Show week? Awful Excel and Crazy Clerkenwell

150 150 Daniel Fountain
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Why are there so many trade shows? Do they have a future? You might say that I would say that wouldn’t I, but knowing the power of HotelDesigns as a web vehicle for advertisers I walk around trade shows wondering at the cost in time money etc. employed, against the kind of return.

Lately HotelDesigns has been averaging over 3,800 readers a day, some 115,000 visitors in a month, so a trade show that boasts of less than 4,000 visitors over 3 days does not impress. Couple this with a stand price of some £15,000 plus accommodation, staff costs, stand design and transport and it all starts to be a little baffling to me.
Where trade shows score of course is in the face to face contact, hand shaking and socialising. The latest recruit to the seemingly never ending stream of events is the May Design series at Excel. Excel is not a popular show venue, located as it in Docklands. Discussing this with people on stands talking of awful journey times of two hours from South London never mind the time it takes to get there from Manchester or Seaford reminds me of how much Earls Court will be missed. I make getting to Excel a bit of fun by Tubing it to North Greenwich and then getting the Emirates cable car across the river (flea free unlike a recent flight with the airline).

I have watched Docklands develop since the day I took a client along what is now the runway at Docklands Airport trying to show him how viable the area was for an hotel. He laughed at me then but the rash of neighbouring hotels (such as the adjacent A-loft) now open, and the first floatel in London along with over half million passengers arriving at the airport illustrate how designers can have a vision missing elsewhere…

Inside the hall there were an awful lot of young people making it look quite busy, but this was not the show but students of Regent and another London University using the location for their exam boards. Once through this throng the show itself was anything but busy. Indeed some stands were not even manned as bored sales staff absconded in the absence of visitors. It was possible to look down aisles and see no-one else.

The mix of stands was also weird with highly respected contract sales companies rubbing shoulders with strange retail outfits covering the cheap end of the market. One or two suppliers with both a contract arm and a retail side were happy with this mix, but some companies will not be returning as they felt the show lacked focus. With nothing there to hold the professional designers who surely do not buy retail, some of the talks were being delivered to only half a dozen people.

Daniel Fountain / 03.06.2014

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.