Design Shanghai
Design Shanghai is Asia's leading international design exhibition, founded in 2014 and operated by UK-based Clarion Events. It runs an annual trade show connecting 600+ global design brands with architects, developers, and retailers across China, supported by conferences, citywide programs, and a curated retail platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Design Shanghai does
Design Shanghai is Asia's leading international design exhibition, founded in 2014 and operated by UK-based Clarion Events Ltd. The company produces an annual flagship trade show that convenes more than 600 curated design brands from over 20 countries with professional audiences including architects, interior designers, property developers, and retailers. The 13th edition concluded in March 2026 at the historic Shanghai Exhibition Centre, with the next edition scheduled for 4-7 March 2027.
The business platform extends beyond the core exhibition to include the KOHLER-branded Global Design Conference, CMF Conference, Design for Wellbeing Conference, and the Sustainable Design China Summit, alongside curated feature sections (Collectible Design & Art, Beyond Craft, Materials First, Re:Materialize, Made in JDZ). Supporting programs include TALENTS for emerging designers, Design in the City for citywide urban activations, MATCH Services for hosted-buyer business matching, and the Design Shanghai Shop, a 2025-launched year-round curated retail platform. The portfolio has expanded geographically to include Design Shenzhen (launched 2022) and Design China Beijing, collectively described as Asia's largest network of annual design shows.
Revenue is generated primarily through exhibitor booth bookings, multi-tier sponsorship packages (including an exclusive Top Tier Partner tier), professional visitor attendance, and adjacent channels such as conferences, retail, and media partnerships. The company maintains a multi-channel digital presence across WeChat, Weibo, Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and has secured strategic partnerships with Audi (Top Tier Partner, 2022), Dezeen (media, 2024), KOHLER (conference partner), JD.com (e-commerce), and WGSN (design trends). No proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the underlying technology stack consists of standard event management platforms supporting hybrid online/offline experiences.
Design Shanghai firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Design Shanghai
- Legal name
- Clarion Events Ltd.
- Website
- https://designshanghai.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Design Shanghai is Asia's leading international design exhibition, founded in 2014 and operated by UK-based Clarion Events. It runs an annual trade show connecting 600+ global design brands with architects, developers, and retailers across China, supported by conferences, citywide programs, and a curated retail platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Design Shanghai industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show & Exhibition Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding) (THAHAHAA), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)
Keywords
Where Design Shanghai is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Design Shanghai business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Exhibition and Trade Show Revenue: Design Shanghai generates revenue through exhibitor booth bookings, sponsorship packages, and professional visitor attendance fees. The event offers various sponsorship tiers including exclusive top-tier partnerships and conference sponsorship opportunities.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Design Shanghai product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Design Shanghai operates Asia's leading international design trade show, hosting an annual exhibition that brings together over 600 curated global design brands with professional visitors including architects, interior designers, property developers, and retailers. The event is anchored at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre and includes multi-track conferences, the TALENTS emerging-designers platform, the MATCH hosted-buyer programme, and the Design in the City citywide activation. Complementary sub-brands include Design Shenzhen, Design China Beijing, the Sustainable Design China Summit, and the Design Shanghai Shop retail platform.
Product overview
Design Shanghai is Asia's leading international design event, operating as a comprehensive platform for the design industry. The core offering is the annual Design Shanghai exhibition at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, featuring curated sections (Collectible Design & Art, Beyond Craft, Materials First, Re:Materialize, Made in JDZ), the KOHLER · Design Shanghai Global Design Conference, CMF Conference, Design for Wellbeing Conference, and Sustainable Design China Summit. Supporting platforms include TALENTS for emerging designers, Design in the City for urban activations, MATCH Services for business matching, Design Shanghai Shop for retail, and Design Shanghai @Xintiandi Design Festival. The portfolio also extends to Design Shenzhen and Design China Beijing events. The 13th edition concluded in March 2026, with the next edition scheduled for March 2027.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Design in the City: A strategic extension program that activates Shanghai's urban fabric through citywide network of curated venues during the Design Shanghai period.
