Creative Capital Conferencehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CCC_1.jpg10811350Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CCC_1.jpg
How can design, intellectual property, and licensing unlock new opportunities for brand growth, collaboration, and commercial expansion?
Discover the answers at the Creative Capital Conference on 14 August 2026, held in conjunction with FLAsia 2026, Asia’s leading franchising and licensing exhibition.
Co-organised by DBCS, this conference brings together creatives, entrepreneurs, legal experts, industry practitioners, and business owners to explore this intersection in today’s evolving business landscape.
Through inspiring keynote sharings and insightful panel discussions, participants will gain practical knowledge on:
Design-led business innovation
Licensing strategies for creatives and businesses
Brand development
Intellectual property
Register early to enjoy early-bird discount, limited to the first 30 participants. Enter code 8DBCS30 to redeem.
Leading Design Transitions in an Age of AI and Disruptionhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gala-Dinner-2025-scaled.jpg25601707Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Gala-Dinner-2025-scaled.jpg
We stand at the precipice of profound shifts across many aspects of our lives. Artificial Intelligence and rapid technological, social, environmental and economic disruptions are fundamentally rewriting the rules of business, dismantling traditional models, and altering how we live and work. In this rapidly shifting landscape, how do we leverage design as more than a means of competitive differentiation, to create flourishing worlds that serve us and our future generations to come?
Design is an essential navigational tool in these times as we strive to be good ancestors.
This is why the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) is championing the theme: “Leading Design Transitions.” To lead a transition means we cannot afford to be reactive. We must anticipate changes and paths, shape them, and ensure that as technology accelerates, our solutions remain deeply respectful of the foundation of human talent and planetary resources that all good business depends on. While AI automates the predictable, design provides the empathy, ethical grounding, and strategic foresight necessary to turn complex disruptions into avenues for sustainable enterprise development.
Navigating this new era cannot be done in silos. It requires a unified, global effort. This is why DBCS is in partnership with fellow Singapore design associations through DesignS, in strategic alignment with our global body, the World Design Business Organisation (WDBO), to step up to create impact through two core pillars: Convening and Solutioning.
Convening the Global Ecosystem: We act as a vital nexus connecting designers, C-suite business leaders, technologists, and policymakers through the World Design Business Forum. By leveraging the expanding WDBO network, we are facilitating cross-border dialogues and bringing together diverse, multidisciplinary minds. Through international forums, galas, and industry dialogues, we create the brave spaces necessary for stakeholders to debate the ethical implications of AI and other driving forces, widen our understanding, share insights, and forge powerful partnerships.
Driving Actionable Solutioning: Beyond conversation, we are committed to tangible outcomes. DBCS and WDBO are actively working to equip businesses with the frameworks needed to integrate design into their core corporate strategies. By benchmarking excellence—through platforms like the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) and the Design Power Index—we highlight proven global design best practices. We are creating a repository of knowledge and strategies that empower enterprises to use design not just to adapt to the changing world, but to actively build the new products, services, and business models of tomorrow.
Let us not see the age of AI as threat to the design and business communities; rather, it is our greatest canvas yet. Let us not just weather the storm of disruption. Let us imagine worlds worthy of our passions and design the transitions to get there.
I invite you to join DBCS and WDBO on this journey to lead with proactive, purpose-driven design.
Authors By Hong Khai Seng, President of DBCS
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DBCS Seed Award 2026https://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Seed-Awards-2026.png14401800Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Seed-Awards-2026.png
We are excited to launch the DBCS Seed Award, a platform dedicated to shaping emerging exemplary designers of 2026.
This initiative is about more than recognition—it is about preparing designers, institutions, and students to lead in a rapidly changing world.
We are looking for designers who demonstrate the five core qualities: ✨ Creative Impact 🧠 Critical Thinking 💡 Cognitive Intelligence 💪 Perseverance ⚖️ Ethical Decision-Making
Conversation for Change: Designed to Lead – A Future Leaders Networkhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FLF_Design-to-Lead-Final_Square-scaled.jpg25602560Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/FLF_Design-to-Lead-Final_Square-scaled.jpg
An evening of insight, inspiration, and celebration
What does it take to lead with design in today’s world? And who are the leaders shaping that answer right now?
Join us for Designed to Lead, an evening that puts the next generation of design-led leaders centre stage. Hear fresh, unfiltered leadership insights from emerging leaders across service design, design thinking, and business design. Then go deeper in conversation with seasoned industry voices who have walked the path before them.
This is not a lecture. This is a live exchange between the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow, and you are invited into that room.
The evening culminates in the graduation of our Future Leaders Fellowship cohort, a milestone worth celebrating together.
