After an – inevitably – lower-key edition last year, LDF 2021 opens on the 15th of September and sees massive city-changing projects such as the official opening of Design District to smaller brands like TAKT and HØLTE who have been making waves in sustainability.

Following the grand opening on the 15th, Design District will be open for the public to explore throughout September, with Open City architecture tours and a packed programme of exhibitions and discussions will feature an A-list roster of thinkers and makers. Two of the district’s 16 buildings will be given over to exhibitions featuring emerging talents in art and design; the transparent, caterpillar-like, greenery-filled Design District Canteen by Selgascano will be open for food and drink; and there’ll be opportunities to explore the for-creatives, by-creatives members’ workspace Bureau.

New brands will make their debut on the global stage –  LDF will host Finland’s unapologetically ‘brutal’ new furniture house, Vaarnii – and exciting emerging talents will gain a much-needed platform through initiatives like Discovered and Designposts.

In a first for the festival, LDF’s 10 districts will each be celebrated with a distinctive sculptural waymarker. AHEC has joined forces with furniture studio Benchmark and Sebastian Cox, selecting 10 student designers and recent graduates to create ‘Designposts’. These public landmarks welcome visitors to each district while also expressing facets of the area’s unique character, culture and creative heritage The designers have been selected from two of the city’s leading design schools: four from London Met picked by Peter Marigold; and six from the Bartlett chosen by Izaskun Chinchilla. From a William Morris-inspired homage to the natural beauty of Walthamstow to a celebration of the Shoreditch streetscape, the red oak structures celebrate London, while giving the emerging design generation a high-profile platform to shine.

Locations: Islington, King’s Cross, Mayfair, Southwark, Shoreditch, Park Royal, Clerkenwell, Walthamstow, Greenwich Peninsula, Brompton

LDF Opening times: 24-hours, 18-26 September

The Unified Water Label Association is calling on the bathroom industry to play its part to tackle climate change, following the release of a landmark scientific study from the UN that claims human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented, and sometimes irreversible ways.

The new report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) makes clear that the warming we’ve experienced to date has made changes to many of our planetary support systems that are irreversible on timescales of centuries to millennia. It reports that the dangers of warming our planet are no longer something distant, impacting people in faraway places. According to Dr Friederike Otto from the University of Oxford, one of the many authors “Climate change is not a problem of the future, it’s here and now and affecting every region in the world.”

UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says, “We welcome this report and hope that it serves as a wake –up call for the bathroom industry.  Climate change is happening here and now and can no longer be ignored.  We all have a responsibility to play our part and get behind the industry led Unified Water Label, which can make a real difference.

“The link between water, energy and carbon is one that we have highlighted in our recent campaigns to promote the Unified Water Label.  Our new website includes an energy and a carbon calculator that can calculate how much energy is used when water is heated, and how much relative carbon is used when changing to a product that uses less water.

“With our European partners we have been working with those involved in designing, manufacturing, selling, installing and purchasing water using bathroom products, to provide them with the tools they need to help consumers understand the issues around water scarcity, and the link with energy and carbon emissions.

“We have the products but we need to do more work to help people understand the impact of their water consumption, and nudge them towards positive behaviour change.

“We will launch a new campaign to coincide with the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which takes place in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November, which will encourage those in the bathroom industry to seek out UWL labelled products, and help drive home the message that if we reduce water wastage, we can have a positive impact on the environment.

“Those interested in finding out how they can become involved by supporting the UWLA or joining our campaign can find out more here.”

Wilsonart has announced changes to its UK team with the appointment of a new Project Manager and an internal Sales Team promotion.

Jon Mortimore (pictured top) joins Wilsonart UK as its new Project Manager for bathroom brands to provide structure and alignment to the product development of the company’s fastest-growing category in Europe. Starting out as a product manager in the food packaging industry, Jon’s career rapidly evolved towards more commercial roles that have led him to having full responsibility for top European accounts at Plastico. Moving then within the same industry to a large American based group, Dart Products Europe, Jon was focused on category management and product development and responsible for the ideation, conceptualisation and launch of many different innovative products.

Based in Wellingborough and working closely alongside the marketing team, Jon will be responsible for managing the introduction of expanded product lines and continued growth for this sector of the company.

