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.”