Patn Fest 2026

I had a great day out at Patn Fest 2026 held at the quirky Fairfield Social Club in Manchester.

Patn Fest is a one day placemaking festival, which attracts a broad audience of placemaking professionals (architects, planners, engineers, urban designers, local authorities) creatives, community representatives and people who are curious and want to feel inspired and energised to participate in something that feels different and positive.

As someone who has worked in property and place branding in both the private and public sector, I was interested to tap into current thinking in the subject provided by a range of forthright and thought provoking speakers.

The day included a talk by Sarah Hyndman, designer and founder of Type Tasting. Sarah demonstrated how important the senses are in design and communication, something which is very easy to forget and I'll certainly be more mindful of it in my work in the future.

Juliette Mitchell, author of 'The Storytelling Manual for Architects', spoke of how best to bridge the human communication gap. Although aimed primarily at architects, the stories Juliette recalled resonated strongly with my own experiences when working with organisations on their brand strategy. So it was reassuring to hear those lessons very much apply across all sectors.

After a lovely lunch and a chance to mingle with a few old and some new faces, the afternoon session kicked off with an inspiring story of placemaking and community making a genuine difference in a tough area. Rebecca Davies spoke passionately about The Portland Inn Project CIC, a shared creative cultural and community space in Stoke-on-Trent, a place I have a strong connection to through my time at Staffordshire University as both a student and lecturer.

The day ended with a lively panel discussion from Ben Cross (MORE), Pauline Johnston (Civic and Social), David West (Studio Egret West) and Andrew Johnston (Made It Together) on the subject of which stories should the built environment be telling? The theme of genuine engagement and the importance of listening to real people, the people who either live in these spaces or are affected by them. And how a genuine commitment to listening and understanding what people want and need from a place and how these views should shape the process and the outcome.

All in all, I felt like I came away from the day with a greater appreciation of the importance of communication and branding, particularly when shaping places and the impact that getting under the skin of a place and its people can help deliver genuine transformation.

Thanks very much to William Seabrook from Patn for the invite. It was a really well run and attended event with a good vibe in a quirky location.