Australia’s premier interiors trade event, Decor + Design, celebrated its 21st birthday in 2025 with the 2nd edition of a co-located Green Design Show at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 16th – 18th July 2025.
The Green Design Show was once again a beautiful ‘show within a show’ at the entrance to Decor + Design, which hosted 9500+ design trade visitors over three days. It celebrated truly sustainable furniture, products and materials from leading brands across the Australian green design space.
Exhibitors included industry leaders Cultivated, who launched the NEWNEW pavilion (pictured), co-designed with renowned Melbourne firm Nexus Designs. Other gorgeous exhibitors included e9 Design, Canberra Glassworks, Atervinna and LyZadie Design Studio. A Circular Hub showcased innovative recycled and biomaterials from Future Materials, plus other artisans who play a key role in the circular economy.
Partnered With Authorities on Sustainability in Design
It was integral from the beginning that the 2025 Green Design Show was curated with intention and transparency, avoiding the pervasive greenwashing across the design industry and the entire marketplace.
The entire Green Design Show was curated purposefully and transparently by industry experts external to Informa Australia. Partners of the 2025 Green Design Show included the Green Building Council of Australia, Circular Design Thinking and Green Magazine.
Robust Guidelines and Documentation
Our Official 2025 Sustainability Advisor was Circular Design Thinking. Harnessing deep industry
knowledge, they devised stringent but practical guidelines for 2025 Green Design Show exhibitors.
Before being confirmed as part of the event, Green Design Show exhibitors were indexed on our GDS Sustainability Index for their performance across two categories. This is not an official rating system like the Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Stars. Rather it allows us to do due diligence, circumvent greenwashing and ensure that all Green Design Show exhibitors are legitimate.
The Atervinna Stand at the 2025 Green Design Show. Image: Corey Wright, Turbo Productions
It also provided a meaningful illustration for visitors at the show as to where companies are on their sustainability journey. QR codes on stands at the event linked through to the Sustainability Index so visitors could easily review companies.
Two Key Green Design Show Categories
There are two key Green Design Show exhibitor categories – Green Product or Circularity. Exhibitors can submit for one category or both. An application form must be completed with supporting documentation before they are approved to be part of the show.
Sustainability is constantly evolving. The indexing shows areas in which exhibitors are strong, while also allowing for areas where they may wish to improve. Transparency is always the goal, rather than perfection.
“We created the Green Design Show to support the hard work that is being done to pivot from a linear model to circularity. Since inception we wanted a platform that walks the talk,” says Karie Soehardi of Circular Design Thinking.
“It’s a difficult and complex journey and we understand it takes time and positive collaborators. The GDS Sustainability Index was created for transparency, and to celebrate those that take part and show the hard work they are doing.”
Taking place alongside established trade events like Decor + Design and The Australian International Furniture Fair (AIFF) means that the Green Design Show is able to reach a broad new design audience, while being a clearly demarcated area.
Registration takes place alongside Decor + Design and AIFF. However, the different shows are strongly outlined on the floorplan at the entrance and in the printed show guide, as well as onsite signage and with a dedicated numbering system at the event.
Participating Consensus
All exhibitors taking part in the Green Design Show commit to strategies such as tracking transport and waste, communal storage and documentation of product lifecycle. Once the information is collated by Circular Design Thinking following the show, Informa Australia will purchase carbon credits to offset the area.
The Green Design Show is an important benchmark for both the exhibition and interior design industry in Australia and is building a sustainable design community that is creating real change.
If you’d like more information on exhibiting as part of the Green Design Show in 2026 or if you’d like more information on transparency across the Green Design Show, please register your interest and our team will be in touch.
Subscribe now to receive updates on visiting the 3rd Green Design Show at Decor + Design, 15th – 17th July 2026 at Melbourne Exhibition Centre.