Kbb Birmingham 2022 took place from 6th to 9^th March and saw over 12,400 visitors pass through its doors over the four days of the show. The event is said to have featured the UK’s largest collection of KBB brands under one roof and offered more innovation, new products and sustainable choices than ever before.

Jon Johnston, kbb sales director comments:

“It has been fantastic to be back at the NEC again and seeing so many familiar as well as new faces. There were hundreds of exhibitors across 26 different product categories who were busy meeting visitors throughout the four-day event. There was a steady stream of people attending the show all extremely interested in finding out more about our exhibitors, new products and the latest trends.  The show has been a huge success and it was great to see the KBB industry thriving. We are looking forward to doing it all again in 2024.”

Stands award winners

The show floor was packed with innovative and vibrant stands, allowing visitors to become fully immersed in new design concepts and experience exciting new product launches. Notable wins included Acquabella’s exotic beach-inspired stand with their creative shower tray sun loungers, – the company was awarded the ‘Best Bathroom Stand over 30 square metres’.  Origins Living won Best Bathroom stand under 30 square metres for their stylish, nature-inspired stand, which showcased their range of designer mirrors, storage and bathroom accessories.

Positive sentiments were echoed by industry associations.

Richard Hibbert, Kbsa National Chair, comments, “It was great to be back in Birmingham for kbb. There was a really positive buzz on the show floor and we were so pleased to be back at a trade show, meeting in person with both existing members and potential new members. For independent retailers there was plenty of new products and innovations to see, providing visitors with plenty of inspiration.”

BMA Chief Executive Tom Reynolds said: “It was fantastic for the industry to get back together at KBB Birmingham after a long couple of years. Visitors and exhibitors alike got a lot out of the event, and the BMA were delighted to host our Sustainability Forum alongside the show.”

Trends led the way for new launches

The show floor reflected key industry design trends, such as sustainability with a range of innovations from the sector. Rotpunkt focussed on trends at the show explaining that 2022 will be a landmark year for blended kitchen spaces. The modern kitchen is being reinvented with industrial style spaces becoming more visually quiet and gender-neutral in terms of colours, materials and finishes. MERLYN demonstrated how sensory design can transform the most private of spaces and created an experience-led stand featuring six unique zones. 

As in previous years, kbb delivered an outstanding launch pad for showcasing new product launches to a captive market of KBB retailers and specifiers. Stand out launches included Formed and its handle rebrand from Momo, to Hendel and Hendel. The company says the new brand and evolving positioning, perfectly reflects its growing ambition in the marketplace. Countless companies took the opportunity to launch new brands including House of Rohl, which presented its brassware brand Riobel for the first time. 

Sustainability

Sustainability came into focus during this year’s event with both the organisers and exhibitors placing it centre stage. kbb Birmingham and The Used Kitchen Company (TUKC) announced a partnership to help exhibitors sell their displays ahead of the show to encourage a more sustainable event, and to make a valuable contribution towards recycling within the kitchen industry. The show also ensured that all its feature areas were created with sustainability in mind and were designed to minimise waste. 

Exhibitor feedback

Across the show floor, exhibitors were delighted to be meeting with customers and partners once more.

Rashpal Sidhu, Managing Director, Roca Group said:

“We’ve had a superb few days at kbb Birmingham with a huge number of visitors flowing through the doors of our suite, to view new products and meet with our team. Our latest Roca bathroom collection Ona made its debut at the show alongside a preview of Laufen’s new Lua collection. It was fantastic to be able to showcase the ranges to our customers in person, for the first time. The entire four days have enabled us to truly reconnect and engage with retailers and partners, and we are delighted with the feedback we’ve had.”

Innovation Awards

The third day of the show (8th March) saw the winners of the 2022 Innovation Awards, supported by Blum, announced. The award scheme recognises the most forward-thinking and technically advanced products within the KBB sector and is one of the most hotly anticipated events of the show.  

The Judges Choice and overall winner was awarded to Bora for their X BO Steam Oven which can be used for roasting, baking, steaming and even cleans itself spotlessly after use. The Sustainability Award went to Furnipart for their 10 Ocean IX handles, made from recycled materials from the maritime industry such as fishing nets, ropes and trawls. The award was presented by judge Lindsey Rendall, President of the BIID.

The People’s Choice Award was voted for by visitors to the show, who came to the Innovation Zone to view the shortlisted products and cast their vote. Just under 640 votes were counted and the clear winner, with almost 46% of the votes, went to the RorosHetta SENSE Extraction Hood. The product has integrated smart technology features that focus on Indoor Air Quality and Fire Safety.

The award was presented by Richard Hibbert, KBSA Chair.

The 10 shortlisted finalists were displayed in an inspiring showcase across the specially designed Innovation Zone.

The Innovation Awards 2022 is in partnership with manufacturer Blum. Amanda Hughes, architect & interior design liaison at Blum who is one of the judges commented:

“We were delighted to continue our support of the kbb Innovation Awards programme. Blum is known as a pioneer of great design, so it is a natural fit to partner again with these exciting awards. The Innovation Zone area looked brilliant at the show and feedback from visitors viewing the shortlisted products was so positive. These awards really emphasise that innovation is thriving in the KBB industry.”

