Design Dialogues: Exclusive Networking Experience

Held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, LiGHT 24 is the UK’s only trade show dedicated to high-end lighting specification. Held annually, over two-days in November it attracts designers and specifiers from all areas of the industry looking to be inspired, educated, and grow their professional network.

Having attracted almost 5,000 visitors in 2023 – architects, interior designers, lighting designers, engineers, and specifiers head to LiGHT in their thousands to see the very latest product innovations and launches from 100s of exhibiting architectural and decorative lighting brands.

Run by [d]arc media – the leading media company in lighting design – the show also features the highly regarded [d]arc thoughts talks programme. Moderated by editors from the leading lighting design magazines arc and darc, as well as guest moderators, the talks delve deeper into the latest topics and trends affecting lighting and design – whether that’s looking at circular economy and sustainability, designing for wellness, or diversity in design.

LiGHT also provides endless opportunities for visitors to make new connections, whether that’s through the late-night drinks party, networking brunch, or while working in the dedicated co-working space, or re-energising in the Associations Lounge.

The 2024 edition of the show will take place on 20 and 21 November and is completely free to attend. For more information, including an exhibitor list and talks programme schedule, click here.

The Independent Hotel Show, in partnership with James Hallam Insurance Brokers, returns to Olympia London on 15-16 October to bring together the independent hotelier and interior design community for two busy days of networking, product discovery and learning about the latest industry trends.

Independent Hotel Show Event Manager Glenn Wallace comments: “One of our key aims for the Independent Hotel Show is to curate an immersive, design-led trade show which provides an elevate experience for visiting hoteliers, and an opportunity for our design partners to demonstrate their talents by bringing the show’s features to life.”

Design partners for 2024 include Design Command, Fibi Interiors, Luke Edwards Interior Design, Anya Brakha Interiors, studio ATARA, Amit Dixit Design, OMO Interiors and Spacebrand.

Fido Fawo, Founder of Fibi Interiors and designed of the show’s Members Suite, says: “When the Independent Hotel Show calls, you answer! It’s such an honour to be a part of this year’s show. Fibi Interiors have been huge fans of the show for several years now so being a part of such an impactful event is a defining moment.”

Sarah Dudley, Founder and Creative Director at Spacebrand, the studio behind the show’s Dining Room and Hotel Business Stage, adds: “Spacebrand are excited to become design partners supporting the Independent Hotel Show 2024 with our designs for both the Hotel Business Stage and the Dining Room.”

“Spacebrand are committed to helping hoteliers transform their businesses, by being part of this show we hope to provide an experience that will inspire them to bridge the gap between design feasibility and product viability and help the event to drive the hospitality sector forwards.”

Discussing his design for the show’s Sales Lounge, Luke Edwards of Luke Edwards Interior Design says: “It could simply be boiled down to a few words, flexibility, sustainability, nature, peaceful, and luxurious comfort – but they don’t do justice to the deeper context.”

“I wanted the Sales Lounge space to ultimately be multi-functional and more than just a space at the event for conducting meetings. I wanted it to have the feeling that it could easily be the interior of a hotel lobby but with the flexibility of three spaces; being able to hold private meetings, have more open small group work areas, and also providing a luxuriously comfortable space to relax.”

Design Command Founder Clare McDonald, the studio behind this year’s Innovation Stage design, says: “As a growing design firm, we value building strong relationships and learning from a diverse range of hospitality businesses. Independent hotels often have unique perspectives and are passionate about creating distinct guest experiences, which aligns with our approach to design.”

“For us, connecting with independent hotels is a chance to exchange ideas, explore new opportunities, and continue building our network. We’re excited to establish meaningful connections and explore how we can support these hotels in creating spaces that reflect their individuality and vision.”

Trends and innovations in design are also an important part of the show’s seminar programme, this year reflecting on the show’s theme of ‘Beyond the hustle and bustle’.

Melanie Rozencwajg, Founder & CEO of DataThinkLab and Nathalie Rozencwajg, Founder & Director at NAME architecture, will be taking to the show’s Innovation Stage, sponsored by Mews and designed by Design Command, for the session ‘Escaping the hustle and bustle through intelligent design solutions’.

Melanie comments: “As a data analyst, I’m excited to explore what online reviews reveal about ‘escapism’ from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. These reviews provide unique insights into how people experience escapism in the hotel landscape.”

“Our session is crucial because hotels and brands are just beginning to fully grasp the power of analysing customer reviews to enhance their offerings. Guest feedback is invaluable, and online reviews offer rich data that helps us deeply understand guest experiences and desires, especially around key trends like escapism. With today’s digital tools, we can better meet guest needs and create personalized experiences, making this the ideal time to leverage these insights.”

