March 12, 2025
Genuinely unmissable workplace events are thin on the ground. The Workspace Design Show is one of the best
For some unknown reason the Business Design Centre was once derided, disliked and generally dismissed by many in the workplace sector. We never really understood this. Why would an industry with a hub just down the road in Clerkenwell not like the idea of visiting an exhibition centre that is so local? Why would they not be happy to come to Islington, with its enviable array of restaurants bars cafés etc? It’s not as though anyone’s being forced to head out to a slightly random, innocuous residential area of London. For those not based in and around Clerkenwell and the City, communications in and out of Islington are extremely good, unlike some of those more problematic destinations to the west of London.
Things are clearly changing though – or maybe they have now changed as a new generation of industry devotees arrive fresh faced and without those hang-ups and preconceptions about the BDC.
It certainly feels as though there is a new appetite for the Business Design Centre – or at least we think there is, although maybe it’s not the destination but rather the impressive content that is bringing the visitors here on masse. Either way, even before the doors have opened on day one of the Workspace Design Show, there are queues outside and a palpable buzz in the air. We certainly don’t recall there being any of this excitement prior to the start of previous workplace shows, going all the way back to Spectrum at the Commonwealth Institute, Design Prima at Old Billingsgate, the various shows that were based at either Earls Court or Olympia, most certainly not the soulless events at ExCel, and not even the exciting early days of 100% Design.
In fact, the only event that compares is Clerkenwell Design Week and, let’s face it, that is a very different format with literally hundreds of separate hubs.
So, what sets the Workspace Design Show apart from its predecessors? Well, we think there’s a couple of reasons. Firstly, the organisers have been incredibly smart in making the talks programmes very much the heart of the show and, unlike many others, these do not begin at lunchtime. Instead, you’re straight into this impressive content from early in the morning.
Indeed, our own dynamic duo was straight into action, taking to the stage to compare opening talks on the two major content hubs.
Once again, it was great to see so many of the good and the great of the industry supporting the show, and as soon as our own formal duties were completed, we bumped into an impressive array of leading and user occupiers specifies and industry commentators. Now there’s a variety of reasons for people taking the trip out to Islington so early on a Wednesday morning; there’s the talks programme, of course, but then there’s also the opportunity to network and meet up with friends, colleagues and clients. There’s the opportunity to create new working contacts, and let’s not forget that the Workspace Design Show also offers up an ever-improving selection of interesting products and brands.
The show looks really good this year. The talks areas are more spacious and everything is extremely easy to navigate. The addition of headsets for people wishing to engage in the sessions is a smart addition – particularly when a number of the talks are beyond standing room only (there are people literally looking on from balconies in an attempt to take in the content). We should mention the hard work and expertise of the organisers and their design partners, including ID:SR, who have created an inviting and immersive arrival experience in the Entrance Feature, Gensler have once again delivered the Design Talks Area, sponsored by furniture consultancy, Umbrella, M Moser Associates are responsible for designing the Visitors Lounge, with a ‘Reclaimed’ concept reconstructing surplus materials into a sensory environment, providing a space to touch down during the day, while the The Occupiers Forum is designed by Ryder Interiors and sponsored once again by Umbrella.
Both the subject matters and the composition of the panels throughout the various talks are as impressive as ever – if not even exceeding previous years. Subjects range from adaptive reuse and the future of Canary Wharf, the role of international design in the furniture industry, the new era of work and what is the true value of the office today, shaping workplaces that stand the test of time, the way we work and has it changed for good (or bad), and inclusivity by design. There is also the ever-popular sustainability talks with leading figures from the likes of GSK, Penson, Perkins+Wills, BDG, MCM, HLW, Aecom and many more offering their expertise on the subject.
The second day sees a switch to the occupiers forum, with some of the UK’s large occupiers showing their insights on future workplace experience. Visitors get the chance to hear from company such as WPP, BUPA, Barclays e.on and many more. Impressive stuff.
A major advantage that the show does have is its timing. Being so relatively early in the calendar means that everyone has had a start of year hiatus or mini hibernation, and people are more than happy to be out and about once again, mingling, chatting, sourcing and generally getting involved. It feels optimistic- even if the market doesn’t currently reflect that.
One of the few negatives we do hear from a couple of visitors is that there remains a sizable gap between the standard of talks and speakers, and the exhibiting brands. What we will say is that, in our humble opinion, although there may well be a discrepancy between the two sides of the event, it is certainly nowhere near as wide as someone would have you believe – and it’s also noticeable that the majority of these detractors were from competing furniture brands (who were not showing at the event)!
But let’s focus on those furniture brands who were there – after all, there’s not much of a show without them. Without the exhibiting brands, the show doesn’t exist in its current format and that includes all that amazing content that comes to visitors for free.
One of the great challenges that the Workspace Design Show has faced since its inception is the fact that a huge number of potential exhibitors are based in and around Clerkenwell and Shoreditch. While this may be perfect in terms of getting visiting specifiers along to the show, it does create problems when it comes to persuading manufacturers to part with their valuable marketing budgets in order to decamp from showrooms literally one mile away. Many of these brands have extremely small teams (meaning that even a local event will create logistical and manning issues) and even smaller budgets. We’ve said it before, but we can’t help but feel that, even though we’re big fans of WDS, it is incredibly difficult to persuade those brands to relocate the focus of their London business for two days.
It is something of a surprise then (and we’re more than happy to eat our words here) to see a couple of significant new faces amongst the exhibiting fraternity – and they are Clerkenwellians at that! Bisley, for example, slotted in alongside a couple of returning businesses who also have Clerkenwell presence, in the shape of Kabin and Hush/obo. We also find that our friends from Brunner and Workstories are debuting at this year’s event, showing impressive new seating collections, while further returnees include the likes of Frem, Pedrali, Allsfar, Buronomic, Modulyss, Pledge and Spacestor, each of whom presented an array of impressive solutions for flexible, effective working. Oh, and further to the claims of a couple of people (who are incidentally more interested in which pub everyone is going to be at come close of play), the show is not ‘full of pods’. There might be a couple of (really good) pod designs on show – again, think Kabin or Hush – but it’s strange that there are many, many more interesting chair designs on display, yet no one is complaining about the show being full of chairs!
We’re told that this year there are a record number of visitors, with the show welcoming over 5,000 workplace professionals from more than 40 countries, showcasing an impressive array of 500+ innovative products over the two days. Furthermore, we’re impressed to find friends who have journeyed from as far afield as Scotland, Manchester, Newcastle, Yorkshire and Birmingham at the BDC.
Collin Burry, Design Principal at Gensler London and a panelist at this year’s show, shares his enthusiasm for WDS: “Unlike typical trade shows that focus solely on manufacturers and designers, this event uniquely involves end users and clients. I highly recommend attending next year – it gets better every time, thanks to our collective participation and celebration of the industry.”
Sonia Lamesa Pina, EMEA Workplace Design Manager at Amazon says: “I’d 100% recommended, a fun way to meet with architects and new vendors.”
Finally, Amber Luscombe, Senior Development Manager at Oxygen and another featured speaker, agrees with our reaction to the show: “There is a fantastic buzz, it’s super busy, with a vast array sustainable and interesting products on display.”
Mick Jordan is the editor of Works Magazine
