BCO – MILAN
From classic to contemporary
Driving innovation and efficiency within the office sector is the core mission of the British Council for Offices (BCO). The annual BCO Conference, a pivotal event in the sector, serves as a platform for this work, and in 2025, it arrives in the dynamic city of Milan, in Italy.
Challenge
As with the past three years in Manchester, Dublin and Birmingham, where OB have designed vibrant, distinctive and versatile brands for the BCO Annual Conference, our approach to the 2025 branding would again draw on the unique characteristics of the city venue and what it has to offer to the conference and members’ experience.
The challenge as previous years was to recognise and articulate the venue city’s essence. Milan’s multiple layers of history and modernity – the iconic and contemporary, the built environment and vibrant culture as the venue city – would be the inspiration for the conference brand and assets for a unique and immersive experience.
Solution
This was the opportunity for some inventive thinking – blending layers of history and modernity.
The conference, as always, is a rallying point, in itself an opportunity to share ideas and collaborate with a captive audience, to interact and participate, and to start thinking in a more open, inventive way.
Milan is a city of multiple layers, one of complimentary contrasts, from the ‘crafted’ and ‘ornamental’ classical to the ‘experimental’ modern and contemporary, from world famous creative and fashion industries to leading edge science and technology.
Our approach for the conference branding celebrates this fusion of arts and industry, using typographically lead blended layers of imagery and text, creating its own unique brand, just as Milan presents it own.
Result
The result is unmistakably Italian – contemporary and fresh, with nods to Milan’s classical heritage and the famous Italian colours. With its distinct identity, the brand truly reflects this year’s conference theme “Making your mark: the power of branded design and quality”.
With the backdrop of such a strong brand to announce the 2025 event, the BCO conference was another huge success.
Many also got to see the brand showcased on the jerseys and caps being worn for the BCO cycle challenge, as the cyclists made their way from Venice to Milan.
"We've only gone and done it again! We blew the doors off with this one! Brilliant work from the team once again - understanding the client's need not just the visual execution and instinctive results but in the programme and production process and delivery, which can only come with the experience and skills of the wider team at OB. Well done all!"
Julian Atkins – Director, OB Brand Consulting
The conference theme, Making Your Mark – The Power of Brand, Design and Quality, was brought to life in Milan, a city where design, heritage and innovation intersect. Inspired by the prestige of the 'Made in Italy' label, the conference identity centred on the concept of the ‘label’ as a mark-making device, combining structured architectural forms with contemporary typography and subtle historical references. A palette of architectural tones and colours inspired by the Italian tricolour reinforced a strong sense of place, creating an elegant event identity that captured both the theme and the distinctive character of Milan.
Debbie Gossington – Consultant Design Lead, OB Brand Consulting
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