5:00 PM — Welcome & Opening
5:15 PM — Panel Discussion with Industry Leaders: Invited leaders from across industries join the conversation, on design, leadership, and what it really takes to move organisations forward
Panellists: Adhiraj Mahajan, Group Product Manager, PRISM+
Raj is the Group Product Manager at PRISM+, Singapore’s largest electronics brand. An iF Award-winning product designer, he has designed over 30 global consumer products, including smart locks, robot vacuums, and smart laundry racks. His work blends aesthetic excellence with functional innovation, delivering smart home solutions used by thousands of people worldwide.
Shermeen is the Managing Director of OuterEdit, a Singapore-based creative agency that makes meaningful matter through brand strategy, visual communications, storytelling and experience design. With a hybrid background spanning business, communications and design, she leads with a balance of strategic sensibility, emotional intelligence and creative conviction, bridging the analytical and the human in equal measure.
Simon Ong, Deputy Chairman amd Co-founder Kingsmen Creatives
Simon Ong oversees the strategic direction, development, and creative standards, of Kingsmen, a leading communication design and production group with 18 offices across the Asia Pacific region and North America. He serves the creative industry in various advisory roles, including honourary advisor to the Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDA) and a member of Singapore Interior Design Accreditation Council.
Stacy leads branding, research, and strategy at Y ellow Octopus, a multi-disciplinary creative communications agency. With 11 years of experience, she has directed rebrands and creative campaigns for pioneers such as Jumbo Group, CapitaLand, FairPrice Group, School of the Arts, Halogen, and Parkway Group. Rooted in a background spanning creative writing and teaching, Stacy brings a distinctive lens to her work—one that sits at the intersection of leadership, design practice, and culture.
5:45 PM — Leadership Insights from the Fellows: Three groups share what they’ve learned about leading through design — candid, personal, and practical
6:30 PM — Certificate Presentation: Celebrating the graduation of our Future Leaders Fellowship cohort
6:45 PM — Dinner & Networking: Continue the conversations over dinner with fellow design-led leaders
Come if you are:
A design advocate or people leader who wants to be part of the community shaping design leadership in Singapore
A mid-level manager ready to think more boldly about your leadership
A leader who has always known that design is more than aesthetics, it is how you solve, decide, and lead.
DBCS Gala Dinnerhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GALA_Next-40_2_Next40_Square.png22502250Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GALA_Next-40_2_Next40_Square.png
World Design Business Forum, the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards & Exhibition and the DBCS40 Gala Celebration will be held on 9-10 September.
9 September 10am – 1pm World Design Business Forum 2pm – 5pm: World Design Business Masterclasses
10 September
2pm – 5pm SG Mark Awards Ceremony 7pm – 10pm DBCS Gala Dinner
Design in Transition is a two-day programme that celebrates design as a catalyst for economic and social progress, locally and globally. Organised by Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS), this three-part experience features the World Design Business Forum, the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards & Exhibition, and the DBCS40 Gala Celebration.
The World Design Business Forum brings together global and local leaders to explore the economics of good design. Through dynamic panels and discussions, the forum examines how design-led strategies drive business growth, market creation, technological innovation, and social impact. Attendees gain insights into how good design is good business.
The SG Mark Awards Ceremony & Exhibition recognises exemplary designs that raise industry benchmarks and create positive change. Winners across nine categories will be honoured at the awards ceremony, while the public exhibition offers an immersive showcase of design excellence that enhances everyday life.
The DBCS Gala Celebration, which commemorates the next 40 years of championing Better Business by Design. This event honours visionary businesses and individuals shaping the Singapore Design Story and its global influence.
Together, these three events position Singapore as a global leader in the business of design.
Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Award Ceremonyhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GALA_Next-40_2_SG-Mark_Square.png22502250Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GALA_Next-40_2_SG-Mark_Square.png
World Design Business Forum, the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards & Exhibition and the DBCS40 Gala Celebration will be held on 9-10 September.
9 September 10am – 1pm World Design Business Forum 2pm – 5pm: World Design Business Masterclasses
10 September
2pm – 5pm SG Mark Awards Ceremony 7pm – 10pm DBCS Gala Dinner
Design in Transition is a two-day programme that celebrates design as a catalyst for economic and social progress, locally and globally. Organised by Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS), this three-part experience features the World Design Business Forum, the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards & Exhibition, and the DBCS40 Gala Celebration.
The World Design Business Forum brings together global and local leaders to explore the economics of good design. Through dynamic panels and discussions, the forum examines how design-led strategies drive business growth, market creation, technological innovation, and social impact. Attendees gain insights into how good design is good business.
The SG Mark Awards Ceremony & Exhibition recognises exemplary designs that raise industry benchmarks and create positive change. Winners across nine categories will be honoured at the awards ceremony, while the public exhibition offers an immersive showcase of design excellence that enhances everyday life.
The DBCS Gala Celebration, which commemorates 40 years of championing Better Business by Design. This event honours visionary businesses and individuals shaping the Singapore Design Story and its global influence.
Together, these three events position Singapore as a global leader in the business of design.
