Record number of exhibitors at Bathroom and Kitchen Expo

(21/06/2007)

The latest Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO has enjoyed a successful show at London ExCeL with a record number of exhibitors unveiling a diverse range of bathroom and kitchen products under the show’s primary themes of water sustainability, energy efficiency and the 2012 Olympic Games.

“We, along with many of our exhibitors and visitors were delighted with Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2007” said Show Manager, Graham Martin. “Exhibitors pulled out all the stops with some terrific stands and imaginative displays to showcase the latest products, designs and solutions for the industry. They were rewarded with solid, high quality visitor numbers on all three days of the event”.

Martin added, “The seminar and workshop programmes were well supported too, with standing room only for many of the sessions, including that for Ben de Lisi’s ‘trends’ interview with Grahame Morrison, the Contributing Editor of KBB Space. As an established event in the industry calendar, we’re all looking forward to Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2009.”

Over 170 exhibiting companies used Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2007 to unveil a diverse range of bathroom and kitchen products and service innovations. Feedback from exhibitors was extremely positive, with many confirming orders had been taken during the event.

The high number of exhibition stands allowed the high proportion of quality visitors attending the show an opportunity to get to grips with the very latest technology. Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO attracted an audience comprised of bathroom and kitchen manufacturers, retailers, specifiers, designers and architects, with an overall attendance figure of 8,644.

The seminar and workshop programmes, running throughout the show, were well attended and received by participants. Alongside Ben de Lisi, the line up of leading experts featured established author and professor of sustainable architecture, Dr Susan Roaf, Ewan Willars, Head of Policy at RIBA and the marketing chair at CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association), Jane Scotland.

Topics covered in the seminars included the latest design trends, advice on the latest “green” innovations for the kitchen and bathroom, effective lighting design, an overview of Olympic opportunities and developments in entertainment technology systems. The workshop theatre offered a platform for the industry trade associations, the BMA, the KBSA, the KBB NTG and RIBA, to run dedicated, hands-on workshops for visitors on each day of the event.

Other key EXPO highlights included the Kitchen Life and Glimpse of the Future areas. The design-led feature area, Kitchen Life showcased a range of different designs, layouts and products in stylish real-world room sets, inspiring visitors with fresh ideas and approaches to help them sell their concepts, products and homes. Leading names in the kitchen industry involved included Callerton Kitchens, Dupont Corian, Gaggenau, Hanak, Kitchen Alliance, MPM, Nicholas Anthony, Poggenpohl, Smeg and William Ball.

EXPO also hosted an exclusive ‘Glimpse of the Future’ feature area to showcase cutting-edge and prototype technologies which are under development by research institutions and universities across the country. Many of the innovations on show focused specifically on water-saving and low energy product solutions to chime with the key themes of EXPO, and offered a great opportunity for visitors to see where the industry is heading in the future.

Organisations involved within the Glimpse of the Future area included Propelair, a pioneering water and energy saving toilet system, Lowheat, a revolutionary heat recovery system for the home, the Hervy SilentNite toilet, an innovative ‘silent’ and water-saving toilet system and Nottingham University who showcased examples of students’ insights into kitchen and bathroom products of the future.

Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO was supported by some of the biggest names in the bathroom and kitchen industry including Aqualisa, Bristan, BSH Home Appliances, Coram Showers, HiB, Kaldewei, KitchenAid, Matki, Rak Ceramics, Roca, Roman Showers, Stonehams, VitrA UK and William Ball. It was also fully supported by the industry's leading trade associations, the BMA, the KBSA, the KBB NTG and RIBA.

Amy Gough, Marketing Manager, RAK Ceramics, said: "This year’s EXPO has been fantastic and exceeded our expectations - we’re even up on our target business! It’s been very busy for us and we’ve seen good quality visitors at our stand."

Terrance Ball, Joint Managing Director, William Ball added: "EXPO 2005 was a good show, EXPO 2007 has followed successfully in its footsteps, and we’ll have no hesitation in returning for EXPO 2009! It’s a quality show with a lot of potential for new customers."

Francesco Gambuzzi, Marketing Assistant, Smeg UK said: "We’ve had a really great show. The quantity and quality of visitors to our stand has been really good. Our stand was absolutely crowded on the first day."

Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO is a biennial event. In 2005 the event featured over 150 exhibitors at ExCeL London.

Related categories:  Baths   Plumbing and HVAC market   Showers   Sinks   Taps and mixers 

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