Made in Britain, which brings together close to 2,000 British SME manufacturers united by the licensed use of the Made in Britain mark, is chairing a panel discussion on UK design innovation at the January Furniture Show (JFS) on 23rd January at Birmingham NEC.

The panel, entitled ‘Designed in Britain, Made in Britain’, will be moderated by Made in Britain CEO John Pearce, with speakers from Made in Britain member companies from across the UK furniture sector:

• Gresham lead designer, Stephen Parkinson
• The Soho Lighting Company founder, Lee Lovett
• Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company founding family member, Harry Thompson

Made in Britain CEO, John Pearce said: “I’m delighted to be kicking off 2023 with a focus on the remarkable innovations taking place in UK design and manufacturing. It will be an absolute pleasure to bring together our stellar ‘Designed in Britain, Made in Britain’ panellists at the Furniture Show in January.”

January Furniture Show (JFS) Show Manager, James Howard said: “We’re really excited to be welcoming the Made in Britain team onto the Furniture Talks stage at January Furniture Show. I think it’s so important for our buying community to have access to associations promoting British-made products.”

The January Furniture Show is the only dedicated European furniture show taking place in the first quarter of 2023. The event brings together British design and innovation-led brands to discuss the opportunities British domestic and commercial furniture manufacturers bring to the world stage.

Greater Manchester-based Gresham has been designing office spaces and furniture for almost 50 years and employs more than 250 people. Steven Parkingson leads the design team. “A strong visual style, together with enthusiasm to create both traditional and on-screen images make for easy communication of my ideas as lead designer. Moving into 2023 I look forward to utilising our UK based manufacturing premises to help promote British design both at home and in the US,” said Steven Parkinson.

Soho Lighting Company founder Lee Lovett is dedicated to creating beautiful and sustainable lighting. From solid brass to hand-blown glass each material is meticulously sourced, designed in their London studio and then hand-crafted in their Cornwall workshops. “At Soho, we burst into 2023 with immense excitement, as we embrace new technologies and meld British artisan craftsmanship and design with 3D printing capability,” said Lee Lovett.

Since the company was founded nearly two decades ago, sustainability has been at the heart of carbon-neutral Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. Founding family member, Brand Development and Marketing Manager, Harry Thompson joins us on the panel to share his expertise and insight into how the UK's prestigious iron bed maker has achieved the status of carbon-neutral and become a national leader in working towards a sustainable home for its consumers and creating a greener way of luxurious living.

Made in Britain’s ‘Designed in Britain, Made in Britain’ panel discussion:
12 noon on Monday 23rd January 2023 on the Furniture Talks stage in Hall 1
at the January Furniture Show, NEC Birmingham.