Three cities,
one cycle.
Each edition opens with a public symposium, runs three days of jury sessions and exhibits, and closes with a ceremony. Most events are free for shortlisted teams, GQC alumni and partner-school students; many are open to the public.
Hong Kong
9 – 13 Sept 2026
Hosted by HKUST Centre for Entrepreneurship and the British Council. Public exhibits run at the Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural District.
London
21 – 25 Oct 2026
Hosted by Imperial College Enterprise Lab and Somerset House Studios. Public exhibits run at Somerset House’s Edmond J Safra Fountain Court.
New York
11 – 15 Nov 2026
Hosted by NYU Stern Berkley Center and Brooklyn Navy Yard. Public exhibits run at the Newlab campus in BNY.
Global Final & GQC Medal
5 – 6 Dec 2026 · New York
Twenty-four teams — six city winners and eighteen wildcards — present in front of the senior jury for the year’s top honours.
Public days, closed jury rooms, travel that is already paid.
Arrive the afternoon before Opening Symposium if you are flying in; city packs specify the hotel and the first check-in. Wednesday evening is public: a short keynote from the academic chair, three alumni lightning talks, and a reception. Thursday and Friday are jury days — Brand one day, Digital the other, venues listed on this calendar. Each team has a six-minute defence and a twelve-minute question period. Two jurors lead; a third sits as scribe. You receive the written critique after the ceremony, not in the room.
Saturday is the public exhibit. Teams stand with their artefact; schools, families and walk-up visitors come through. This is not judging. It is part of the Learning Experience: explaining the work to someone who did not read the pack. Sunday evening is the city ceremony (invite). Global Finalists are named then; travel letters for December go out within a week.
What good looks like on the floor: a prototype that runs without a miracle, a one-page handout that matches the evidence pack, and a team that can answer “who did you speak to?” without glancing at a slide. What fails in the room is usually the same as what fails on paper — a slogan, a demo video in lieu of a demo, an ethics note that was clearly written on the plane.
Press and teachers request Saturday passes via the city desk. Jury rooms are not open to parents. Accessibility requests (interpretation, step-free routes, quiet rooms) should be filed with the corresponding member’s shortlist reply. The 2026 venues — M+ / HKUST / Cyberport in Hong Kong; Somerset House / Imperial / White City in London; NYU Kimmel / Stern / Newlab in New York — are confirmed on this page and will not move except for force majeure.