Taking place at the Telford International Centre in September, this year’s Bed Show lived up to expectations with an array of innovative product on display from a host of major bed industry players.
This year, the Bed Show boasted three full halls of returning, established exhibitors – including Breasley Consumer Products, Sweet Dreams, Hypnos, Silentnight, Simmons and Steinhoff – as well as newcomers Global Components, MA Living, Duvalay trading as The Hilary Devey Collection, Kozee Sleep Midlands and Revitalise, part of The Foam Company. A unique mix of bed manufacturers and component suppliers made the event a must-attend for those involved in the bed industry.
With only NBF members being able to exhibit at the show, this ensured that visitors placing orders were investing in and supporting British manufacturing. What’s more, with the independently audited Code of Practice firmly in place after being introduced at last year’s event, buyers were given the confidence that all exhibitors meet legal standards and supply safe and honest products.
“Each year the Bed Show attracts between 1300–1400 visitors and this year was no exception. Once again the halls looked amazing – the amount and quality of product was fantastic and the two days were buzzing with activity, particularly on the first day. Both exhibitors and visitors reported another excellent show so we must be doing something right!” says Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF.
Once again this year, five industry players were recognised at the NBF Bed Industry Awards at the Gala Dinner. Now in their fifth year, the awards are designed to acknowledge companies considered as ‘best in class’ over the past 12 months. The winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges consisting of editors from the industry’s trade journals, plus Bernard Eaton, MD of Greenwood Retail, and Jessica Alexander, executive director of the NBF.
The winners were Harrison Spinks for Bed Manufacturer of the Year; John Cotton for Bed Component Supplier of the Year; Furniture Village for Multiple Bed Retailer of the Year; Newbridge Street Bedding Centre for Independent Bed Retailer of the Year and Mattress Online for E-tailer of the Year.
Ebrahim Patel, president of the NBF, says: “The bed industry awards are the pinnacle of excellence and this year the competition was stronger than ever with the quality of entries improving year-on-year, giving the judges an ever harder task. Once again, the awards demonstrate that the bedding industry has some brilliant companies doing very brilliant things – and it’s great to be a part of that. Well done to our winners!”
The Bed Show will return to Telford’s International Centre for a seventh year on 20th and 21st September 2016.
