Submissions have closed on May 26, 2024.

The Service Design Network (SDN) is happy to announce that we are now officially accepting proposals for cities to host the next Service Design Global Conference in 2025.

The Service Design Global Conference (SDGC) is the annual gathering of 1000+ service design thinkers, doers and leaders for a 3-day event dedicated to supporting the growth of service design and the ongoing success of the members who make up our network. The sharing of experiences, ideas and diverse perspectives is unprecedented and thanks to the open-minded and creative nature of the service design community who attend, participants are guaranteed to mark this event as the highlight of their service design year.

How to apply?

• As a first step, please read all the information provided in this announcement
• Also check our SDGC25 Submission Guidelines where you can find additional information such as what is the conference about, what is the format, how is the conference team structured etc.
• Make sure you include all relevant information into your submission document 
• Send your application by email by Sunday, May 26, 2024

Why host the Service Design Global Conference 2025?

Playing host to SDGC25 is an excellent opportunity to put your city and chapter in the spotlight. We welcome your proposal to take on this high-profile role and to showcase what makes your city so unique to our global community! Because we work in partnership with your local team, rest assured, you won’t be doing this alone. The SDN headquarter team works in close collaboration to provide hands-on support and invaluable advice in the area of project management, promotion, communications, ticketing, etc., ensuring the event exceeds everyone’s expectations.

Who can host?

We are looking for SDN chapters to bid to host the conference. If you're a chapter with experience of hosting events like national conferences and meet-ups, that's great. If you're a chapter who's not yet got much experience with events, then we can help. Two or more chapters can also work together. If you're a city or organisation without connection to the SDN, then you will need to submit with one of the SDN chapters.

Benefits to the host/ local team

• Free conference tickets for your team
• Opportunity to shape the direction of the conference from the selection of the venue, to the speakers, content and so much more
• Premium access to 1000+ global service design professionals, businesses and academics
• The profiling of your team throughout our various communication channels, i.e. Touchpoint journal, the SDN and conference website, social media channels etc.
• A guaranteed infusion of funds into the economy of your beloved city

Host team responsibilities

• Availability to conduct regular bi-weekly online meetings with the rest of conference volunteer team and SDN headquarters team regarding conference strategy and execution
• Local hotel and venue guidance
• Support with speaker selection, input and outreach
• Support with workshop host and facilitators selection, input and outreach
• Support with identifying local partners, input and outreach with support of SDN Partnership Lead
• Guidance concerning local expertise for conference design and execution
• General conference support  pre-, during and post event

Host City Submission Guidelines

• Please read our SDGC25 Submission Guidelines - this document outlines all the details you need to know. Some information is also summarised below.
• All host city submissions must be submitted by an existing SDN chapter or an SDN chapter in the process of applying. Partnerships between chapters and local organisations are welcomed. 
• Names of the key members of the host team must be included along with a short biography for each.
• What is the status of the service design community in your location? i.e., how large, how active, noteworthy projects, etc.
• Have you or other team members attended an SDN conference in the past? Which one? What did you enjoy? What would you look to improve?
• Why do you feel your city is the best locale for SDN to hold its next conference? What makes it special for our community?
• Provide us with a list of some interesting venues that can accommodate 600–800 people, including parallel session rooms for 250–300 people. It’s important to include cost estimates for venue rental and catering for breaks/ lunches.
• What hotels are located in close proximity to the conference venue(s)? We would expect to have options of varying pricing and quality to meet the range of needs of conference attendees (i.e. from 3-star to 5-star accommodations)
• Insights into potential venues for side events such as: the pre-conference networking event (held on Wednesday) or the official conference closing party (held on Friday)
• What are your initial thoughts on a conference theme and why?
• We are here for you! If you have any questions or need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time by sending an email to conference@service-design-network.org

Timing for submissions

• All proposals must be submitted no later than May 26, 2024
• After application closes, the review of all submissions will take place and shortlisted cities will be contacted during the review process and may be required to provide additional insights and information
• You will be notified about status of your submission by June 30, 2024
• Our goal is to officially announce the selected city during this year's Service Design Global Conference which will take place in Helsinki from October 2-4, 2024

Important Note: We base our timeline according to an anticipated number of applications; therefore dates may fluctuate. Any changes to our schedule will be communicated accordingly.

If your city sounds like a great fit for our conference, we encourage you to apply. Please send us your proposal in the form of a PDF presentation that includes visuals of the venues as well as the city to give us a feel of the conference experience to conference@service-design-network.org We look forward to receiving your proposal!

Do you have any questions or need additional information? Please reach out to SDN Events Board via this email