January Furniture Show is the UK’s largest and best-attended furniture and interiors trade event. The newest iteration of an industry fixture that spans decades, January Furniture Show took a break this year due to the pandemic, but will return in 2022, promising more than 50,000 new products and collections, catering to every budget and style.
“The team at Clarion Retail would like to extend a huge ‘thank you’ to the readers of Furniture News Magazine for voting the January Furniture Show the best UK trade exhibition in the Reader’s Choice Awards,” states Clarion. “The team are so honoured that January Furniture Show has won, and couldn’t be prouder to support the industry with this flagship show each year.
“The January Furniture Show hosted at the NEC is the most influential trade event of its kind, and for it to receive that recognition through Furniture News magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards is truly amazing – it shows just how loved by the industry it really is.”
James Howard, head of sales for Clarion Retail’s furniture shows (January and Manchester), comments: “This is such a fantastic achievement – coupled with amazing recognition of the hard work and dedication our team put in to create the show.
“We take great pride in hosting the show ,and winning this award is a great testament to the entire team responsible for making it happen.
“Huge thanks as well to the many brands, sponsors, partners and organisations that support the show every year. Building on the phenomenal success of the recent Manchester Furniture Show in Harrogate, our team are beyond excited to be going back home in January 2022 for a long-awaited January Furniture Show at the NEC.”
Sales manager Shona Carmichael echoes James’ sentiments: “What can I say?! Thank you so much to the amazing retailers, brands, interior designers and other readers of Furniture News. This would never have happened without the amazing team that I am proud to be part of, and the industry that I have so much passion for!
“Roll on January 2022 – we can’t wait to see everyone back at the NEC.”
After what has been a tough 18 months for the industry, Clarion Retail is clearly looking forward to bringing the industry back together at a crucial time in the buying cycle.
The success of sister event Manchester Furniture Show, which was staged alongside Harrogate’s Home & Gift in July, shows just how important trade shows are, states Clarion: “There’s nothing that can truly replace face-to-face business.”
The Harrogate-based exhibition proved a fruitful outing for many. Tom Bayliss, UK sales director for front-of-house exhibitor Kettle Interiors, says of Manchester Furniture Show: “Throughout the four days the footfall was consistently good, and the halls often full with store owners keen to refresh their displays with the latest looks for the busy AW21 season ahead. We were overwhelmed by the level of interest our new furniture received, and look forward to seeing it on high streets across the country later this year.”
All eyes now turn to the January Furniture Show – a crucial opportunity for brands, designers and buyers to reunite, says Clarion: “At its core, retail is an industry all about people, passion and connection. These are things the event team at Clarion will continue to harness as they work to bring you the best possible January Furniture Show in 2022.”
Show director Russell Rule comments: “We are really delighted to receive this award after such a tough year for the industry as a whole. Our main focus is to unite our brands and buyers, and we cannot wait to be back at the NEC in January to do just that. This award really helps to cement the importance of the January Furniture Show in the industry calendar.”
The show has continued to develop since its inception in 2015, and caters for retail buyers, interior designers and specifiers wishing to purchase at volume-, mid- and high-end levels of the market.
In 2022, the exhibition is set to welcome back some big industry names, including Forte, Tetrad, Kettle Interiors, At the Helm, Hydeline, Carlton, Italia Living, SITS, Rauch, MLILY, La-Z-Boy, Alpha Design, Gallery Direct and Pacific Lifestyle – plus many, many more.
Clarion states that the exhibitor list will again comprise over 500 UK and international exhibitors, supplying upholstery, cabinet, beds and interior accessories, and that over 75% of the show has already been sold.
While Clarion Retail is overjoyed to have won so many readers’ votes, it is also excited to have successfully launched its new digital marketplace, Reveal, which promises to be a hub of product discovery, easy ordering, inspiration and insight, 365 days of year. It is a 24/7 digital shopfront, and a rotating shop window for suppliers. For retailers, it will offer a daily dose of product discovery, and a unique opportunity to source, connect and buy, as well as to learn and be inspired.
The four-day January Furniture Show 2022 will run from 23rd-26th January at the Birmingham NEC. Those interested in exhibiting at the UK’s largest furniture and interiors trade event should email januaryfurnitureshow.com/stand-enquiry. To be first to hear when show registration goes live, sign up to receive alerts from the January Furniture Show website.
Read about the winners of Furniture News' inaugural Readers' Choice Awards in August's issue.