“Jon joins us with wide experience in project management, which will greatly benefit Wilsonart brands across Europe as we continue to expand and develop in both the commercial and residential bathroom sectors. We’re pleased to welcome him to the Wilsonart family.” says Neil Horton, Sales Director at Wilsonart UK.

Wilsonart has also announced the promotion of Stewart Hooper to Key Account Manager for Mermaid Panels. With over 20 years in Sales as an Area Sales and Business Manager, Stewart’s vast experience and knowledge will be used to continue to drive sales growth within the business. Maintaining his work alongside the National Sales Manager, Stewart will support the newly increased and existing sales team, helping to target large sales opportunities, and promote new and exciting product ranges that will be coming to the marketplace during Q3 & Q4 of this year.

Keely Greenhalgh, National Sales Manager at Mermaid Panels comments: “Stewart has been with Mermaid Panels for over 14 years and during this time he has worked closely and established key relationships with retailers, showrooms, and merchants within the buying groups. In his promoted role, Stewart will have a more dedicated focus on continuing to grow these connections whilst creating new business opportunities too. We truly value the time and effort that he has dedicated to the business so far and are looking forward to this next chapter.”

About Wilsonart

Wilsonart is UK manufacturer of laminate worktops and home to leading surface brands, including Mermaid Panels and Bushboard.

www.wilsonart.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilsonartUK
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WilsonartUK
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/wilsonart-uk/

Mermaid Panels, best known as a leading European shower panel supplier, has launched a new and improved website with a Professional Resource Centre for its trade partners, and enhanced features for its consumer customers.

The new website features an intuitive interface that streamlines the customer journey, customers from all sales channels including consumers, retailers, installers and designers will benefit from refreshed, inspiring and practical content as well as a selection of new features.

Featuring a completely modernised look and feel, the website provides a dedicated hub to spotlight Mermaid’s product range and delivers an inspirational journey through the brand’s decors and ranges via a user-optimised design.

Mermaid Panels’ trade partners will benefit from a new Professional Resource Centre, a digital hub designed for retailers and installers to access everything they may need: from FAQs and brochure downloads to a completely streamlined sample ordering process, and even an all-new ‘Find your nearest Business Manager’ function which facilitates a quick and simple way for customers to engage with and seek support from the brand’s experts directly.

“As a brand, Mermaid Panels serves several different channels and customers, and so first and foremost our objective was to create an accessible platform that captured this” says Sasha Betty, Digital Marketing Specialist at Mermaid Panels.

“The website overhaul has been 6 months in the making and we are thrilled with the final outcome and customer feedback so far. Whether you are a retailer, installer, designer or consumer, our new site will provide you with specialised benefits: from research and decision-making right through to installation and aftercare. We have taken on board common customer pain points over the years and invested in a solution that we feel will really make all the difference and also bring the Mermaid Panels brand firmly into the digital age.”

www.mermaidpanels.co.uk

Accor has announced it is bringing its Mondrian brand back to the city of London as part of its expansion of the Group’s Lifestyle network. The new Mondrian Shoreditch replaces the former Curtain Hotel and boasts 120 rooms.

The opening of Mondrian Shoreditch – a new European flagship – marks the return of the brand to London and further increases Accor’s footprint in the city, where more than 60 hotels include much-loved classics such as The Savoy, a Fairmont managed hotel, Sofitel London St James, and the highly-anticipated Raffles London at The OWO. Although travel guidelines due to the pandemic continue to evolve, the capital’s inbound tourism is expected to increase by 21% from last year according to PWC UK. 

Occupying the former Curtain hotel in London’s hip Shoreditch neighbourhood, the 120-room property – which is owned by Reuben Brothers – has been given a top-to-toe overhaul that fully embraces the Mondrian brand’s individual, fun-loving spirit. As such, there is a lively collection of restaurants and bars that also emphasize Accor’s commitment to offering experiences tied to local communities, iconic designs and unique concepts revolving around F&B and entertainment. 

Last year the Group finalized the acquisition of sbe and also entered into exclusive negotiations with Ennismore to form the world’s leading Lifestyle operator in the hospitality sector.  Once complete, this union will bring together an unrivalled portfolio of world-class brands, including The Hoxton, Gleneagles, Delano, SLS, Mondrian, SO/, Hyde, Mama Shelter, 25h, 21c Museum Hotels, TRIBE, JO&JOE and Working From_.