Autumn Long Point / 26 Bed Show

QUALITY FIRST

Long Point returns to Long Eaton from 19th-21st this month, offering buyers a rich variety of sourcing opportunities, from quality upholstery to cabinet furniture, fabrics and accessories.

www.longeatonguild.co.uk

COME AND SEE WHY WE ARE KNOWN AS THE MOST

ENJOYABLE AND RELAXED QUALITY FURNITURE SHOW IN THE UK

“Long Point is the ideal vehicle for both manufacturers and retailers alike to work together,” says Andrew Mitchell, chairman of the Long Eaton Guild of Furniture Manufacturers, which organises the biannual exhibition. “If you haven’t visited us before, then I invite you to take a day or two of your time to come and see why we are known as the most enjoyable and relaxed quality furniture show in the UK. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.”

Hudson, Baker Furniture

Miami Plus, Wiemann

Lennon, Siren Furniture Belpasso, ALF Oslo, Ashwood Designs

Confirmed exhibitors include Alexander & James, ALF/Bontempi, Ashley Manor, Ashwood Designs, Artistic Upholstery, Baker Furniture, Bluebone, Bree’s New World, Carlton Furniture, Collins & Hayes, David Gundry, Duresta, G Plan, Gascoigne Designs, Hunter Knight, Iain James Furniture, Nicoletti Home, Parker Knoll, Richmond Interiors, Siren Furniture, Spink & Edgar, Steed Upholstery, Tamarisk Designs, Tetrad, Warwick Fabrics, Westbridge Furniture and Wiemann.

The bulk of the show takes place in Long Eaton’s showrooms and mills – from Harrington Mills and West End Mills to various manufacturers’ own facilities – while some suppliers will exhibit at the nearby Novotel, Trent Lock Golf and Country Club, Hopewells and The Village Hotel.

Trade attendees can register with their business card at any participating location. The show is open from 9am to 5pm each day – call 0115 973 4481 for more information

Bloxham, Tamarisk Designs

BEDS ARE BACK

The countdown is on to the UK’s biggest bed exhibition – the NBF Bed Show, which promises 60 brands, more than 1000 visitors, and 11 award winners …

www.bedshow.co.uk

On Tuesday 20th September at 9am, Bed Show organiser, the National Bed Federation (NBF), will open the doors of Telford’s International Centre for its two-day trade event.

The Bed Show celebrates the coming together of the best in British and Irish bed manufacturing and their component suppliers. It is a place where they can showcase their latest innovations, offers, promotions and sales support for the UK market. Bed buyers and specifiers interested in British- and Irish-made beds and their related products, can register their attendance for free via the Bed Show website.

The show promises to present some of the biggest names in beds, with manufacturer exhibitors including featured exhibitor Hypnos, plus Airsprung, Breasley, Duvalay, GNG Group, Harrison Spinks, Millbrook, Shire Beds, Sealy, Silentnight, Sleepeezee and Vispring.

Proving a success when introduced last year, the Supplier Innovation Zone returns, and promises to be the go-to destination for all purchasing managers of bed and mattress manufacturers. Alongside several European component suppliers, this year’s exhibitors include featured exhibitor Handy, plus Apropa, Boyteks Tekstil, CPS Group, Enkev, GTA Belgium, John Cotton Non-Wovens, Leggett & Platt UK, Maes Mattress Ticking, Mert Makina, Rawsons, Recticel, Spinks, The Vita Group and Wolf Components. Anyone looking to take time out during the show can visit the new NBF Hub and meeting point, which will host some of the industry’s experts in technical support and provide a place to sit back, relax and catch up. Visitors and exhibitors are encouraged to step away from the stands and redeem their complimentary refreshment vouchers at any of the five on-site cafes, courtesy of sponsors BekaertDeslee, Jay-Be, Harrison Spinks, Silentnight and The Vita Group. On the evening of the first day, the gala dinner will host the NBF Bed Industry Awards ceremony, sponsored by Sleepeezee. Compered by Countdown presenter and broadcaster Colin Murray, the evening will recognise and celebrate 11 of the most successful manufacturers, suppliers and retailers in the UK and Irish bed industry. Discover more about the show and this year’s awards on the Bed Show website – and in Furniture News’ Bed Buyer supplement, published alongside this month’s issue

SHOWING THE WAY

What’s behind the bed industry’s biggest dedicated event? Here, Jessica Alexander, executive director of the National Bed Federation (NBF), muses on the Bed Show, sustainability and awards …

THIS EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY IS ABOUT FUTURE-

PROOFING THE INDUSTRY

By JESSICA ALEXANDER www.bedfed.org.uk

It’s September – it must be the Bed Show! We’re very proud of the fact that the NBF’s show, launched back in 2010, has become the annual meeting point for the UK bed industry, attracting visitors from all parts of the supply chain. Whatever the economic weather, this opportunity to come together and network should be a must for anyone who makes a living in the bed industry.

