The third podcast of the MBIE 2019/20 series considers how the team at Clerkenwell Design Week works to reduce waste, bring together the international design industry and merge creativity with sustainability. Alex Howard and Anthony Goodey of Clerkenwell Design Week talk to Michael Wilson about the rich history of Midtown as a design hub, why it is now both a commercial and moral imperative that businesses act sustainably and how creative industry events are pushing the sustainable development agenda forward.
About Clerkenwell Design Week
Clerkenwell is home to more creative businesses and architects per square mile than anywhere else on the planet, making it truly one of the most important design hubs in the world.
To celebrate this rich and diverse community, Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) has created a showcase of leading UK and international brands and companies presented in a series of showroom events, exhibitions and special installations that take place across the area.
Celebrating its 11th year in May 2020 (19th-21st) the award-winning CDW has firmly established itself as the UK’s leading independent design festival and annually attracts the international design community to this small area of London for three days of exciting events.
In 2019, the design community flocked to Clerkenwell with 34,185 attendees and over 300 exhibiting brands.
Antony Goodey is the Show Manager for Clerkenwell Design Week, as well as for 100% Design.
Alex Howard is Head of Sales for Clerkenwell Design Week, and Divisional Brand Manager at Media 10 Ltd.
About Michael Wilson
Michael is a journalist, broadcaster, and British TV’s longest-serving Business and Economics Editor. He has anchored nearly all Sky’s coverage of major business and financial news – giving quick, accurate on the spot analysis from budgets to the crises of booms and busts. Michael joined Sky Television at its inception in 1989. In 1992, he left to present GMTV’s early morning news and business hour.
He then returned to Sky as Business and Economics Editor in 1995, and launched Sky Business Report, the news channel’s then daily evening money programme. He has also written for national newspapers and his reports have been taken and watched worldwide.
About the Midtown Big Ideas Exchange
BEE Midtown is the Business Improvement District (BID) for Holborn, Clerkenwell, Bloomsbury, Farringdon and St Giles – London’s Midtown. Its annual Big Ideas Exchange is a dynamic programme of debates, workshops, content and thought leadership about the future of work. The programme for 2019/2020 is grounded in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) – these are a set of targets agreed by the UN in 2015.
BEE Midtown has identified four SDGs where it believes Midtown businesses can have the biggest impact – Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10); Sustainable Cities And Communities (SDG 11); Responsible Consumption And Production (SDG 12); and Partnerships For The Goals (SDG 17).
This podcast covers some of the issues and themes that come within all four of these SDGs.
More information can be found at www.bee-midtown.com/mbie.