WDBF: World Design Business Forumhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GALA_Next-40_2_WDBF_Square.png22502250Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GALA_Next-40_2_WDBF_Square.png
World Design Business Forum, the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards & Exhibition and the DBCS40 Gala Celebration will be held on 9-10 September.
9 September 10am – 1pm World Design Business Forum 2pm – 5pm: World Design Business Masterclasses
10 September
2pm – 5pm SG Mark Awards Ceremony 7pm – 10pm DBCS Gala Dinner
Design in Transition is a two-day programme that celebrates design as a catalyst for economic and social progress, locally and globally. Organised by Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS), this three-part experience features the World Design Business Forum, the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Awards & Exhibition, and the DBCS40 Gala Celebration.
The World Design Business Forum brings together global and local leaders to explore the economics of good design. Through dynamic panels and discussions, the forum examines how design-led strategies drive business growth, market creation, technological innovation, and social impact. Attendees gain insights into how good design is good business.
The SG Mark Awards Ceremony & Exhibition recognises exemplary designs that raise industry benchmarks and create positive change. Winners across nine categories will be honoured at the awards ceremony, while the public exhibition offers an immersive showcase of design excellence that enhances everyday life.
The DBCS Gala Celebration, which commemorates 40 years of championing Better Business by Design. This event honours visionary businesses and individuals shaping the Singapore Design Story and its global influence.
Together, these three events position Singapore as a global leader in the business of design.
Navigating Global Shifts Through Design: A Recap of DBCS Circle Connectshttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DBCS_Special-Circle-Connects_Creative-Diplomacy-in-an-Age-of-Geopolitical-Disruption_3.jpg20481538Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DBCS_Special-Circle-Connects_Creative-Diplomacy-in-an-Age-of-Geopolitical-Disruption_3.jpg
What happens when design policy meets geopolitical strategy?
Yesterday afternoon, the Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) had the distinct privilege of exploring this exact intersection with Senior Minister of State (SMS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs Sim Ann during our special Circle Connects session: Creative Diplomacy in an Age of Geopolitical Disruption.
As Patron of DBCS since 2018, SMS Sim Ann has served as a vital bridge between Singaporean innovation and global policy. The closed-door dialogue session at the National Design Centre offered a rare opportunity for design entrepreneurs and industry leaders to step outside their organisational boundaries and navigate the bigger picture. The session was moderated by President of DBCS, Hong Khai Seng.
The session reinforced several critical takeaways for the future of our industry:
Finding common ground: How creative problem-solving and design thinking can foster softer, yet highly effective, international common ground during times of global disruption.
Resilience Through Innovation: The essential role Singapore’s design sector plays in maintaining economic and cultural agility on the world stage.
Strategic Alignment: A challenge to design leaders to align their strategic vision with broader macroeconomic and geopolitical realities.
A massive thank you to SMS Sim Ann for her continued support and for opening the room to such a rich, insightful dialogue. Thank you also to the leaders and representatives of the design trade association from ‘DesignS design alliance’ who joined us and elevated the conversation.
You’re Invited! Special DBCS Circle Connectshttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Monday-25th-May-2026_Special-DBCS-Circles-Connect-_Creative-Diplomacy-in-An-Age-of-Geo-political-Disruption_Luma-Visual_Luma-scaled.jpg25602553Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Monday-25th-May-2026_Special-DBCS-Circles-Connect-_Creative-Diplomacy-in-An-Age-of-Geo-political-Disruption_Luma-Visual_Luma-scaled.jpg
Few people sit at the intersection of design policy and geopolitical strategy. Senior Minister of State Sim Ann is one of them, and she’s opening the room.
As Senior Minister of State (MFA & MHA) and Patron of DBCS since 2018, SMS Sim Ann has been the bridge between Singaporean innovation and global policy. In this special Circle Connects, we’re going behind closed doors to discuss Creative Diplomacy in an Age of Geopolitical Disruption.
This is a rare session curated for design entrepreneurs and leaders ready to think beyond the organisation and navigate the bigger picture.
DBCS Seed Award Fieldworkhttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DBCS-Seed-Award-Fieldwork-Poster-scaled.jpg25602560Design Business Chamber SingaporeDesign Business Chamber Singaporehttps://dbcsingapore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/DBCS-Seed-Award-Fieldwork-Poster-scaled.jpg
The design industry is changing faster than ever, and the designers who will shape its future are already among us.
The Design Business Chamber Singapore (DBCS) is proud to bring together, for the very first time, alumni of the Seed Award, young designers recognised for embodying the five qualities of future design leaders: Creative Impact, Critical Thinking, Connective Intelligence, Perseverance, and Ethical Decision-Making.
This inaugural gathering is a celebration of the community these alumni represent, and a space to look ahead at the role they will play in shaping Singapore’s design industry.
As the first of many such events, we hope to create a meaningful platform for honest exchange between emerging designers and the industry leaders who came before them.
Event Details (by invitation only) Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026 Time: 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM Venue: Raffles College of Higher Education