- TALENTS
- Design Shanghai Shop
- MATCH
Products and services
- Design Shanghai Annual Exhibition Asia's leading international design exhibition, held annually at Shanghai Exhibition Centre (and previously Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center), showcasing over 600 curated global design brands to architects, interior designers, property developers, retailers, and private buyers.
- KOHLER · Design Shanghai Global Design Conference Multi-speaker design conference bringing together leading international designers to explore future design trends through design thinking, presented alongside the annual Design Shanghai exhibition.
- CMF Conference Conference track exploring Color, Materials, and Finishes (CMF) and their significance across multidimensional perceptions in design, aimed at design professionals and product developers.
- Design for Wellbeing Conference Conference track focused on regenerative design and the wellbeing dimension of design practice, delivered as part of the Design Shanghai exhibition programme.
- Sustainable Design China Summit Summit focused on the long-term sustainability of the design industry across policy, culture, technology, ecology, and business dimensions, operated as a core subsidiary event within the Design Shanghai portfolio.
- TALENTS Curated exhibition area within Design Shanghai providing a dedicated stage for emerging designers to showcase work alongside established global brands and the latest design trends.
- Design in the City Citywide extension programme that takes Design Shanghai beyond exhibition halls and into Shanghai's districts through partnerships with design destinations, studios, and cultural venues.
- MATCH Services Business matching and hosted-buyer programme that connects exhibitors with qualified buyers and industry professionals to facilitate B2B relationships and networking at Design Shanghai.
- Design Shanghai Shop Official retail platform combining offline displays with an online storefront, offering curated global contemporary design and art products to individual consumers and collectors.
- Design Shenzhen Regional design event serving the Greater Bay Area and southern China market, debuting in Shenzhen in December 2022 and forming part of the Design Shanghai portfolio of annual design shows.
Quantifiable outcome
- Design Shanghai 2018 attracted over 67,000 visitors and 400+ brands from 30+ countries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Design Shanghai
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Design Shanghai technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Design Shanghai partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.
- Earth Partner PrizeminorDesign Shanghai partnered with Earth Partner Prize (formerly #CreateCOP), a youth engagement contest for creatives aged 14-30 to respond to climate emergency aspects, spotlighting sustainability and next-generation design innovation.
- Material Matters LondonminorDesign Shanghai was invited to participate in Material Matters London 2025, showcasing Chinese material innovation and promoting global design exchange and innovation.
- Danny Cheng Interiors Ltd.minorDesign Shanghai collaborated with Danny Cheng Interiors Ltd. to host the Design Shanghai Hong Kong City-Themed Offline Event at Danny Cheng's private design studio.
- DezeencoreDesign Shanghai announced media partnership with Dezeen for 2024. Dezeen is the world's most influential architecture and design magazine with over 3 million monthly readers. The partnership provides media coverage and brand exposure for Design Shanghai.
- AudiflagshipAudi was the Exclusive Top Tier Partner of Design Shanghai 2022. Dr. Jürgen Unser, President of Audi China, stated that Audi would showcase sustainable, individual premium mobility at the show, demonstrating future-oriented design approach and commitment to resource regeneration and sustainable practice.
- JD.comcoreDesign Shanghai announced partnership with JD.com, a leading technology driven e-commerce company and retail infrastructure service provider in China, for expanded reach in the Chinese market.
- KOHLERcoreKOHLER partnered with Design Shanghai for the KOHLER Design Shanghai Global Design Conference, bringing together advanced ideas from leading designers worldwide for insightful exploration of future design trends.
- Clarion EventsflagshipDesign Shanghai is organized by Clarion Events Limited, a global events company. Clarion Events operates offices in London and Shanghai, managing the Design Shanghai portfolio of events.
- Design ShenzhencoreDesign Shenzhen is a new addition to the Design Shanghai portfolio of events. It extends the brand to Shenzhen, creating Asia's largest network of annual design shows covering Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing.
