Surface Design Show Releases its 2025 Speakers Programme

Surface Design Show

With just over two weeks to go to until the Business Design Centre opens its doors to architects and designers from across the globe to explore the latest in surface materials, the Surface Design Show is thrilled to announce its exceptional speaker’s program for the 2025 edition of the show. Featuring a diverse range of topics and discussions with the leading industry experts. Join us to hear from the likes of Grant Gibson, Kate Watson-Smyth and Morgan Lewis.

The programme will be held on the Main Stage sponsored and designed by Procédés Chénel, consisting of 15 presentations from over 40 speakers, including architects, designers, manufactures and journalists. The main stage will once again return to the gallery level, featuring furniture supplied by Surface Matter. The 2025 theme, Creative Conscience will be present throughout the speakers’ programme, with topics giving key insight into future of materials for the built environment, focusing on sustainability, technological advancement, and the human experience.

Next door to the main stage will be the Designer Hubs, where guests can network, relax and reflect on the inspiring talks heard at the show. The space is designed in conjunction with Surface Matter and The Collective and features a stunning chandelier made from salvaged CD cases from Spark & Bell.

Opening night will kick off at 18:30 with the hot topic of AI in the debate A True Companion? The Power of AI in A&D. The panel will dive into the potential of AI as a design tool along with its applications, challenges and ethical implications. Leading the discussion will be well known editor of Design Insider, Alys Byran, joined by panelists: Professor Des Fagen – Head of Architecture at Lancaster School of Architecture, Mariangela Iodice – BIM Coordinator at Make, Zuzana Phillips – Creative Director at Accanto Interiors, and Christos Passos – Director at Zaha Hadid.

Material Passports (11:40-12:20) is an exploration into the concept of them and their role in supporting sustainability and ethical sourcing. Moderated by Harsha Kotak, Co-Founder of the Sustainable Design Collective, the session will discuss how companies are leveraging technology to track and trace materials, ensuring transparency of the supply chain. Participants include Asif Din – Director of Regenerative Design for Perkins and Will, Anja Schellenbauer – Associate Director of John Robertson Architects, Joanna Knight – Co-Founder of the Sustainable Design Collective, Carmen Wocher – Material Researcher for TP Bennett and Ana Rita Martins – Sustainability Lead for MCM.

Unlock the depths of material innovation with The Futures Lab and their talk; Firing Up the Future (12:30 – 13:10). Join Colin Macgadie, Founder of ForEveryday.Life and chair of Future Lab, as he introduces ‘Fire Walk with Me’ – a provocation from Studio Thus That on harnessing ‘fire’ for bio-regional material innovation.

Navigate trends with Kate Watson Smyth, Founder of MadAboutTheHouse and her talk on Trends: Should You or Shouldn’t You? (13:30 – 14:15), Kate will give an insight into the consistently evolving world of interior design trends and share her expertise on distinguishing between fleeting fads and enduring styles.

Hear about building a sustainable future with Deepthi Ravi – Sustainability Coordinator at PLP Architects, Astrid Hugo – Regional Design Resilience Leader (Europe) for Gensler, Marco Franchi – CEO of Franchi and Morgan Lewis – CEO of Material Index. Partners in Circularity: Building a Sustainable Future Together (14.30-15.20) will discuss how to drive circularity and sustainability within different parts of the industry. The talk will spotlight retrofitting, working with existing structures, strategies for adaptive reuse and examining the successes within circular design.

For those in the hospitality industry, don’t miss The Future of Surface Design in Hospitality (15:30 – 16:15), the panel will cover topics of emerging materials, luxury and understanding the future customer. It will consist of speakers from a range of companies including Zaha Hadid, Conran and Partners, Muza Lab and Hotel Designs.

Legends Live (16.30-17:00) will be retuning for its fourth year, with different hosts over two different sessions. The first of which will be led by Sophie Harper – Editor of Hotel Designs, who will engage with three designers that have impacted her professional journey. These intimate conversations will provide an insight into the guests’ design philosophies, portfolios and future aspirations, a must see for anyone looking to grow within the industry.

Don’t miss this year’s Surface Design Awards ceremony which will take place on the 5^th of February from 18:00 – 20:00 on the main stage.

Day two (6^th February) will open with Designing with Stone – The Original Sustainable Material (10:30-11:15) where you can hear from Matt Robb of Stone Federation, Tim Gledstone of Squire & Partners, Venessa Brady OBE and Roisin Lafferty Founder and Creative Director about their views on natural stone and its potential for creating sustainable interiors.

Following that will be a discussion regarding the role of the built environment in shaping our well-being, including a closer look at the science of wellness design, designing for diverse needs and how technology can facilitate this. The panel will feature representatives from all parts of industry including but not limited to; sustainability, architecture, workplace design and commercial design. Designing for Wellness: A Holistic Approach (11:30 – 12:15).

Legends Live (12:30-13:15) is back for its second session with a discussion between Elspeth Pridham of The Insider and Simon Goff, Founder of the innovative rug brand FLOOR_STORY. They will dive into Simon’s entrepreneurial journey, highlighting his dedication to sustainable manufacture, collaborating with designers, and the product itself.

One not to miss for those invested in sustainability is The Power of Biophilic Design and Sustainable Sourcing. With Vanessa Champion, Founder of the Journal of Biophilic Design hosting, it promises to be packed with insights into sustainable sourcing, real-world examples and reducing your businesses carbon footprint.

Join Adẹ̀kọ́ & Co, Kevin Haley Designs and Space Magazine for a panel on Weaving Narratives into Space (14:30 – 15:15). The discussion will explore the intersection of design, culture and community with key points including using materials to tell a story, the role of design to evoke emotion and designing in response to local and social context.

Finally, there will be a Case Study Session on What Makes an Excellent Residential Interior? (15:30-16:15) Where attendees can join the BIID for an informal discussion that will refer to two different residential projects to discuss some of the ways designers can create unique residential spaces.