Blue Patch members have collaborated to exhibit at two London events; Decorex, the interiors trade fair at Olympia and the new Sustainability Show, a consumer fair at the Business Design Centre in Islington.
I project managed and by October we were all in high vis and boots, paint brushes in hand. The energy of a show going up is electric, like a city forming before your eyes.
Teamwork
Blue Patch has this great ingredient, the relationships that form between members which naturally leads to teamwork!
Collaborating makes events more fun and less stressful. Simple acts like helping carry furniture, holding a ladder, doing the coffee run make a difference.
Nicola:
- The whole experience was so much less daunting, because we had each other there to consult.
- Going for a cup of tea/glass of fizz was enjoyable because a like minded caring colleague was at hand to take to potential customers or interested parties.
- It was not a lonely experience and I actually had a great time meeting new fellow creatives…. some will be now long term friends.
- I had instagram lessons… from older and younger collective members!
- Best bit was having freedom to walk the dog during the show opening times.
- Could not have afforded to be in such a great venue otherwise!!
Lottie:
- I am very grateful to have been part of the Blue Patch collective when we showed at Decorex.
- Pooling our energy and resources meant that an otherwise stressful, wasteful and expensive endeavour became a more affordable and easy to manage collaboration.
- It was great to have other minds to think and sometimes improvise with too. We all cared about each other’s products and were able to talk to visitors about all the products.
- It was especially fortunate for me to be in the collective as I had an injured leg and could not stand for too long. Other members were understanding and happy to hold the fort for me; I could not have done it without them.
Carbon-saving logistics
What is more logical than sharing transport; at Decorex we cut four additional van trips by sharing Chris’s van and at the Sustainability Show, Wolfram collected everyones stand furniture en route and delivered them back after the show. He also provided all the plants on the stand. Collaboration saves money and carbon too.
The magnetic energy of the group
The bond between members, apart from being UK SMEs, is working towards waste and carbon reduction. All our members are free to attend Blue Patch’s LET’S DO NET ZER0 programme to help them to audit and reduce scope 1, 2 and, eventually, scope 3 emissions. The programme rolls on a loop and is available as a catch up on the Member’s Hub.
It’s this active engagement in running a sustainable business that results in highly constructive brainstorming and camaraderie. At events members find time to foster new ideas to strengthen the movement for conscious business.
I was excited to learn how the press and trade are engaging with our ethos. One magazine editor said she was overjoyed to find we’re the UK’s Sustainable Directory, that it’s a much needed resource.
Of course smiling faces and animated conversations are attractive, like bees to a honeypot everyone is keen to join in.
Strong connections between members gives us a better chance to weather the current rollercoaster economy, to share failures as well as successes and share resources as we strive to build the low-carbon, local economy.
The Sustainability Show photographs were taken by In The Right Light photography. Founder Blue Patch members!
Want to know more about how we run events for members? Reach out to our membership team on membership@bluepatch.org
Find out about Blue Patch membership or email Margy Newens on joinus@bluepatch.org