Meanwhile, the session ‘Namaste: The importance of designing for wellness and escaping the hustle and bustle’ will be examining the growth and lasting impact of wellness on hospitality design, plus how the trend might evolve in future years.

Moderator Vanessa Brady, CEO of The Society of British & International Interior Design (SBID) will be joined onstage by Josh Chadwick, General Manager of The Tawny, Beverley Bayes, Director at Sparc Studio, Ben Harper, CEO of Watergate Bay Hotel, Another Place Hotels, SeaSpace Hotels and Beach Retreats, and Neil Fairplay, Director at Sparc Studio.

To find out more about everything happening at the Independent Hotel Show 2024, and to register for your complimentary trade ticket, visit independenthotelshow.co.uk.

The countdown is on to Europe’s leading high-end interior design event, Decorex, which returns to Olympia Events, London. Taking place from 6-9 October, more than 280 brands will exhibit their latest design innovations and product launches offering visitors the chance to discover curated interior collections for every design project.

Explore Interior Design

Discover the handpicked line-up of this year’s exhibitors and explore the latest offerings from brands at the show, including Heirlooms, Holmes Bespoke, Lilla Rugs, John Cullen X Hux, COAT Paints, V&A Enterprises, Clearwater Interiors, Hendel & Hendel, Officine Gullo and Alternative Flooring. This autumn Decorex will provide unbeatable interior inspiration, opportunities to make connections with new and familiar faces and be the place to source a vast range of exciting new products.

A Hub for Sustainability

Whether behind the scenes or on the show floor, sustainability is at the heart of Decorex. The Better Stands initiative aims to reduce waste that stands and exhibitions can create by adopting reusable structures. This year, the show is powered by 100% renewable electricity, preventing the creation of an estimated 21.5 tons of CO2, significantly reducing the event’s carbon impact. To reinforce sustainability values within the design industry, Decorex is continuing to work with the Sustainability Task Force. Created in 2023, the Task Force is formed of sustainable brands; Edward Bulmer, Haines Collection, Holmes Bespoke, Naturalmat, Persona Abode, Soho Lighting, Studio Suss, Bluepatch and B/ABLE, each leading the way in creating a greener community. This year will also see the launch of the Decorex Sustainability Awards, for which the Task Force will judge four categories throughout the event including ‘Innovative Design’ and ‘Driving Social Change’. Soho Lighting will also launch the winning design for the Cleaner Ocean Project, a competition in which Primary school children have designed lighting using plastics salvaged from beach cleanups. The winning young designer will attend the show as a VIP guest to see their design brought to life using the gathered materials, which will be recycled and 3D printed.

Discover Unmissable Designer Collaborations

Together with design creative Ellen Merchant’s colourful prints, Decorex is also collaborating with renowned design studio BradyWilliams who will be designing the show’s iconic bar area in the centre of the show floor. Sustainable paint brand YesColours will transform the VIP lounge with their unique and colourful approach. Visitors can also see two exciting show floor entrance features designed by The New Craftmakers; an organisation who commission and sell unique contemporary objects that are rooted in craftsmanship and narrative. Their range is made by a growing network of makers from across the British Isles. These innovative and highly creative designer collaborations will ensure that the event is packed with inspiring interior design moments throughout the event.

Watch the Talks Programme

The 2024 edition of Decorex will host a rich programme of talks by design industry professionals. Hear from over 85 expert speakers on a variety of specialist topics, ranging from sustainability to using AI in interior design. The renowned talks programme is the perfect opportunity to learn and be inspired by industry peers with in-depth knowledge and experience of the subjects explored. More sustainability talks and workshops will also be available in the Sustainability Lounge in association with The Green Room, aimed to empower interiors brands to become more sustainable.

Register Now and Start the Countdown

For over 45 years, Decorex has connected interior design professionals with the very best in interiors; from designer collaborations, interactive workshops, showcases from up-and-coming artisans and an unmissable talks programme.

The countdown for Decorex 2024 is now on, with tickets available online for this year’s unmissable design event. Register to connect with interior design professionals and the very best in interiors; from designer collaborations, interactive workshops, showcases from up-and-coming artisans and the highly anticipated Talks Programme.

Click here to register now.

Following on from TECH EDEN, which focused on the invigorating alliance between technology and nature, Maison&Objet and creative strategy consultancy Peclers Paris are continuing their optimistic, resilient, and stimulating exploration in September with a new theme: TERRA COSMOS.

“Where the vastness of space mingles with seemingly finite terrestrial territories… Where universal fantasies and earthly materiality collide… Where science and magic intertwine… New and lasting fictions are born, and are sure to have an impact on the real world.” Brune Ouakrat, Strategic Planner in charge of foresight at Peclers Paris.

