Designers' Saturday

Name

Designers' Saturday

Legal name

Foreningen Designers' Saturday

Website

https://designerssaturday.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Designers' Saturday is a Norwegian nonprofit association that runs a biennial design and interior architecture trade fair in Oslo, serving ~180 exhibitors and ~6,000 trade visitors across 10 showroom locations every two years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Trade Show & Exhibition Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail, Consumer Goods & Lifestyle Shows Organizers (THAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Design, Decor & Styling (HSACAAAB), Event Theming, Mood Boards & Concept Design (HSACAOAH)

Keywords

• Biennial design fair
• Interior architecture exhibition
• Design trade show
• Showroom event management
• Design industry association

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Exhibitor fees: Exhibitors (manufacturers and designers) pay fees to participate and showcase their products at the event. Exhibitors are members of the association and owners of Designers' Saturday.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Designers' Saturday is a Norwegian nonprofit association that organizes a biennial design and interior architecture trade fair held across multiple showroom locations in Oslo over three days. The event brings together approximately 180 manufacturers and designers as exhibitors with around 6,000 trade visitors, featuring professional trade days on Friday and Saturday and a public day on Sunday at the Myrens Verksted hub. The fair is complemented by integrated programs including DS Awards, DS Talks, DS Collab (designer-manufacturer collaborations), DS Unika (unique objects), and DS Next Gen (student showcase).

Product overview

Designers' Saturday is Norway's largest and most important meeting place for design and interior architecture, organized as a non-profit association. The organization operates as a single unified event platform centered around a biennial fair (the 21st edition in 2025), with multiple integrated programs including the DS Awards (recognizing Best Interior and Best Talent), DS Talks (evening speaker series), DS Collab (designer-manufacturer collaboration platform), DS Unika (unique objects exhibition), and DS Next Gen (student showcase). The event spans 10 showroom locations across Oslo over three days (Friday-Sunday), with Saturday featuring free bus transport between locations. The organization runs on volunteer and nonprofit basis with exhibitors as members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DS Collab: A collaboration program connecting product and industrial designers with Norwegian manufacturers to develop new market-ready products.
• DS Unika
• DS Awards
• DS Next Gen
• DS Talks

Products and services

• Designers' Saturday Biennial Trade Fair Biennial design and interior architecture trade fair held across multiple showroom locations in Oslo over three days (Friday-Sunday), featuring professional trade days and a public day at Myrens Verksted hub, attracting approximately 180 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors.
• DS Awards Annual awards program recognizing excellence in interior design (Best Interior with Public, Commercial, and Residential categories) and emerging talent (Best Talent with 1st, 2nd, 3rd prizes), held during the biennial event.
• DS Talks Ticketed evening speaker series featuring prominent designers, architects, and industry professionals presenting curated talks on design themes, with the 2025 edition focused on the theme 'Repurpose' exploring architecture, space, and form.
• DS Collab Collaboration platform connecting product and industrial designers with Norwegian manufacturers (including Eskoleia, Hadeland Glassverk, ygg&lyng, Northern) to develop new market-ready products, culminating in a joint exhibition at the biennial event.
• DS Unika Exhibition of unique design objects by selected designers, providing a platform for free artistic expression beyond commercial constraints; the 2025 edition features eight designers selected by jury to explore Southern Norway oak in collaboration with Hamran Snekkerverksted.
• DS Next Gen Exhibition showcasing the best student work from Norwegian design education institutions including AHO, Kunsthøyskolen, OsloMet, Kristiania, UiB, and NTNU, supporting emerging designers and connecting students with the industry.
• Academy Partnership Program matching manufacturers with design students and recent graduates to develop exhibition designs, providing industry experience and fresh perspectives for both parties.
• DS Guide Insider tips and recommendations publication for attendees, including restaurant, bar, cultural venue, and accommodation suggestions near showroom locations across Oslo during the event.
• Designers' Saturday Mobile App Mobile application for Designers' Saturday attendees to navigate the event, access program information, and locate showroom locations across Oslo.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PorschecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPorsche Studio Oslo partners with Designers' Saturday for exclusive exhibitions, including Eames pop-up showcases at Aker Brygge.
• Innovasjon Norge (Innovation Norway)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational innovation agency supporting Norwegian design and industry participation in Designers' Saturday.
• Norsk Industri (Norwegian Industry)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrade organization for Norwegian industry, supporting design and manufacturing sectors represented at DS.
• Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner represented in Next Gen exhibition and DS Council.
• University of Bergen (UiB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner represented in Next Gen exhibition showcasing student work.
• Høyskolen KristianiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner represented in Next Gen exhibition and Academy Partnership program.
• OsloMet (Oslo Metropolitan University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner represented in Next Gen exhibition.
• NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner represented in Next Gen exhibition and DS Collab program.
• Oslo National Academy of the Arts (KHiO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner represented in Next Gen exhibition.
• PolyflorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFlooring manufacturer exhibiting at Designers' Saturday.
• Glatz AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss umbrella manufacturer exhibiting at Designers' Saturday.
• Scandic SjølystminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner offering 15% discount for Designers' Saturday visitors.
• Grand Hotel OslominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHotel partner offering discounted rates for Designers' Saturday visitors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair): North America's leading trade fair for contemporary furniture, held annually in New York. Comparable B2B trade show positioning for design professionals, though in a different geography.
• Maison&Objet Paris: Major biannual trade fair in Paris for interior design, decoration, and lifestyle products. Comparable trade show + curated awards structure, but with a much larger international scope.
• Salone del Mobile.Milano: The world's largest and most influential furniture and design trade fair, held annually in Milan. Sets the global design calendar against which smaller Nordic fairs like Designers' Saturday are timed.
• London Design Festival: Major annual design event across London featuring hundreds of partner venues and events. Comparable multi-venue curated format, though operating at much larger scale and global brand recognition.

Direct peers

• Stockholm Furniture Fair: Sweden's premier Scandinavian furniture and lighting trade fair, held biennially in Stockholm. Direct competitor for Nordic design exhibitors and trade visitors who might otherwise attend Designers' Saturday.
• Vienna Design Week: Annual design festival held across Vienna showrooms and venues, with curated exhibitions and a focus on design and craftsmanship. Similar format and audience to Designers' Saturday.
• Helsinki Design Week: Nordic design festival held annually across Helsinki, featuring exhibitions, talks, and events. Directly comparable to Designers' Saturday in scope, geography, and target audience.
• 3daysofdesign: Annual Copenhagen-based design festival spanning showrooms across the city, attracting leading Nordic and international design brands. Direct structural parallel to Designers' Saturday's multi-showroom Oslo format and trade-focused positioning.
• Dutch Design Week: Annual nine-day design event in Eindhoven presenting work from hundreds of designers across multiple venues. Comparable multi-venue, multi-program model and comparable scale to Designers' Saturday.

Regional players

• DesignMarch Reykjavik: Iceland's annual design festival spanning showrooms and venues in Reykjavik. Operates in a similar Nordic context with comparable format, though with significantly smaller scale than Designers' Saturday.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DesignersSaturdayOslo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/designers-saturday
• Instagraminstagram.com/designerssaturday_oslo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Designers' Saturday