Header: Courtesy of VMARK 2026
VMARK 2026, the Vietnam Design Week, is set to take place on 9 and 10 June at Thiskyhall Sala Convention Center in Thủ Đức City, Ho Chi Minh City. This June edition is being presented as Season 1 of the wider 2026 programme and is arranged around three parts: the DESIGNITY exhibition, the International Design Summits and the VMARK Award Gala on the evening of 10 June. Across the two days, the event will host exhibitions, talks, business meetings and awards ceremonies in a single venue.
“DESIGNITY | Design. Recreating The World”
In 2026, VMARK will be using the theme “Design. Recreating The World”, where design is discussed as a practical tool, not as image-making. The programme breaks that idea into three parts: living spaces, products and furniture, and F&B and hospitality. Across the programme, the focus is on using less waste, choosing better materials, and thinking more carefully about energy and water. It also looks at how design affects the way buildings, products and commercial spaces are built and used. That is why the event brings together furniture brands, material suppliers, technology companies, manufacturers, developers and hospitality groups.
Stands for every interest
The exhibition halls are crucial to share the main theme. DESIGNITY, as a curated fair, will hold 4,300 square metres of exhibition area, 220 booths, 150 exhibitors, more than 1,000 architects and designers, 6,000 trade visitors and over 30 international speakers across its programme. The organisers have split the exhibitions into four main groups: indoor and outdoor furniture, new materials and advanced applications, smart home and related technology, and product design with innovative consumer goods.
The fair also leaves room for workshops and product experience sessions, so the exhibition is not only about display. It is set up for demonstrations, meetings and direct contact with specifiers and developers.
The three summits
While brands and industry professionals present their work at the exhibition halls, summits will run from 8 am to 5 pm on both days. One looks at regenerative circular living spaces, exploring energy, water, waste and indoor wellness. Another turns to products and furniture, with attention on recycled material streams, circular production and lower-toxicity finishes. The third strand is centred on F&B and hospitality, looking at food systems, waste, climate response and resort planning.
Visitors will be able to hear from a panel of experienced industry professionals. Speakers in the living spaces sessions include Ho Tan Duong, Joe Lin, David Ching Heng Hoe, Steve Leung, Niwa Hiroyuki, Jeanne Lee and Koji Sakai. The products and furniture discussions bring in Dang Quoc Hung, Tessie Truc Ho, Laurent Devos, Lamine Zenakhri, Massimo Mussapia and Justin Wheatcroft. In the hospitality section, the programme includes Danh Tran, Cung Thanh Dat, Nghiem Dinh Toan and Patrick Fong. The line-up pulls together association leaders, academics, studio founders and business figures.
Awards to celebrate design
The gala will be held from 6 pm to 10 pm on the 10th, after the exhibition and summit close for the day. For 2026, categories include “Interior Sustainable Design”, “Architecture Sustainable Design”, “Hospitality and F&B Excellence”, “Real-Estate and Property Design”, and “Industrial Product, Branding and Lifestyle Design”. The jury is international, with members connected to Farmani Group, CSID, JID, Open House Festival, ArchDaily, the Australian Design Centre and other institutions across design, publishing and education.
The network of partners
DESIGNITY’s partner list brings in design bodies, schools, media and trade groups from outside Vietnam, alongside VMARK, VIFA Expo and VDAS. These include the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the Interior Design Confederation, the International Federation of Interior Architects and Designers, Curtin University, the Japan Interior Architects Designers Association, the Asia Pacific Design Center, BuildTech Expo Asia, Global Sources, Find Design Fair Asia, California College of the Arts and the Australian Design Centre. Even with such a wide network of partners, the event itself can still fit into a compact two-day programme.
June in Vietnam
From the materials on display to the summit sessions and the award categories, the same concerns keep returning: waste, water, energy and how things are made. If these questions are of interest to you and your practice, consider a weekend in Vietnam, perhaps with a stop at the Thiskyhall Sala Convention Center.
