NewsApr 01, 2026

The 2026 In-House Design Conference is back

The RGD's annual In-House Design Conference takes place May 5, 2026 in Toronto, with both in-person and streaming options.

Whether you're an in-house design department of one or part of a creative team that spans multiple offices around the world, the RGD’s In-House Design Conference offers opportunities to expand your knowledge, refine your skills and grow your career as an in-house creative.

All registrations include access to presentation recordings for three months after the event. In-person attendance includes continental breakfast and buffet lunch (with vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian options).

Pricing varies based on Membership status and attendance type (in-person or virtual), with discounted rates available for RGD Members and early bird registration. Full pricing details can be found on the registration page.

Location: Toronto Reference Library, 2nd Floor, Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, 789 Yonge St, Toronto

The event begins with an opening keynote followed by two streams of concurrent sessions, one that features hands-on and interactive sessions and one of presentations.

You’ll hear from the following speakers at the 2026 conference:

Design Leadership at Scale
Presented by Bob Calvano, Former Vice President of Product Design at Paramount

Accessible Design for Charts and Graphs
Presented by Karen Hawkins, Principal of Accessible Design at Level Access

Stop Asking Why: What parenting teaches us about leading designers
Presented by Jordan Gosselin, Associate Manager & Senior Motion Designer at Canada Life

Beyond Compliance: Cultural Perspectives on True Accessibility
Presented by Meggan Van Harten RGD, Co-CEO at Design de Plume

Stop Hiding! Own Your Presence
Presented by Marjorie Malpass, Founder & Co-CEO at Nerve Strategic Inc.

Designed to Do More: AI as your in-house advantage
Presented by Christine Sheller, VP of AI Strategy & Consulting at Cella by Randstad Digital

Find Your Weird. Find Your Power.
Presented by Robert Smith RGD, Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Greenmelon

Designing for Brands that No One Understands
Presented by Heather Stokes, Creative Director at LandLogic

Brand as Infrastructure: Designing Operating Systems, Not Guidelines
Presented by Stanley Vanganov, Designer, Founder & Speaker

From Scratch to Scalable: Designing a Creative Process from the Ground Up
Presented by Melissa Wagler RGD, Creative Manager, Home Hardware Stores Limited,

Before the Brief: Why Design’s Real Value Lives Upstream
Presented by Fadi Yaacoub, Founder at FYRST

Out of Office: How Stepping Away Leads to Better Design and Leadership
Presented by Victor Yves, Head of Art at Publicis Canada

Information about roundtable discussions will be shared soon.

In-House Social (Optional)
Continue the conversation after the Conference at the In-House Social. Join fellow attendees for Networking and Nibbles at Bishop and Belcher, just an 8-minute walk from the venue.

May 5, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
$35 (includes one drink and hors d’oeuvres, with vegan and gluten-free options available)

Add this to your registration when signing up for the conference.

Location
Bishop and Belcher, 175 Bloor St. E