[BizHanKook] In an era where anyone can create high-quality designs and content, how can a brand reveal its uniqueness? Experts in branding and design have gathered to explore the answer. This is the story of the ‘BrandBiz Conference,’ which marks its 10th anniversary this year.
The ‘BrandBiz Conference 2026,’ hosted by Ilyo Shinmun and organized by Bizhankook, took place on the 29th at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Held in the second half of each year, the BrandBiz Conference serves as a platform to address key topics in the branding industry and explore new directions. Marking its 10th anniversary, this year's event was held under the theme: ‘THE NEXT ORIGINAL – In an era where everyone creates well, how does a brand become unique?’
Eight experts from the branding and design fields are participating as speakers. Choi Jang-soon, CEO of LMNT; Jeon Woo-sung, CEO of Seaside City; Kim Bong-chan, Director at Daishin Securities; Byun Sa-beom, CEO of BlurBlur and advisor at PLUS X; Song Bong-kyu, CEO of BKID; Baek Jong-hwan, CEO of WGNB; Shin Myung-sup, General Director at SHARE X and advisor at PLUS X; and Choi So-hyun, Head of Creative & Experience at Naver, will each give a 45-minute lecture followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
The venue was packed with professionals from the brand and design industries. The 400-seat hall was filled with attendees who listened intently to the speakers, showing a keen interest in brand differentiation strategies and the role of design.
Jung Min-sun, a woman in her 30s who attended the conference, said, “About 10 of us from our company attended as a group. We came at the suggestion of our CEO to see and learn from the case studies of other companies.” She added, “As experts from various fields are participating, I expect to be able to view design from multiple perspectives, and I am particularly interested in how other companies work and their use of AI tools.”
Kim Deok-su, a man in his 30s working as a designer, said, “I attended twice before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is my first time back in a while. I have high expectations since many famous speakers are participating. Through these lectures, I hope to gain new perspectives and insights.”
Choi Jang-soon, CEO of LMNT, the first speaker of the day, opened the event with a lecture on the ‘Era of Narrative Identity.’ He explained how brands form their identity through their own stories and build relationships with consumers. Next, Jeon Woo-sung, CEO of Seaside City, spoke on ‘The End of the Gap – What can make a brand unique now?’ He addressed the reality that, with design and marketing quality reaching a high level of uniformity, it has become difficult to create brand uniqueness through small details or differences in expression alone.
Kim Bong-chan, Director at Daishin Securities, presented on ‘The Inquisitive Design.’ Drawing from his experience managing brands and design within corporate organizations, he introduced how questioning influences the direction of design and organizational decision-making.
After lunch, Byun Sa-beom, CEO of BlurBlur and advisor at PLUS X, took the stage. Advisor Byun gave a lecture on ‘Sharing the AI Experience Used by Designers (2023–2026) — From Image Generation to Service Launch.’ He shared the trial and error he experienced while directly utilizing generative AI and introduced the process of applying it in practical design work.
Song Bong-kyu, CEO of BKID, examined how everyday products shape people's lifestyles and cultures under the theme ‘Industrial Design as Culture.’ Baek Jong-hwan, CEO of WGNB, explained how brands, people, materials, and light harmonize to create new spatial experiences through ‘Another Kind of Harmony.’
From 3:00 PM, Shin Myung-sup, General Director at SHARE X and advisor at PLUS X, continued the lectures with the theme ‘Sharing Experience, The Value of Sharing.’ He discussed how to convert experiences and know-how accumulated from brand and design projects into organizational assets and how to share them to foster new creativity and growth.
The final lecture was delivered by Choi So-hyun, Head of Creative & Experience at Naver. Under the theme ‘How a Brand Survives,’ she highlighted the values a brand must maintain and the elements it must newly change in a shifting market environment.
The event featured a congratulatory speech by Kim Hyun, a master of the Korean graphic design industry who designed ‘Hodori,’ the official mascot of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Designer Kim said, “We live in a world where the environment changes every moment. On top of that, AI is turning the whole world upside down. Now is the time to deeply reflect on what role brands should play and what changes they should lead in this situation.”
Kim Won-yang, CEO of Ilyo Shinmun, remarked, “This year’s theme started from the question: ‘In an era where everyone can create well, which brands will people remember and choose?’ I hope the experiences of the speakers, who have forged their own paths in different fields, will help in finding that answer.”
Meanwhile, the ‘2026 BrandBiz Awards,’ co-organized by Bizhankook and BemyB (The Watermelon), were held at the venue. The awards evaluated brand activities conducted throughout the year, selecting winners in six categories and announcing the recipient of the top honor, the ‘Brand of the Year.’