TERRA COSMOS deciphers these new desires and the expectations of consumers in search of awe-inspiring experiences. This cosmic vision of the future remains firmly rooted in the reality of an exhibition that is resolutely focused on novelty, creativity, and innovation.

Conquering the Cosmos: A New Cosmic Revolution?

The prospect of space travel is now a real possibility, and the technological advances that have been projected in futuristic fiction herald profound changes in the way that we live our lives. Some 55 years after man first set foot on the moon, new scientific successes are rekindling our fascination and igniting our imagination focused on the cosmos, and synonymous with a promising future.

“In this new approach, it is no longer simply a matter of an extraterrestrial elsewhere. We are part of the cosmos, and this position implies responsibility, as well as resilient and virtuous creations and practices. It imposes a broader, more esoteric, magical vision in which we can imagine ourselves as tourists in zero gravity, choosing to claim the stars or seek beneficial connections with the elements” Brune Ouakrat, Strategic Planner in charge of foresight at Peclers Paris.

TERRA COSMOS: An enticing and Fertile New Frontier

“Connection, immersion, virtuality, smart materials, 3D, AI*… A part of the fantasy is becoming reality and consumers are ready for immersive, sensory experiences, while new aesthetics are invading into their daily lives and enchanting them once more.” Brune Ouakrat, Strategic Planner in charge of foresight at Peclers Paris.

Space(s) Filled with New Materials

These materials may be brutalist or sophisticated, iridescent or transparent, evocative of both the mineral surface of the stars as well as celestial and stellar expanses. The novelty of TERRA COSMOS is crystallised in the intensity of the materials, reflecting the formal explorations of Objects of Common Interest designers and their experimental way of working with both metal and glass.

“The materials express a sensory futurism that dresses interiors in mineral ruggedness and invests them with constellations of satellite objects.

The random shapes, roundness, and ovality accentuate the cosmic aspect as much as they soften its contours. The luminaires produce vibrant halos, diffracting colours into shifting spectra and magical projections.” Charlotte Cazals, Designer and Trend Forecaster at Peclers Paris.

For a brand such as Lexon, new frontiers venture far beyond the bounds of technology. They include aspects such as sustainability, well-being, and diversity, where opportunities for innovation are numerous and crucial to meeting the challenges of today’s world.

Multisensory Escapes

In the food services and hotel industries, TERRA COSMOS expresses itself in the vastest of terms. Between immersive discoveries and extreme experiences, it is no longer enough to simply mobilise the senses; they must be amplified and confounded through both technology and whimsical storytelling. The Danish chef Rasmus Munk, who defines himself as an “alchemist”, is proud of this approach. His “holistic” menu is best enjoyed in the immersive setting of his Copenhagen restaurant, where he takes guests on a journey from the depths of the sea up to the northern lights.

To set foot in the El Cosmico hotel, in a deserted Texan landscape, is an experience on the border between the cosmic and the terrestrial. This luxury campsite will soon be equipped with 3D-printed dwellings so that, as promised, you can escape the pressures of everyday life, reconnect with your senses, and observe the celestial vault.

Delving into the Metaverse

From the Acne Studios boutique to the Moncler pop-up store in Tokyo, the cosmic references in retail become even more accomplished where futuristic, uncluttered decors meet digital, connected shopping experiences. Avant-garde aesthetics are paving the way for a new form of consumerism.

The spaces look as if they have been plucked straight from the metaverse, inspired by architectural and virtual creations such as those by artist Hugo Fournier. Immaterial objects and environments are already coming to life in the spaces designed by Harry Nuriev, with Crosby Studios. Minerality is often complemented by chrome, transparency, and glass, offering versatility to clean, pure lines.

TERRA COSMOS: A Narrative Arc that is all but out of the Ark

“Beyond its forward-looking vision, the TERRA COSMOS theme will also be embodied at the show. Visitors will be able to find it materialised in three practical aspects: product curation, events, and the visitor route, which will be guided by the TERRA COSMOS symbol.” explains Mélanie Leroy, the exhibition’s Managing Director.

What’s New? Spaces: Expert Interpretations of TERRA COSMOS

“Through the eyes of our curators, François Delclaux and Elizabeth Leriche, we are offering visitors an insight into the theme that is both palpable and wellhoned,” adds Mélanie Leroy. They were given carte blanche in their interpretation of TERRA COSMOS in order to create a sense of surprise and awe in the What’s New? In Retail space and the What’s New? In Decor space, with a wide range of products sourced from exhibitors and integrated into inspiring displays… The What’s New? In Hospitality space will be assigned entirely by the next Designer of the Year.

