Our recent Saturday Indesign exhibitor information session in Sydney made one thing clear: SID 2026 is being built around better encounters, not bigger pitches.

The session covered the practical details — precincts, buses, registration, VIP lists and event deadlines — but the bigger conversation was about how exhibitors can create showroom experiences that feel more useful and memorable.

As Saturday Indesign builds towards September, the event continues to be shaped by active conversations with the people who bring it to life. Exhibitor feedback, industry consultations and community discussions have all informed a renewed approach focused on creating an event that feels more engaging, more participatory and ultimately more valuable for everyone involved.

1. Hosting matters more than exhibiting

Exhibitors were encouraged to think less like sales teams and more like hosts. That means greeting people properly, making the showroom easy to enter and creating a space where visitors feel like guests.

Certainly, a good SID experience should not begin with a brochure or a pitch, but with genuine welcome, curiosity and conversation.

2. Designers want to see the process

Finished products still matter, but the session made clear that process is often what creates the strongest connection.

Sketches, prototypes, samples, material tests, manufacturing stories and even failed iterations can all become part of a richer showroom experience. For architects and designers, the thinking behind a product is often as valuable as the product itself.

Related: The design story behind storytelling spaces

3. Interaction is the new expectation

SID 2026 is encouraging exhibitors to move beyond static displays. Activations might take the form of hands-on demonstrations, talks, co-presentations, material archives, short films or hosted conversations.

The aim is not spectacle for its own sake. It is to give visitors a reason to stay, ask questions and engage with the people behind the brand.

4. The event is part of a longer conversation

The renewed SID is not being treated as a single Saturday in isolation. Friday’s Industry and VIP Day will allow for smaller, curated gatherings, while exhibitors are also being encouraged to think about personal invitations, follow-up, content and ongoing relationships.

This approach connects with the broader consultation process already underway through SID conversations and initiatives such as Indesign Social Club. Across these formats, it becomes clear that the design community wants more access, more participation and more meaningful reasons to gather.

As SID builds towards September, the challenge — and opportunity — is to turn the idea of ‘Design Together’ into something people can genuinely experience.

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