Press room

The Barbican, one of the world’s leading arts and conference centres, will highlight its role as host venue for the upcoming 34th World Design Congress as part of its attendance at IMEX Frankfurt.  In additional to showcasing the venue’s wide ranging offering of conference, meeting and event spaces, the team will be working with the World Design Council to share insights into what it truly means to design a planet-positive event.

The Barbican team will be joined at IMEX by Matthew Burgess, Senior Events Manager at the Design Council, the UK’s official hosts of the 2025 World Design Congress. Together, they will be showcasing how the Congress is shaping up to become a benchmark in sustainable event planning.

“As host of the World Design Congress 2025, the Design Council is committed to designing a planet-positive event that acts as a catalyst for environmental and social transformation,” said Matthew Burgess. “We’re applying our own Design Value Framework to assess the impact of every decision – from programming to partnerships – while working closely with ESG experts at Stitch and collaborating with the Barbican to align our sustainability ambitions with their Renewal programme. The Congress will not only push forward climate conversations, it will also demonstrate the inclusive, intentional, and environmentally responsible future of events.”

With over 1,000 global delegates expected, the Congress will take place in September 2025 during the London Design Festival and will showcase the UK’s design innovation through a wider programme of experiences known as the Design Safari, encouraging visitors to maximise the impact of their travel by extending their stay and engaging with design-led activity across the country.

Further elevating the Congress’ international profile, the Design Council recently unveiled its first keynote speakers, including celebrated British designer Thomas Heatherwick and Earthshot Prize winner Charlot Magayi. They will be joined by global thought leaders such as economist Mariana Mazzucato, Fairphone founder Bas Van Abel, Superflux co-founder Anab Jain, sustainability provocateur Leyla Acaroglu, COLLINS co-founder Leyland Maschmeyer, and architect Indy Johar. The speaker programme – curated by executive design leader Ve Dewy – reinforces the Congress as a defining moment for planet-positive design on the world stage.

Reflecting on the World Design Congress, Charlie Smith, Deputy Head of Sales at the Barbican, added: “It’s not just about hosting an event; it’s about helping to shape what a truly responsible and impactful gathering looks like. IMEX provides the perfect platform for us to share how our iconic venue – with its bold architecture, cultural significance and sustainability credentials – is working hand-in-hand with the Design Council to deliver an event with long-term purpose and measurable legacy. This is a story about global impact through local partnership, and we can’t wait to tell it.”

The Barbican’s Renewal programme – which aims to revitalise and future-proof the Centre for the next generation without expanding its physical footprint – aligns perfectly with the Design Council’s “Design for Planet” mission and the Congress’ broader sustainability goals.

Attendees of IMEX 2025 are invited to connect with the Barbican team on the London stand to learn more about not just the venue but also how the World Design Congress is rethinking event delivery to meet the environmental and social challenges of our time.