletter.
Product overview
HOW Design Live is a conference and event platform that organizes design-focused events for creative professionals. The core offering is the annual HOW Design Live 3-day conference featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking. The portfolio includes specialized summits: HOW Women Lead (women's leadership), HOW Design Creative Freelance (freelancer business topics), HOW Design Creative Leadership (leadership challenges), and Dieline Conference (packaging design). Digital offerings include Video Vault (on-demand session recordings), Digital Sessions (live and on-demand conference content), HOW-To articles (session takeaways), and the HOW Design Today newsletter. HOW Design Live was founded in 1985 and is owned by Emerald X, LLC.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- HOW Women Lead: A one-day summit for female creative business leaders, held September 22, 2024 in Denver, CO.
- HOW Design Creative Freelance
- HOW Design Creative Leadership
- DIELINE Conference
- HOW Design Online
- HOW-To
- HOW Design Today
Products and services
- HOW Design Live Conference Flagship 3-day annual design conference held in major US cities (Denver in 2024) bringing together graphic designers, web designers, art directors, and creative professionals for keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, and networking. Offers creative inspiration and practical knowledge for career advancement.
- HOW Women Lead One-day summit for female creative business leaders focused on upleveling skills, positioning for bigger roles, and addressing challenges faced by women in creative leadership positions.
- HOW Design Creative Freelance Summit Virtual summit focused on creative freelancers and business topics including pricing, proposals, client management, and business strategy for self-employed designers.
- HOW Design Creative Leadership Summit Virtual gathering focused on emerging challenges faced by leaders in design, product, and engineering roles, addressing leadership transition and team management topics.
- DIELINE Conference Conference focused on packaging design and brand experience, addressing branding trends, sustainable packaging, and consumer product branding for designers.
- Video Vault Online library offering free access to selected top-rated recorded sessions from the past 5 years of HOW Design Live events, extending event content beyond live attendance.
- Digital Sessions Online conference sessions available for live viewing with Q&A and on-demand viewing post-event, bringing the in-person conference experience to a virtual audience.
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% of stakeholders think they're providing enough clarity on projects, but one in four creatives feel communications are jumbled - demonstrating need for collaboration training
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use HOW Design Live
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HOW Design Live technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HOW Design Live partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Emerald X, LLCcoreEvent producer and parent company of HOW Design Live. Emerald X owns and operates the HOW Design Live conference and related properties including HOW Magazine, PRINT Magazine, and other design industry events.
- Sylvamominor2024 conference sponsor providing financial and promotional support for the event in exchange for brand visibility among creative professionals
- Cellaminor2024 conference sponsor supporting creative staffing and consulting services visibility at the event
- NeenahminorPaper manufacturer and 2024 conference sponsor showcasing paper and print products to design professionals
- Hallmarkminor2024 conference sponsor with brand presence at the event targeting creative professionals
- Design Museum EverywhereminorPromotional partner and media sponsor supporting design education and awareness
- Graphic Artists GuildminorPromotional partner and media sponsor representing graphic artists' professional interests
- IHAF (In-House Agency Forum)minorPromotional partner supporting in-house design agency professionals and community
- Paper SpecsminorPromotional partner and media sponsor focused on paper and print specifications for designers
- PRINT MagazineminorPromotional partner and media sponsor covering design and print industry topics
- Marketing Mentor (Ilise Benun)minorPromotional partner providing marketing mentorship content and podcast collaboration
- inMotionNowminorSponsored digital session on remote work productivity for creative teams
- CeltraminorSponsored digital session on creative automation software, demonstrating their platform capabilities
- Marketing MentorminorPartner in digital session content and podcast hosting collaboration
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
HOW Design Live competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Adobe MAX: Adobe's annual flagship creative conference targeting designers, creatives, and marketing professionals. Closely comparable as a large-scale design industry event with multi-track programming, vendor sponsorship, and a global creative community — though backed by a major software platform.
- Webflow Conf: Annual conference by Webflow for web designers, no-code builders, and creative professionals. Comparable as a creative industry conference with vendor sponsorship and community focus, though technologically narrower (web design).
- Figma Config: Figma's annual design conference for UI/UX designers, product designers, and design teams. Comparable as a design-focused industry event with strong community engagement, though backed by a major SaaS platform and focused on digital product design.
Direct peers
- AIGA Design Conference: The premier professional design association conference in the US, targeting graphic designers, design leaders, and creative professionals. Direct competitor in the design education and inspiration space with keynote-driven programming and multi-day format.
- CreativePro Week: Annual conference for creative professionals covering design, publishing, and production workflows. Direct competitor in the professional creative conference space with similar target audience of designers and creative leaders.
- Communication Arts Conference / Interactive Festival: Communication Arts produces design events and awards for creative professionals. Comparable as a long-running brand in the design conference space targeting graphic designers, art directors, and creative leaders.
Emerging players
- OFFF Festival: International design and creativity festival featuring speakers, workshops, and digital design experiences. Comparable as a multi-track creative inspiration event, though with a stronger digital/modern design focus and global brand.
- Design Matters Copenhagen: Annual design conference in Copenhagen for designers, creatives, and business leaders. Comparable multi-track creative conference format, though regional (European) and focused on broader design + business intersection.
- Seth Godin altMBA / Workshops: Alternative creative business education offering workshops and seminars for creative professionals. Comparable as a paid creative education offering targeting creative leaders and freelancers, though delivered as a shorter workshop format rather than a multi-day conference.
Regional players
- Typo Berlin: International design conference specifically focused on typography and visual communication. Comparable as a design-focused multi-track event, though regional (European) with a narrower typography specialty.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HOW Design Live social profiles
Digital presenceHOW Design Live financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HOW Design Live leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
HOW Design Live funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HOW Design Live M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HOW Design Live
What does HOW Design Live do?
HOW Design Live is an annual multi-day conference and event portfolio targeting creative professionals. The flagship offering is a 3-day in-person conference featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, and networking, supplemented by specialized summits (HOW Women Lead, Creative Freelance, Creative Leadership, DIELINE Conference) and digital extensions including Video Vault, Digital Sessions, the HOW-To article series, and the HOW Design Today newsletter.
Is HOW Design Live a public or private company?
HOW Design Live is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was HOW Design Live founded?
HOW Design Live was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is HOW Design Live based?
HOW Design Live is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does HOW Design Live make money?
One revenue line is on record: conference Ticket Sales.
Who are HOW Design Live's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Adobe MAX, Webflow Conf and Figma Config. Direct peers are AIGA Design Conference, CreativePro Week and Communication Arts Conference / Interactive Festival. Emerging players are OFFF Festival, Design Matters Copenhagen and Seth Godin altMBA / Workshops. Typo Berlin is listed as a regional player.
Does HOW Design Live have an API?
No public API is recorded for HOW Design Live.
What industry is HOW Design Live in?
HOW Design Live's product category is Professional Conference Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAL, Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design.