The Bed Industry Awards have become an integral part of the event, with winners announced every year at the Bed Show’s gala dinner. It’s been fascinating to see how these have evolved over the years. Perhaps not surprisingly, product innovation and corporate governance are increasingly focused on sustainability, with responses to climate change and circular economy solutions.

We have been keen to support our members as much as we can on this journey, which is why we have introduced our Pledge for the Planet – encouraging members to commit to a journey of measuring and reducing their impacts in terms of carbon reduction, waste and resource efficiency. To help, we have developed ecodesign principles for mattresses, and are about to launch a practical ecodesign assessment toolkit. Our new sustainability lead will ensure this work is properly supported and developed.

This emphasis on sustainability is of course, the right thing to be doing – but it is also about future-proofing the industry for potential legislation, and our engagement with governments on climate change and waste reduction is a very important part of our current agenda.

It is tempting to suggest that sustainability is not currently a priority for businesses likely facing a significant slowdown in orders on the back of the cost of living crisis and looming recession. True, perhaps, in the short term. In the medium to long term, the impact of climate change could be far more serious. And besides, many sustainability measures actually lead to business wins such as costs reductions and improved productivity, as well as a host of new business models and new job opportunities. One door closes …

Returning to the subject of awards, we are often asked, why is it always the same people who win? Not true – every year, we do have new entrants, and they are often successful. But there are companies which also make a point of entering every year, too. Companies that regularly enter (and sometimes win) awards believe in the benefits, not just for PR, but also for the morale boost they can give the whole team.

All we can say is, we would love to have more entries, and from more companies – but you do actually have to enter in the first place (perhaps more than once), and you do have to pay close attention to the criteria the independent experts who are our judges will be measuring you up against, in order to stand a chance of winning!

EXCEPTIONAL EMMA

Leading global D2C sleep brand, new NBF member, and this month’s cover star, Emma – The Sleep Company, which is exhibiting at the NBF Bed Show for the first time this month, has had plenty of reasons to celebrate over the past 12 months – a year which saw the brand enter the UK retail market …

www.emma-sleep.co.uk

Emma Diamond Hybrid

Now operating in more than 30 active markets, Emma is the most international D2C sleep brand, having expanded to a further 18 countries since 2019. Its growing team of more than 850 ‘Emmies’ is now based across five worldwide offices – Frankfurt, Lisbon, Manilla, Shanghai and Mexico City – or working remotely within the market, with many key hires being made in the retail team as Emma’s omnichannel strategy continues to be one of its key growth levers.

Emma Diamond Hybrid

Building on its success of securing 75 product awards in 2021, this year has also seen significant wins in the consumer awards sphere. In addition to picking up two further Which? Best Buy awards for its Emma Helix Hybrid and Emma Diamond Hybrid – adding to the Best Buy picked up for the Emma Smart Hybrid last summer – the sleep tech company was also awarded Best Bed in a Box by Interiors Monthly. Neil Robinson, country sales director – retail UK & Ireland, at Emma – The Sleep Company, says: “We’re absolutely delighted to now be a member of NBF and to be exhibiting at the NBF show. It’s a great way to celebrate a year in retail, and it comes at a time when we are celebrating a strong start to 2022 as a wider business – particularly given the current economic climate.

“We’re continuing to grow, continuing to pick up fantastic awards, and continuing to deliver products that combine smart technology with worldclass engineering and expertise from our in-house sleep lab to ensure we’re adapting to the needs to the modern sleeper.”

At this year’s Bed Show, which is taking place in Telford on 20th and 21st this month, Emma will showcase its breakout Emma Motion range, which includes the brand’s first smart mattress. The range, which combines world-class engineering and insights from Emma’s industry-leading in-house sleep lab, purports to be revolutionising the way people sleep and defying the rolled foam stereotype – find out more on stand B40 at the show