Chiang Mai is renowned for its prestigious center of art and culture, cultivated wisdom, and creativity. However, the city also faces various pressing challenges that demand immediate solutions, from economic blockades and inequality to air pollution. While relying solely on creativity and design processes may not suffice to tackle these problems, the collective collaboration of all city residents is crucial. When everyone combines their city’s assets, exchanging and merging them, it can lead to transformative change. This process can also provide lessons to improve the quality of life for local and global communities.

Chiang Mai Design Week serves as a platform for collaboration, held annually to showcase the innovative spirit and teamwork of creative minds across diverse fields in Chiang Mai and the North. The festival fosters collaboration by connecting local creative professionals and entrepreneurs with their counterparts in other Thai cities and internationally. This exchange of ideas sparks innovation and expands markets, all in pursuit of sustainable growth.

This year marks the festival’s 10th anniversary with the theme ‘SCALING LOCAL: Creativity, Technology, and Sustainability.’ The aim is to strengthen the collaboration of local creative professionals and entrepreneurs to make a positive global impact. The theme is built around three pillars designed to help Chiang Mai address current and future challenges.

Starting with the first pillar, ‘Creativity,’ the festival highlights it as the crucial resource of Chiang Mai. This resource has been generated from the collective wisdom of art and culture, combined with wise aesthetics passed down through generations over centuries. Creativity is also the resource that the festival invites everyone to explore, introspect, and proudly recognize its value.

The second pillar, ‘Technology,’ serves as the tool for harnessing the city’s assets to their practical potential. In this context, technology is not only about facilitating human life but also about innovating to resolve community and social problems, as well as mitigating the environmental impacts of human activities, which is a global challenge. Additionally, this pillar serves as the medium to link all of Chiang Mai’s capabilities, driving economic growth and gaining global recognition.

The final pillar, ‘Sustainability,’ represents the ultimate goal of collaboration. It encompasses the efforts of local creatives, entrepreneurs, and all contributing factors built on the foundation of creativity and technology. Sustainable practices will be rooted in fostering economic growth, social development, and opportunities for younger generations, while also prioritizing environmental responsibility.

Throughout the 9 days of the festival in Chiang Mai, all three pillars will be highlighted in every activity, including exhibitions, talks, workshops, art activities, performances, film showcases, and music, as well as domestic and international business matchings. These pillars also emphasize the festival’s enduring principle over the past decade.

We believe that real sustainability stems from the collective capabilities of individuals like us. Join us in celebrating the power of creativity, exploring and advancing innovation, and igniting the Chiang Mai creative industry to shine globally at Chiang Mai Design Week 2024, themed ‘SCALING LOCAL: Creativity, Technology, and Sustainability’, taking place from December 7 to 15, 2024, in Chiang Mai.