Design Central, the North West’s leading interior design trade show, marks its tenth anniversary this September with its most ambitious event yet.
Founded by Cath McCubbin, the show has grown from a carefully curated regional gathering into the most significant design trade show outside London.
This year’s milestone edition brings together the designers, makers, architects and creative businesses that have helped shape Design Central into what it is today, all under one roof at Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire. It is, at its heart, the story of one woman’s conviction that the North’s creative community deserved something of its own: not a satellite of the capital, but a genuine destination for serious design thinking.
"I started Design Central because I could see what was here. The talent, the studios, the appetite for something better. I was driven by a mission to make it happen." — Cath McCubbin, Founder and Event Director, Design Central
What began as a tightly focused trade event has expanded to encompass an increasingly broad programme, reflecting the maturity of the design community it serves.
This year sees the introduction of a dedicated business insight strand, developed in partnership with Larsen Architecture, which will address the commercial pressures and growth opportunities facing studios across the country. It is the kind of programming that distinguishes Design Central from a run of the mill trade fair and positions it firmly within the national conversations happening at the highest levels of the profession.
The show draws exhibitors and visitors from across the design spectrum; independent makers, established studios and more from across the North, the Midlands and beyond. Its growth reflects a broader shift in the UK's design landscape: the regions are no longer deferring to London. They are defining their own standards.
For Cath, the tenth anniversary is both a moment to celebrate and a prompt for reflection. Independent event organising is not a profession that rewards sentiment. It demands resilience, judgement and an almost irrational faith that the thing you are building is worth building.
Design Central at ten proves her belief true.
Full programme details, exhibitor information and trade visitor registration for Design Central 2026 are available now online.
Media Contact
Danielle Windecker-Hilton
Sycamore Communications
07704 763269
danielle@sycamorecommunications.co.uk
www.sycamorecommunications.co.uk
ENDS
This year’s milestone edition brings together the designers, makers, architects and creative businesses that have helped shape Design Central into what it is today, all under one roof at Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire. It is, at its heart, the story of one woman’s conviction that the North’s creative community deserved something of its own: not a satellite of the capital, but a genuine destination for serious design thinking.
"I started Design Central because I could see what was here. The talent, the studios, the appetite for something better. I was driven by a mission to make it happen." — Cath McCubbin, Founder and Event Director, Design Central
What began as a tightly focused trade event has expanded to encompass an increasingly broad programme, reflecting the maturity of the design community it serves.
This year sees the introduction of a dedicated business insight strand, developed in partnership with Larsen Architecture, which will address the commercial pressures and growth opportunities facing studios across the country. It is the kind of programming that distinguishes Design Central from a run of the mill trade fair and positions it firmly within the national conversations happening at the highest levels of the profession.
The show draws exhibitors and visitors from across the design spectrum; independent makers, established studios and more from across the North, the Midlands and beyond. Its growth reflects a broader shift in the UK's design landscape: the regions are no longer deferring to London. They are defining their own standards.
For Cath, the tenth anniversary is both a moment to celebrate and a prompt for reflection. Independent event organising is not a profession that rewards sentiment. It demands resilience, judgement and an almost irrational faith that the thing you are building is worth building.
Design Central at ten proves her belief true.
Full programme details, exhibitor information and trade visitor registration for Design Central 2026 are available now online.
Media Contact
Danielle Windecker-Hilton
Sycamore Communications
07704 763269
danielle@sycamorecommunications.co.uk
www.sycamorecommunications.co.uk
ENDS