Starting in 2007, DesignTide sought to develop a trade show component to the event to achieve a more equitable balance between design as creative vision and the need to support commercial activity in the field.
In 2005, DesignTide took place at shops, museums and art galleries throughout Tokyo's design-centric districts, including Aoyama and Harajuku, Daikanyama, Marunouchi and Roppongi.
Starting in 2006, a main exhibition site was added, organized as a design show curated by DesignTide's directors from a pool of applicants.
In 2006 the main exhibition took place in a soon-to-be-demolished building in Harajuku; in 2007, in a gymnasium at the National Olympic Stadium; in 2008 and 2009 in the meeting hall of Tokyo Midtown.
The main exhibition site eschewed cubicle-shaped booths in favor of unique architectural elements designed in response to each exhibitor space, thus turning the exhibition space itself into work of design.