I look forward to visiting CDW every year. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy it. There is something about CDW that sets it apart from all the other design events in London. Of course, its main function as a trade fair is to connect potential buyers with sellers, and it does that very well. But it offers much, much more than that.

For three days each spring it unites a vast industry and becomes a cohesive and vibrant community. For us journalists and members of the trade press there is always plenty to see and plenty to write about.

I believe that CDW brings a new life to the streets of Clerkenwell, albeit temporarily. It has a buzz, an energy. And the excitement you feel as you arrive doesn’t leave until you do.

Clerkenwell is London’s most design-centric neighbourhood, brimming with architects’ practices and design studios, full of furniture and fabric makers, bursting with trendy bars and restaurants and peppered with wonderfully unspoilt Victorian pubs that still serve decent ales at half decent prices. It is the perfect place for creatives and CDW gives them the opportunity to celebrate design collectively, in all its forms. And, during the show, it’s virtually an open house; venues, shops, showrooms, and businesses all seem eager to draw you in. After all, this is their showcase too.

This year at CDW I am looking forward to meeting old friends, making new ones, attending seminars, discovering new products, and mingling with like-minded people. And, above all, I am looking forward to that unique once a year buzz that CDW delivers, time and time again.

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