- RIBAcoreDesign Shanghai partnered with RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) and Dezeen to present 'Visions of China', an evening of exploration around Chinese design and architecture at RIBA London.
- WGSNcoreWGSN served as the global design trends partner of Design Shanghai, delivering Design Trends Workshops to professional visitors and helping bring global design trends to the Asian market.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Design Shanghai competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Messe Frankfurt: Global trade fair organizer operating Ambiente and other design/home lifestyle exhibitions. Comparable as a broad incumbent running multiple design-related shows across geographies, dwarfing Design Shanghai's standalone scale.
- Informa Markets: Global B2B events organizer and parent of design and lifestyle exhibitions worldwide. Comparable as the broader incumbent parent operating competing design exhibitions, with much greater scale than Clarion Events.
Direct peers
- ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair): North America's leading trade fair for contemporary furniture and design, held annually in New York. Comparable to Design Shanghai as a curated international design exhibition serving architects, designers, and developers.
- Stockholm Furniture Fair / Stockholm Design Week: Northern Europe's leading design event combining a furniture fair with citywide design programming. Comparable to Design Shanghai's combination of curated exhibition halls and citywide 'Design in the City' activations.
- Maison&Objet: Paris-based biannual design, lifestyle, and interior decoration trade show. Closely comparable to Design Shanghai in audience (designers, retailers, architects), curation model, and premium international brand focus.
- Art Basel: Premier global art and collectible design fair with editions in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Comparable to Design Shanghai's Collectible Design & Art feature in audience of high-end collectors, galleries, and luxury brands.
- Salone del Mobile.Milano: Milan's flagship international furniture and design fair and the global benchmark for design trade shows. Directly comparable to Design Shanghai as a curated annual B2B design exhibition targeting architects, designers, and brands.
- 100% Design: London's leading contemporary design trade event, part of the wider London Design Festival. Comparable to Design Shanghai in positioning as an annual curated design show targeting the UK and European design community.
Regional players
- Maison&Objet Asia (Singapore): Asian edition of Maison&Objet held in Singapore. Comparable as a curated design trade show serving Asian markets, though focused on Southeast Asia rather than Greater China.
- INDEX Design (Dubai): Middle East's largest design and interiors trade show. Comparable as a regional design exhibition platform but focused on the Middle East market rather than Asia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Design Shanghai social profiles
Digital presenceDesign Shanghai financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Design Shanghai leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Design Shanghai subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Design Shanghai funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Design Shanghai 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 Design Shanghai
What does Design Shanghai do?
Design Shanghai operates Asia's leading international design trade show, hosting an annual exhibition that brings together over 600 curated global design brands with professional visitors including architects, interior designers, property developers, and retailers. The event is anchored at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre and includes multi-track conferences, the TALENTS emerging-designers platform, the MATCH hosted-buyer programme, and the Design in the City citywide activation. Complementary sub-brands include Design Shenzhen, Design China Beijing, the Sustainable Design China Summit, and the Design Shanghai Shop retail platform.
Is Design Shanghai a public or private company?
Design Shanghai is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Design Shanghai founded?
Design Shanghai was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Design Shanghai based?
Design Shanghai is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Design Shanghai make money?
One revenue line is on record: exhibition and Trade Show Revenue.
Who are Design Shanghai's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Messe Frankfurt and Informa Markets. Direct peers are ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), Stockholm Furniture Fair / Stockholm Design Week, Maison&Objet, Art Basel, Salone del Mobile.Milano and 100% Design. Regional players are Maison&Objet Asia (Singapore) and INDEX Design (Dubai).
Does Design Shanghai have an API?
No public API is recorded for Design Shanghai.
What industry is Design Shanghai in?
Design Shanghai's product category is Trade Show & Exhibition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAGAC, Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build), with a secondary code of THAHAHAA, Custom Booth & Stand Design (Concept, 3D, Branding).