From January to December, Vancouver is an evergreen hub of West Coast design. For four days every September, however, the Pacific metropolis coalesces some of the world’s leading creative minds into a distilled dialogue with architects, interior designers, and industrial creatives from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Coming to the iconic Vancouver Convention Centre West on September 25-28, the 2025 fair is poised to be a landmark edition. Below, we round up some of this year’s highlights — starting with the AZURE Friday program of keynote talks on September 26.
AZURE Talks
On September 26, AZURE Friday takes over the show’s Main Stage (presented by Vicostone) with a trio of talks. At 10:00 am, Gensler’s Jason Santeford and Michelle Roundelle offer a deep dive into hospitality-centred design, demonstrating how an emphasis on wellness, comfort and respite can shape a wide range of settings, from offices and homes to institutional settings like clinics and hospitals.
The day continues with a spirited — and spicy — look at clearing the pall of NIMBYism at 1:30 pm. Hosted by AZURE’s Stefan Novakovic, the panel brings together a leading architect (Kayla Brown, BOLD Workshop Architects, Calgary), a boutique developer (Luke Mari, ARYZE, Victoria) and a policymaker and urban design expert (Peter Meiszner, City of Vancouver) to unpack how design can be a tool to unlock resistance and align values.
Finally, the AZURE Talks close with a dose of time travel. Founded by Rodrigo Caula and Enrico Pietra, Venice Beach-based designers NUOVA Group offer a look behind the curtain at brand relationships that transcend traditional — and temporal — boundaries. At this year’s Milan Design Week, for instance, NUOVA unveiled a landmark installation with Range Rover, crafting a visual narrative that traces Range Rover’s design lineage and enduring influence on modern luxury through a cinematic journey across the two distinct eras, bridging 1970 and 2025.
The keynote peels back the layers of NUOVA’s methodology of “time travel” in design — looking backward to honour craftsmanship traditions while simultaneously projecting forward to anticipate evolving consumer desires. For the Vancouver-born Emily Carr alumnus Rodrigo Caula, the 3:30 pm talk promises an animated homecoming. Don’t miss it.
ILLUMINATE
A new addition to the IDS Vancouver program for 2025, Illuminate is a lighting-focused show section, bringing together luminaries — and luminaires — from around the world. Curated by NCQLP-certified lighting designer and ThinkL Studio founder Sebastien Panouille, the lighting showcase features brands ranging from Canada’s own A-N-D to global brands Tom Dixon, DeltaLight and Supermodular.
NIGHT & DAY
What is the next step for hospitality? How will the sector morph in the next few years? What types of interiors will learn from hospitality in the future? What lessons have been lost from hospitality in the past? These are some of the big picture questions explored in Night & Day, which spotlights leading designers and manufacturers in the sector. Multiple spaces, each created by a leading interior designer or architect, portray the latest trends, technology, and avant-garde ideas that will shape the discipline for the next few years.
A follow-up to last year’s popular Future Neighbourhood, Night & Day features thoughtful spatial riffs on the prototypical hotel suite (a collaboration with Capella Design and CHY Design) and the lobby (by Twobytwo Architecture and Milltown). While the hotel bedroom creates a more inclusive and accessible take on a familiar typology, the “Greenroom” reimagines the hotel lobby as an immersive entryway to Vancouver’s natural landscape, replacing the traditional reception desk with a living installation of moss, ferns, and organic materials.
STUDIO NORTH & PROTOTYPE
An evergreen IDS highlight, Studio North is a showcase of custom work and limited-edition collections. Canadian and international designers of the highest caliber present one-off and custom collections of furniture, lighting, glass, ceramics, textiles and surface design in a gallery-like setting. Within Studio North is Prototype, an exhibition of the latest imaginative products. Although they are not yet in production, they offer a meaningful look at the shape of design — and design talent — in the years to come.
Opening Night Party
It all starts on Thursday night. A tantalizing preview of the show floor, September 25th’s opening party animates the oceanfront convention centre with an evening to remember. This year’s showcase features DJ sets by local favourites GirlOnWax, as well as a requisite opportunity to mingle with the industry’s best and brightest.
Tickets and registration to IDS Vancouver 2025 are available now!
AZURE Keynotes Return to IDS Vancouver on September 26
The four-day Pacific platform for all things design is back this week, featuring a new showcase on lighting and a thoughtful look at the future of hospitality.