Business of Design Week (BODW) 2026 runs from 16 to 21 November in Hong Kong, with Switzerland as Partner Country for the year. The Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), the organiser, set out the programme at a press conference on 17 September under the theme Design in Dialogue: Connect + Transform.
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), part of the Hong Kong government's Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, is Lead Sponsor. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) co-organises.
Switzerland as Partner Country
HKDC said the programme draws on Swiss strengths in fine craftsmanship, sustainable building, brand renewal and technology, and asks how design and cross-cultural exchange can produce commercial and social change. Daniel Freihofer, Consul General of Switzerland in Hong Kong, said the theme matches Swiss design's habit of working across disciplines and cultures. HKDC Chairman Steve Leung described design as "a human-centred practice that puts people first."
Six Pillars Across Three Days
The BODW 2026 Summit takes place from 18 to 20 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. According to the organiser, speakers come from Switzerland, Hong Kong, mainland China, the Czech Republic, Korea and the United States.
Each half-day is given to one pillar. Reimagining Spaces and Regenerative Culture & Curation fall on 18 November. Brand Transformation and The New Luxury & Artisanal Innovation follow on 19 November. Designing for Longevity & Vitality and Future-Ready Transmedia & Education close the Summit on 20 November.
Architecture Opens the Programme
The Reimagining Spaces session opens the Summit on the morning of 18 November. Speakers listed for it include Wim Walschap, CEO and Senior Partner at Herzog & de Meuron; Swiss landscape architect Enzo Enea; Manuel Herz, founder of Manuel Herz Architects; Prof. Chang Yung Ho, Dean of Architecture at The University of Hong Kong; Ivy S.W. Lee, Managing Director of Leigh & Orange; and Emily Yan, Director of Studio Hong Kong (Asia Region) at Snøhetta.
HKDC said Walschap will speak on how his studio puts dialogue at the centre of its work, drawing on adaptive reuse and projects that include Tate Modern, M+ and Tai Kwun. Enea will address landscape design and public space, with Central Crossing, a mixed-use development in Hong Kong designed with Foster + Partners, among his recent projects. Yan will discuss the idea of generosity in regenerative design, with AIRSIDE in Kai Tak as one reference point.
Later sessions turn to brands and products. Thilo Brunner, Chief Design Officer of On, and Janine Weiz-Bühler, Navigator / CEO of FREITAG lab. AG, are listed under Brand Transformation. Aurel Aebi, co-founder of atelier oï, which HKDC noted received the Swiss Grand Award for Design 2026, appears under The New Luxury & Artisanal Innovation.
Future Lab and Citywide Events
The bodw Future Lab returns inside the Summit with one session a day: The Future Design of Empathetic Spaces on 18 November, Future Thinking: Navigating the Big Shifts Reshaping Our World on 19 November, and an East-meets-West approach to longevity on 20 November. English subtitles run throughout, real-time translation tools cover 10 languages, and the full programme will stream on bodw+ and social platforms.
Several design events run alongside the Summit: DESIGN@HKG, the DFA Awards Presentation Ceremony, the DX design hub Anniversary Event, a Leadership Forum organised by PolyU Design, the Business of IP Asia Forum, and deTour 2026. HKTDC said its DesignInspire runs from 18 to 21 November at the same venue under the theme Wander & Wonder, with a special exhibition from Salone del Mobile.Milano making its debut.
For architects and landscape practitioners, the first morning is the session closest to their own field, and it is the one to find in the livestream schedule for anyone following from outside Hong Kong.
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