The owner of Hatfield-based worktop specialist The Marble Group was the lucky winner of a £5,000 prize giveaway at specialist industry awards night, the KBB Review Retail & Design Awards 2022 on Monday 7^th March at the Hilton Hotel, Birmingham

Theo Constanti, owner of The Marble Group was the lucky winner of an audience participation game. While accepting the £5,000 from celebrity host Vernon Kay, Theo Constanti announced that he would donate the money to those affected by the war in Ukraine.

“One of the guests on our table was from Ukraine,” said Theo Constanti. “so, I knew what I was going to do with the money if I won. We do lots of charitable work, including working with schools and making donations. It’s part of what we do as a business. It’s all about community and kindness”

Theo is himself the son of a refugee mother who fled the war in Cyprus back in 1974 following the invasion of the country so the situation in Ukraine is very close to his heart.

The £5000 was donated to https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/ukraine-aid-help-now

The Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID) is back with its interior design awards for 2022. Entries have opened with ‘Early Bird’ rates, inviting designers to submit by the 14th March to take advantage of exclusive entry pricing.

Created to champion the world’s most skilled and accomplished creative professionals, the SBID will celebrate another year of interior design solutions with the 13th annual edition of the SBID International Design Awards. 

The judging panel includes industry figures from companies at the forefront of design, media and business, with global digital director of Architectural Digest, David Kaufman; executive editor for Elle Décor (US), Ingrid Abramovitch; dean and professor of architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design, Sarah Whiting; and CEO of Rigby & Rigby, Iain Johnson among them. Entrants have an opportunity to showcase their work on the SBID Awards’ global stage and exhibit designs directly to an audience of distinguished professional peers, press and potential clients. 

With award categories spanning both the commercial and residential sectors across Interior Design, Product Design and Fit Out, SBID welcomes entries from all aspects of the professional design community.

Entries will close for 2022 at 5pm (BST) on 23rd May 2022. 

Here is the statement in full from Tom Reynolds, Chief Executive, BMA.

In the last few days, I have been liaising with bathroom manufacturers to better understand the implications of the conflict in Ukraine on our sector. Over and above any business considerations, everyone’s initial thoughts have been with the plight of the Ukrainian people as they defend against unnecessary aggression. The human tragedy of the war is foremost in our minds.

There are some indirect impacts of the conflict that affect all UK-based bathroom manufacturers. Our industry has been struggling with inflationary pressure on raw materials, logistical costs, and energy for two years. The dependence of Europe on Russian gas is likely to exacerbate that inflationary pressure especially for those product categories that entail energy-intensive processes, such as ceramics. Copper and nickel are two important raw materials that are expected to be in short supply and are important in the manufacturing of plumbing products. Further price increases are therefore unavoidable.

Other parts of the economy are subject to similar or worse inflation. Continually spiralling cost of living may dent consumer confidence, as will the unwelcome cloud of a war on our continent for the first time in over generation. We’re currently in a historic period of high demand in home improvement; manufacturers hope that a de-escalation of the conflict, a thoughtful response to the crisis by policymakers, and the requirement to use savings before they are depleted by inflation will help maintain demand.

The Government has already warned that cybersecurity is a key threat, and while UK-based bathroom manufacturers have robust protections in place vigilance is being stepped up. The sector is also watching the wider geopolitical ramifications of the conflict closely. Russia has aligned with China in recent years, and Beijing’s response to their ally’s aggression may be a bellwether for the future of the world order. This is of critical importance to bathroom manufacturers with around half of bathroom imports into the UK originating in China.

For some companies, there are more direct impacts that are causing consternation right now. Many bathroom manufacturers are part of global groups with Russian and Ukrainian subsidiaries. Inter-group trading has been made a lot harder, and in some cases impossible by sanctions. Reconfiguring internal supply chain arrangements is not a straightforward or quick endeavour.

A few bathroom manufacturers have been working directly with Ukrainian factories and the burgeoning supply chain in the region. Those partners are now understandably out-of-reach, risking supply on certain product lines and in one case seriously affecting a critical launch. Nevertheless, the companies concerned have expressed the desire to support their partners with a commitment to return to working with them when possible.

It is manufacturers’ duty to consider the implications of the crisis on their business, and of BMA and our friends at the CBI to pass on that understanding to Government. Nevertheless, the sector is united in our concern for the people of the Ukraine and our hope for peace.

Written by by Tom Reynolds, Chief Executive, BMA

According to reports in the Spanish press, Roca Group will be temporarily closing its seven factories in Russia in a move that is considered to be in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

2,800 employees are said to be affected, an article in the Spanish daily newspaper La Vanguardia said that all will remain on the payroll as the company hopes this is only a temporary situation.

Roca Group operates in 170 countries and has 85 factories and a total of over 24,000 employees. With a long, established heritage with over 100 years of experience, the brand is recognised as a leading global operator, designing and manufacturing everything in bathrooms.

Together with UNICEF it has recently set up a campaign via its We Are Water Foundation to help bring drinking water to the victims of the war in the Ukraine, as well sanitation for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova and Romania. The foundation was initially established in 2010 and highlights problems derived from the lack of water and sanitation around the world. To make a donation – click the link.

Roca joins a growing list of global companies temporarily suspending operations in Russia.