Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), has launched “WOW CREATE” under THE WORLD ENDS: Bangkok International Design Expo 2026, inviting university students nationwide to challenge conventional thinking and develop meaningful new ideas. The initiative aims to identify high-potential young creatives, or Future Talent, with the ability to transform creative concepts into business opportunities. It will provide a platform for participants to connect their work with investors, entrepreneurs and creative industry networks, compete for a design study trip to Taiwan, and gain opportunities to exhibit their work at THE WORLD ENDS 2026. Applications will be open from 1–16 November 2026.
Dr. Supawan Teerarat, President of TCEB said, “Future Talent represents an important driving force behind the future of Thailand’s design industry. TCEB is committed to creating opportunities for young people to showcase their potential and develop creative ideas that connect with international opportunities. Through learning and exchanging experiences with experts and international design networks, we aim to strengthen their skills and prepare them to enter the global market. “We envision THE WORLD ENDS 2026 as a starting point for building collaborative networks and professional opportunities that can continue beyond the event itself. This will contribute to long-term talent development and strengthen the competitiveness of Thailand’s design industry, while supporting Bangkok’s ambition to become an international hub for design exhibitions and trade shows.”
In line with this vision, TCEB has introduced ‘WOW CREATE’ as part of THE WORLD ENDS: Bangkok International Design Expo 2026, providing a platform for university students nationwide to demonstrate their potential and challenge conventional approaches to design. The competition is built around the challenge: “WHAT IF THE WORLD OF DESIGN ENDED? WHAT WOULD YOU CREATE?” and uses the conceptual framework “HERE, BETWEEN, ELSEWHERE” as a starting point for creative exploration. Participants are encouraged to understand people, cultures and their surroundings (HERE), explore change and question established approaches (BETWEEN), and imagine new possibilities (ELSEWHERE). Through this process, they will develop design concepts that respond to the needs of people and society while opening up new opportunities for Thailand’s creative industries.
The competition welcomes creative submissions across a wide range of disciplines, including architecture and spatial design, product and object design, material innovation, fashion, film, sound, typography and font design, experience design, systems design, and other forms of design relevant to the competition brief. Game design, photography and posters are not eligible. Participants may submit concepts intended for practical application or experimental and speculative ideas that envision future possibilities. Prototypes and finished products are not required. However, submissions should clearly communicate the inspiration behind the concept, the meaning and value it aims to create for people, and its potential for further development.
For the application, participants may present their ideas through sketches, renderings, models or visual representations of their creative processes. All submissions must be original work created independently by the applicants and must not have been previously entered into competitions or received awards. The use of AI to conceptualise, develop or generate any content or visuals submitted to the competition is not permitted. General digital design tools are allowed, provided that the applicants create the work themselves.
A key highlight of the initiative is the opportunity for emerging creatives to showcase their work on an international platform. Following an eligibility and submission completeness check, qualified entries will be opened to public voting via the THE WORLD ENDS Facebook page (www.facebook.com/THEWORLDENDS.BKK) from 17–20 November 2026. The 100 entries receiving the highest number of votes will have their work displayed on LED screens at THE WORLD ENDS 2026, taking place at Bangkok Kunsthalle from 25–29 November 2026. Meanwhile, the top 10 entries will advance to the Final Pitching round, where participants will present their concepts to the judging panel on 29 November 2026, from 1:00–3:00 PM. Finalists will compete for prizes and opportunities to build professional connections with designers and leading brands in the creative industry.
The first-prize winner will receive two round-trip air tickets to Taiwan with a total value of THB 60,000 together with an opportunity to visit and participate in a study tour at the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI). The first runner-up will receive a Luna Band smart wristband valued at THB 5,490, while the second runner-up will receive a speaker valued at THB 2,500. All three winners will also have opportunities to meet and network with designers and brands from the creative industry during THE WORLD ENDS 2026. As part of the first-prize award, the winner will be required to produce at least two pieces of content summarising their study visit under the theme “What Comes Next?”, accompanied by photographs and vertical-format video footage. The prize covers round-trip air tickets only, subject to the competition’s terms and conditions. Other expenses, including accommodation, meals, domestic transportation, travel insurance and visa fees (if applicable), are not included.
The competition is open to undergraduate students from any university and academic discipline. Applications must be submitted individually, with each applicant permitted to enter one submission only. Applicants must provide proof of student status through a student ID card showing their university and faculty or field of study. Application materials are divided into two parts including, Concept Proposal: One-page PDF containing the project title and category, concept, background and inspiration, target audience, and proposed development opportunities. Visual Representation: One to five JPG or JPEG images illustrating the concept and presenting the work. Each image must have a 1:1 aspect ratio and a minimum resolution of 1,080 × 1,080 pixels. Applicants must upload their files to Google Drive and set the sharing permission to “Anyone with the link can view”. The Google Drive link must then be submitted through the competition’s Google Form. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all information is complete and that the submitted files are accessible before finalising their applications.
In addition, all competition participants who submit their entries will be eligible to receive a commemorative THE WORLD ENDS bag. To claim the gift, participants must present proof of submission at the souvenir collection point at Bangkok Kunsthalle on 29 November 2026. Souvenirs are available in limited quantities, with one bag per person.
