A recap and review of the recent NBF Bed Show

Best of the Beds

The recent National Bed Federation (NBF) Bed Show has been hailed as a great success with high visitor numbers and plenty of interest and buying activity over the two days of 20th – 21st September at the Telford International Centre.

The buzz we felt in the halls is backed up by the numbers too.”

The 12th Bed Show didn’t disappoint. There was a noticeable buzz around the stands with new product innovations on display, sustainability at the heart of most conversations and a general ‘feel good vibe’ from both visitors and exhibitors alike.

With sustainability in mind, there were a number of exhibitors showcasing their latest sustainable efforts, including Harrison Spinks, who also won Bed Manufacturer of the Year. With well-established sustainability credentials, the Leeds-based manufacturer has built further on those in the past year with initiatives ranging from product-related innovation to tangible end-of-life processes. Meanwhile, Hypnos’ Project Zero – their carbon-negative concept bed - is part of its ongoing mission to inspire sustainably sleeping as well as its commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2030. They aslo picked up the Component Product of the Year trophy for its Himalaya Nettle, Cotton and Kapok Fibre Comfort Layer. Completely new to the bedding market, this product demonstrated that comfort layers could be effectively and sustainably derived from nature, making it suitable for vegan products or mixing with other protein-based natural fibres such as wool. David Baldry, Group Managing Director of Hypnos, commented: “We had a phenomenal time at the Bed Show where we debuted some ground-breaking industry firsts to an overwhelmingly positive response. This included Project Zero, our carbon-negative concept bed, dedicated to our ongoing mission to inspire everybody to sleep sustainably. This concept served as the inspiration for our Pillowtop Origins Collection and the Luxury No Turn Origins Collection. Both feature an entirely plant-based sustainable layer of Himalayan allo (Himalayan nettle), kapok and CottonConnect cotton fibres. We even won an award at the show for this, receiving the ‘Component Product of the Year’ for this sustainable comfort layer. We also revealed that we’re the first brand in the UK to source certified British wool from Textile Exchange’s Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), meaning we support farms that meets this established and globally recognised standard.”

Other sustainable efforts when exploring the stands included Nectar Sleep where they demonstrated its commitment to sustainability, with the use premium materials in their products to ensure that they last. Furthermore, the brand

has partnered with Climate Partner to measure, reduce and offset its carbon footprint, while products are also delivered in FSC certified boxes and vacuum packed using recycled polythene.

As for Vogue Beds, their focus was on presenting its vegan inspired range, including the Vegan Mattress Collection, which has been certified by The Vegan Society and features hypo-allergenic fillings, constructed to allow maximum airflow which regulates body temperature. The Oban Bedframe accompanies the Vegan Mattress and is made from rubberwood. Vogue said: “The most important part of the Vegan Story is not what we associate vegan with, mainly food products. This mattress contains no animal products, even the oil required to lubricate the manufacturing process of springs do not contain any animal products. Our mattress range is not only Vegan but is benefiting for the environment. All the fillings are made from recycled plastic, and not only is this mattress recyclable it’s also sustainable.”

With many brands displaying their latest innovations, we caught up with a number of them who shared their views following the show. First up, Sealy UK. “The NBF Bed Show is a staple event in our calendar, it’s a great place to launch new product and this year was no exception for us. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase our Sealy Posturepedic range and introduce a range of new Sealy Classics models to the market. Overall, we feel like the show was a huge success and we shall look forward to exhibiting again next year!”

Sleepeezee shared a similar view: “It was fantastic to be back at the NBF Show at Telford. We had a really successful show and were pleased to be recognised as a finalist in the Bed Manufacturer of the Year category. We were grateful to have the opportunity to meet up with our retail partners, old friends and colleagues at the industry’s biggest trade show. The Sleepeezee team worked extremely hard in presenting a truly excellent stand, which remained busy throughout and we received great feedback on all new product launches.”

Nectar Sleep’s Darren Crowshaw added: “We are continually encouraged by the reaction we are having to the Nectar range and concept. We had a consistent flow of key customers coming to the stand to hear more about this refreshing, innovative addition to the bedding, and indeed the furniture market.” While GNG’s Stuart Hibbert said: “GNG enjoyed an excellent couple of days at the NBF Show, meeting both new and old customers. The introduction of the New Komfi Unity Collection really went down well, with retailers looking for products that offer outstanding value for money during what could be a challenging year ahead. The Sonlevo Truegel range continues to gain momentum with additional placements across the UK. Receiving our Bed Manufacturer of the year Finalist Award was the icing on the cake and will drive our highly motivated team onward to achieve even more.”

Retailers, both independents and national chains, explored the stands with enthusiasm and positivity, with Fabio Perrotta, Director of Commercial Buying at Dreams, highlight the show as a big success. “The Bed Show is always a fantastic place to explore emerging innovations and how the category is shifting; prompting new ideas for our portfolio and how we can evolve our range of great quality products for customers. It was also great to meet potential new suppliers, as well as catch up with existing partners in person and celebrate with them being awarded the NFB National Bed Retailer of the Year for the second year running.”

In-between the two-day showcase came the Bed Industry Awards Gala Dinner, which was hosted by TV and radio presenter Colin Murray. Last month we did a full round up of all 11 winners but just in case you missed it, you can see them in our winner’s side panel. To conclude what has been a successful show for the beds industry, Jessica Alexander NBF executive director, reflected: “What an amazing event it turned out to be. I know that our visitors and exhibitors really enjoyed the opportunity to meet up and network after such an extraordinary year - economically, politically and historically. The place looked great – and felt great.

“The buzz we felt in the halls is backed up by the numbers too. We were really pleased with the visitor numbers, in a year when many exhibitions are seeing a 20% downturn, our numbers were on a par with the last few years, with well over 1,200 attendees over the two days. Most of our exhibitors were reporting plenty of interest and buying going on.

“The Bed Show is now well established as the preferred launchpad of new collections, innovations and marketing plans for the majority of companies in the sector. We can’t wait to be back in Telford next year with show dates of 26-27th September, plus our Gala Dinner and Bed Industry Awards celebrations.”

www.bedshow.co.uk

2022 Bed Industry Awards Winners

An independent panel of judges selected 11 winners from a shortlist of finalists comprising NBF members, their sales agents/reps, and supporting bed retailers. This year’s winners were:

Elevate Ultra Turing Plush mattress by Sealy UK for Bed Product of the Year;

Himalaya Nettle, Cotton and Kapok Fibre Comfort Layer by Hypnos for Component Product of the Year;

Harrison Spinks for Bed Manufacturer of the Year;

John Cotton Nonwovens for Component Supplier of the Year;

Neil Steed at Shire Beds for NBF Member Sales Agent/Rep of the Year;

Dreams for National Bed Retailer of the Year;

Mattress Online for Online Bed Retailer of the Year;

Now to Bed for Small NBF Retail Champion of the Year;

Glasswells for Large NBF Retail Champion of the Year;

Dreams for Best Marketing Campaign; and Glasswells, Bury St. Edmunds, for Outstanding Bed Store of the Year.

SAVE THE DATE

Bed Show 2023