90 JANUARY FURNITURE SHOW EXCELLENCE IN FURNITURE AWARDS
Recognising industry excellence Developed by The Furniture Shows and held alongside the January Furniture Show, the inaugural Excellence in Furniture Awards are set to gather leading retailers, manufacturers, brands and service providers to honour the industry’s brightest stars …
“A meaningful moment for our industry
“We are excited to bring the entire furniture industry together and offer a night like no other,” says The Furniture Shows of the awards’ debut, taking place on Monday 19th January in the NEC Concourse Suite 1 & 2. A marked step up from The Furniture Awards programme of previous years, and open to the entire trade, the awards will recognise best practice across the sector. Head of sales at The Furniture Shows, Paddy Wallace, says: “The inaugural Excellence in Furniture Awards represent a meaningful moment for our industry. These honours recognise the brands and professionals who are setting new benchmarks in design, innovation and performance. It’s inspiring to see the level of creativity and commitment shaping the future of furniture, and we’re proud to celebrate those leading the way.” A panel of industry leaders, representing decades of expertise across retail, manufacturing and design, were recruited to judge the entries. The panel comprised: Malcolm Walker, First MW; Paul Farley, Furniture News; Andrew Goodacre, bira; Brian Ahern, The Furniture Makers’ Company/FIRA; Debbie Johnson, The Furniture Makers’ Company; Deirdre Mc Gettrick, ufurnish.com; Emma Leeke, Leekes; Nicola Snell, Press Loft; Gisela Lancaster, Sofology; Joanna Knight, The Knight Partnership; and Diana Celella, The Drawing Room Interiors. The entries were reviewed across multiple official judging days, with the process carried out under strict confidentiality. Final votes were cast by secret ballot, with the winners to be revealed live on the night.
Sponsorship support included: Snap Finance (headline sponsor and Women in Furniture category sponsor); Furniture News (lead media partner and Design Innovation category sponsor); and The Furniture Makers’ Company (charity partner). Judge Malcolm Walker comments: “This fine industry of ours deserves a celebration of the quality in our retail, manufacturing and design arenas. Recognition, and encouragement of talent now, will protect the future of our wonderful industry.” The evening is set to welcome some 350 guests for “an unforgettable night of recognition and celebration”. The programme kicks off at 6pm with a drinks reception, before a meal. The winners will be announced from 9pm, before an after-party closes the evening from 10-12. Read on to discover what some of the finalists thought about making the cut … www.thefurnitureshows.com/excellence-infurniture-awards
WOMAN IN FURNITURE AWARD CAMILLA MCLEAN, MATTHEW COX Camilla McLean, MD Why enter? I didn’t – our furniture and lighting painter/finisher Georgia Wightman nominated me! She said: “Meely was the one to show me round the workshop at the very start, and my go-to throughout my apprenticeship, from always offering help and guidance, to checking in on me on my weeks away at college. She really does take her apprentices under her wing, being very much our work mum! “She’s always made me feel heard. Developing my confidence and communication has been a big journey at
Matthew Cox, and having a company that helps shape it into a positive one is all you can ask for. Seeing Meely give talks about the company and our values really provides a true role model – without exposure to people like this, how do we grow?” What’s your biggest challenge? External factors like US tariffs and the wider global economy have made the last year challenging, but we’re certainly not alone in that. Our 100-year plan keeps us focused on the horizon, so we see these disruptions as short-term weather rather than defining events. It’s a reminder to make conscious decisions each day and to keep our priorities straight – whether that’s the wellbeing of the team, the experience of our clients, opportunities for our community or finding better ways to care for the environment.
How do you rate your chances? It’s an extraordinary group of women, and every one of them is worthy of winning. For us, the value in winning would be the opportunity to bring more people into the work we’re doing at Matthew Cox. We’ve always been open about our successes – and our failures, too – and we’d hope that a broader platform would allow us to share those lessons more widely. If it helps other companies create environments where women can genuinely thrive, that would mean a great deal to all of us. Also finalists: Libby Chapman, JLC Interiors; Natasha Shillingford, La-Z-Boy; Faith King, Rycotewood Furniture Centre; Farkhanda Hussain-Butt, Shire Beds; Georgiana Blaga, Simex; Monika Puccio, Sofa Club; and Becky Hoyland, The Sofa Delivery Company (part of DFS Group).