The Best Conferences for Illustrators

For illustrators, staying inspired and connected is essential to growing their craft. Around the world, top illustration conferences bring together artists, designers, and industry experts to share insights, explore new techniques, and celebrate the power of visual storytelling.

Illustrator Conferences

Whether you're looking to refine your skills, discover emerging trends, or network with fellow creatives, these events provide the perfect platform to learn and be inspired.

OFFF Barcelona

Where:
Barcelona, Spain
When:
16-18 Apr 2026

OFFF Barcelona is a leading festival and community for contemporary visual creativity where innovative and emerging talents share their creative processes and explore the future of the global creative industry. It brings together designers, artists, developers, and thinkers for inspiration and collaboration.

Adobe MAX

Where:
Miami, FL, USA
When:
11-12 Oct 2026

Adobe MAX is the ultimate creativity conference for graphic designers, illustrators, and digital creators, featuring keynote talks, hands-on workshops, and previews of upcoming Adobe tools. It’s also a great chance to meet fellow creatives, get inspired, and explore the latest trends shaping the design world.

AIGA Design Conference

Where:
Los Angeles, CA, USA
When:
date 2026 tba

AIGA Design Conference is the flagship gathering of AIGA, bringing together graphic designers, visual communicators, and creative professionals from around the world. It features inspiring talks, workshops, and community events that explore how design shapes culture, drives innovation, and creates real impact.

Pictoplasma

Where:
Berlin, Germany
When:
7-10 May 2026

Pictoplasma is the leading festival for contemporary character design, bringing together illustrators, animators, designers, and visual artists from around the world. Hosted in Berlin, it offers talks, exhibitions, screenings, and workshops that explore the future of character-driven storytelling and visual culture.

POV Budapest

Where:
Budapest, Hungary
When:
16-20 Sep 2026

POV Budapest is a design conference centered on visual practices. It mixes talks and workshops with performances, design walks, and curated side events that spotlight an often overlooked creative scene.

Creative Pro Week

Where:
Phoenix, AZ, USA
When:
29 Jun–3 Jul 2026

CreativePro Week is the essential how-to conference for creative pros, featuring in-depth training on Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Microsoft PowerPoint. Expect 35+ expert speakers and 70+ sessions focused on real-world techniques to boost your workflow and productivity.

Us By Night

Where:
Antwerp, Belgium
When:
24-26 Sep 2026

Us By Night is a design and creativity festival featuring inspirational talks, a vibrant nightmarket, and club programming, built to bond, inspire, and reenergize the creative community.

munich creative business week

Where:
Munich, Germany
When:
4-10 May 2026

Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW) is Germany’s largest design event, bringing together creatives, companies, and cultural institutions for a full week of talks, exhibitions, and workshops.

It’s a platform to explore new ideas in design, business, and innovation while connecting with the creative community across Munich.

Forward Festival Vienna

Where:
Vienna, Austria
When:
1-2 Oct 2026

Forward Festival convenes 1,500+ creatives across industries for 25+ talks by established and emerging voices, sharing insights into creative processes, challenges, and breakthroughs. Interactive workshops and immersive formats invite hands-on experimentation and new ways of thinking.

Forward Festival Frankfurt

Where:
Frankfurt, Germany
When:
11–12 Jun 2026

Forward Festival arrives in Frankfurt for the first time, bringing its signature mix of design, creativity, and visual storytelling to the city. Expect two days of inspiring talks, workshops, and fresh perspectives from leading creatives.

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Creative Lunch Club changed the game for me. The similar mindset and openness that most people meet through this community allows for deeper connections and a sense of belonging, no matter where we are. I've connected with people in 2 different countries now and I still talk and/or meet most of them and miss the ones I can't see soon. I have another scheduled lunch already.

Maria Pereira
Illustrator & Photographer, Porto

I love Creative Lunch Club because it harnesses the most human way of connecting, sharing a meal. It's an effortless way for creatives to build diverse connections and friendships across various fields and meet people they wouldn't otherwise.

Júlia Mota Albuquerque
Illustrator & Muralist, Berlin

Creative Lunch Club is an amazing initiative for us creatives to meet others who are like-minded. As creatives we have our friends, colleagues and acquaintances, but having the opportunity to connect and get to know other operators who are inspiring and each have a story to tell is what our industry needs more of – to feel a part of a community.

Simon Morehead
Creative Director, Stockholm