Moving forward from the inaugural edition, Workspace Design Show goes from strength to strength this year with visitor numbers up by 76%.
The eagerly anticipated Workspace Design Show returned to the Business Design Centre from 27- 28 February 2023, with exhibitors and visitors alike hailing it as a must-attend addition to the trade show calendar and a place where the workplace community can come together to be inspired and network.
The overarching theme for this year’s show was Destination Workplace: Places Where People Want To Be, exploring how to create environments where employees have a desirable experience at their workplaces.
Exhibitors from more than 20 countries showcased innovative workplace products from acoustics to informal seating, and surfaces to lighting. Well over 3000 architects, designers and specifiers visited over the 2 days. These high-level industry professionals explored the latest industry trends, finding inspiration in the thought-provoking talks programmes, with insights into the future of the workplace sector.
The Workspace Design Talks was one of the most popular features of the show, with standing room only for many of the sessions. Highlights from day one included a session on Designing a Functional Workplace chaired by May Fawzy, Founder MF Design Studio and President Elect BIID, featuring Tollgard Studio Founder and Creative Director Staffan Tollgard and BDG architecture + design’s Matt Jackson, as well as a discussion on Legacy and Progress chaired by William Knight, Director of the Renew Consultancy with panellists including Katrina Kostic Samen, KKS Savills, Jack Pringle, Studio Pringle and Lee Polisano, PLP Architecture. Commenting on the event, Knight said, “I love to support such an influential sector, with the ability to raise awareness on leading agendas. The highlight for me has been the incredible talks programme, people, connections and networking opportunities.”
Sessions from the second day included Designing Coworking Spaces for an Uncertain Future featuring Scott Ellis, Workspace Design Director at LABS, David Kent, Senior Design Manager, The Office Group and Scott Rominger, Creative Director, WeWork and Designing the Future Workspace Experience with panellists Grant Kanik, Partner, Foster + Partners, Shannon Pope-Ellis, Managing Director, MCM and Charlotte McCarthy, Head of Interiors, Heatherwick Studio, who said the show was “a fantastic opportunity to network and an efficient way of seeing new products in the flesh. “
Curated by Mick Jordan and the Works editorial team, the Sustainability Works programme brought together a selection of key figures behind the workplace market’s leading sustainable initiatives, projects and product developments. Talks topics featured local, responsible sourcing, adaptive re-use, the ESG agenda, and the greenwash debate, and featured industry expects such as Gurvinder Khurana, director, M Moser Associates, Cristiano Testi, principal director, tp bennett, and Beatriz Gonzalez, director, Scott Brownrigg who commented, “With the incredible turnout, WDS offers the chance to be on top of the industry, everyone is talking, learning and connecting – it’s the perfect place for the sector to come together.”
Other key elements of Workspace Design Show included the FIS Conference, which offered the latest from the finishes and interiors sector and The Occupiers Forum: The View from HQ, which provided the perspectives from the all important Occupiers, featuring speakers from the likes of BT, Unilever, Oracle, Nokia, HMRC, PwC, Standard Chartered Bank.
Altogether the event was a fascinating two days, bringing together the leading lights of the workplace sector to learn, share knowledge and discover the future workspace experience. Workspace Design Show 2024 will return to the Business Design Centre on 27-28 February 2024.
