2026 PHXDW Conference: Orbit

AIGA Arizona is bringing the PHXDW Conference back to the Phoenix Convention Center South on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, from 8 AM to 5 PM. It's the main event of Phoenix Design Week, the weeklong celebration AIGA Arizona puts together to bring the state's design community together—a place to share best practices, show off work and pick up some inspiration. This is the conference's 18th year, and it's returning to the Friday-Saturday schedule that people preferred at the last gathering.

The theme this time is Orbit, which AIGA describes as an invitation for designers, thinkers and collaborators to enter one another's circles and celebrate the relationships, conversations, intersections and creative forces that surround the work. The crowd it draws is a broad one: graphic designers, UI/UX designers, content managers, illustrators, writers and marketing professionals all show up across the two days. The format pairs inspirational main-stage keynotes with hands-on breakout sessions, so you can switch between listening and doing.

On the main stage, the lineup includes Ben Shown and Megan Greco from Blink UX, Chuong Bui of Counsel For Creators, Tad Carpenter of Carpenter Collective, Don Clark from Invisible Creature and Julian Curi of Righteous Robot. A two-day pass covers all the main-stage keynotes and the breakouts, plus a post-conference reception after the first day. It also gets you into the Phoenix Design Week Closing Party on Friday, October 30, which falls a week after the conference itself.

Tickets are $129 for the two-day pass. The conference runs from 8 AM to 5 PM on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 at the Phoenix Convention Center South, 33 S 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004.