Experiences, Exchanges, and Experimentation

The Well-Being Experience, What’s New? In Hospitality, and The Talks: Maison&Objet strives to combine experiential foresight with usefulness. “To meet the challenges facing professionals, Maison&Objet relies on one of the levers that makes it unique – its large international community of recognised experts in the decoration and design industries – to share and lead exchanges that are as relevant as they are instructive”, points out Mélanie Leroy. The theme will therefore be evaluated, examined, and enriched at key moments of the exhibition through immersive scenography in each of the spaces, masterclasses with key opinion leaders, coaching tailored to each business, and round table discussions.

The Maison&Objet Galaxy

The TERRA COSMOS theme and its new codes will be used throughout the Maison&Objet ecosystem, from the selections on the Maison&Objet and More – or “MOM” – platform, to showrooms and certain Paris Design Week events such as the Design sur Cours exhibitions, where designers may display their designs in the courtyards of Paris.

New Markets for TERRA COSMOS

“Our primary mission is to decipher and highlight the market trends that will drive the success of our customers in the future. In practical terms, this means highlighting new markets and growth markets, and curating brands and products, as well as colours, materials, motifs, and inspiration, through experiential and useful events. In short, it is essential to provide practical solutions to three key challenges: innovation, creativity, and eco-responsibility.

With TERRA COSMOS, we are bringing another angle to bear on the re-enchantment of everyday life through the cosmos, the earth, and even our relationship with the beyond. Product curation will underline sectors or sub-sectors that are currently buoyant and represent a growing market trend. This encompasses the entire universe of Well-Being, as well as those of magic and esotericism. Lithotherapy and astrology are real market trends.” Mélanie Leroy, Managing Director of Maison&Objet.

Space Age: Vintage Cosmos

In the 1960s, the Space Age movement found its inspiration through space exploration and nuclear imagery. Its heritage is still expressed at the exhibition through objects with organic shapes and pop colours. Fisura’s lava lamps are perhaps the most meaningful example.

TERRA COSMOS as Seen by Elizabeth Leriche

Founder of the eponymous Elizabeth Leriche Trend Consultancy and Curator of the What’s New? In Decor space.

What is TERRA COSMOS?
Only with our eyes on the stars and our feet firmly planted on the ground can we be in touch with the universe.

What images does this theme conjure up for you?
The joy of dreaming before a starry sky, bathed in the glow of the moon or the radiance of the sun…

Looking to the future: what will the next What’s New? In Decor look like?
I wish to try to see things through the eyes of a child filled with wonder, to evoke dreams and emotions, to find poetry in the face of this futuristic, technological world. Sky vs. ground, weightlessness vs. roots, craft vs. cave, metal vs. earth, transparency vs. opacity, infinitely small vs. immensely large… I intend to play on these oppositions.

TERRA COSMOS as Seen by François Delclaux

Founder of the Nouvel Air agency and Curator of the What’s New? In Retail space.

What is the cosmos?
The bearer of dreams and fantasies. The conquest of space is taking on the dimension of a “new frontier”. This context also influences the lifestyle and design sectors and their quest for new adventures, but also new materials, surfaces, colours…

Which works do you think instantly represent the theme?
First of all, those which play on raw minerality, in reference to lunar or Martian vistas. Pulpo often uses primary – if not “primitive” – materials, as if fallen from a meteorite, thus imposing the very shape of the object. The treatment of light is somewhat reminiscent of the magic circles used by Le Deun Luminaires. Fuoriluogo Design’s creations are redolent of myriads of stars.

Looking to the future: what will the next What’s New? In Retail look like?
An invocation of three emblematic planets in our solar system!

The Space Age as a Philosophy

Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud, Founders of Amca Oval.

We are intrinsically inspired by the Space Age, firstly through our passion for the future, but also through our obsession with oval, organic, and all encompassing shapes. The Space Age is above all a philosophy, a quest for innovation and a fantasised future. The idea is not to recapture the design of a bygone era, but to extract its essence and bring it to life in a contemporary way. All with new environmental objectives and new technologies. When it comes to fashion, it is first and foremost functional minimalism that links us to this creative movement.

As for design, it is more so about the retro-future concept. The result is a playful, forward-facing way of life.

The New Frontiers of an Innovative Brand

Frédéric Boutin, Product Director at Lexon.

For a brand such as Lexon, new frontiers venture far beyond the bounds of technology. They include aspects such as sustainability, well-being, and diversity, where opportunities for innovation are numerous and crucial to meeting the challenges of today’s world.

In a world where mental and physical health are increasingly valued, we are responding in kind by offering consumers a new range of “Care” products that combine design and technology to promote well-being.

Companies may also seek to push back the boundaries of inclusion and diversity, by ensuring that their products and teams reflect the richness of the times in which we live.