Presentations: How to Avoid 'Death By PowerPoint'

Why buy when you can subscribe? From food boxes to fashion, businesses are increasingly keen to sign us up for regular payments. The attraction is clear – predictable income for companies and convenience for consumers. But what happens when we forget to cancel, keep paying for things we barely use or find it harder to leave than join? Evan Davis and guests explore the appeal and the pitfalls of the subscription economy. Guests: Murray Lambell, chief customer officer, Gousto; Mark Ralea, general manager, Fabletics Europe; Kate Nightingale, psychologist and founder, Humanising Brands; and Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which? Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Nick Holland and Sally Abrahams Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Sound engineers: James Beard and Dave O’Neill Editor: Matt Willis

What is going wrong with the largest economy in Europe? It accounts for roughly one-third of the continent's total manufacturing output but since 2020 there's been very little growth. Some people suggest the problems facing the country have been brewing for decades. It's argued Germany has been slow to adapt to modern ways of doing business and hasn't kept up with industrial competition from abroad. Evan Davis is joined by a panel of experts to understand how much trouble the German economy is in, why it's struggling and what it can do to revive itself. Guests: Verena Pausder: Chair of the German Start-Up Association Nicola Pinder: Business expansion consultant for the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg Marcel Fratzscher: President of the German Institute for Economic Research Wolfgang Munchau: Journalist and Author of Kaput, The End of the German Miracle Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Nick Holland & Sally Abrahams Sound: Dave O'Neill & Donald MacDonald Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor: Matt Willis

If there’s one business that’s ingrained in popular culture, you could argue it's the buying and selling of antiques. You only have to count the number of TV shows where people find and flog something hoping for a profit to recognise the appeal. But how does the business really operate? Is it accurately portrayed on television and how do antiques come up for sale in the first place? Evan Davis is joined by a panel of experts to get some answers and asks whether anything we manufacture today will last long enough to be auctioned off in a hundred years-time. Guests: Catherine Southon: Catherine Southon Auctioneers and Valuers, TV expert on Flog It!, Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip Mark Hill: Dealer, Author, Lecturer and TV expert on Antiques Road Show and Antiques Road Trip Conor Hannah: Founder of SellingAntiques.co.uk Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Nick Holland & Sally Abrahams Sound: Dave O'Neill & Neil Churchill Production Coordinator: Katie Morrison Editor Matt Willis

Drones are no longer simply small flying cameras. They’re being used to fight wars, find people lost at sea, inspect infrastructure and gather intelligence. Evan Davis and guests discuss what’s driving the extraordinary growth of the drone industry. And, as the technology gets cheaper, smarter and longer-range, what does it take to build a successful drone business? Guests: Mike Armstrong, MD, Stark Defence UK Gemma Alcock, Founder and CEO, Skybound Mark Westwood, Director of Defence and a Professor of Aeronautics, Cranfield University Production team: Presenter: Evan Davis Producers: Bethan Ashmead, Nick Holland, Sally Abrahams Production Co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound Engineer: Neil Churchill Editor: Matt Willis

The 2026 London Marathon saw new world record times set in both the men's and women's events. Eyes weren't just on the winning athletes but also on the Adidas trainers they were wearing. So what goes into designing and making a pair of trainers and why have some of them become so expensive to buy? Global sales for trainers are in the tens of billions of dollars with hundreds of new styles being produced every year. How does the industry keep up with demand and stay on trend? Giant companies like Nike and Adidas, who dominated the industry for decades, can no longer take anything for granted. Newer brands like On and Hoka have managed to break through and are shaking things up. How have they managed to do it? Evan Davis gets some insights and answers from people who work in the industry. Guests: Tony Evans: Managing Director of Jacobson Group Tom Astrella: Co-founder The Footsoldiers Wayne Edy: Founder and CEO of Inov8 Presenter: Evan Davis Producer: Sally Abrahams & Nick Holland Sounds: Dave O'Neill and Frank McWeeny Editor: Sam Bonham