Recognising the best: the NBF Bed Industry Awards and Bed Show return this Autumn: enter to gain the recognition you deserve
The NBF Bed Industry Awards honouring the brightest and best enterprises in the bed market will return later this year. The awards are a celebration of what is good about the UK and Ireland’s bed industry and provide a perfect opportunity for bed retailers, manufacturers and suppliers to highlight their achievements from the past year.
The Small NBF Retail Champion of the Year and Large NBF Retail Champion of the Year Awards recognise independent bed retailers that are signed up to the National Bed Federation’s Retail Champions Scheme, which supports businesses whose product offer is at least 50% NBF-approved brands (Retail Champions) or 100% NBF-approved brands (Premier Retail Champions).
The National Bed Retailer of the Year Award returns for businesses with more than 20 stores and Online Bed Retailer of the Year is open to those who generate at least 80% of sales online.
Entrants for all retailer awards are encouraged to demonstrate how they have supported NBF-approved brands both online and offline during the past year.
Returning for 2024, the NBF member awards include Bed Manufacturer of the Year and Supplier of the Year.
The Bed Product of the Year and Component Product of the Year Awards recognise excellent innovation and design, with sustainability remaining a key part of the criteria in line with the NBF’s green agenda.
The NBF will publish a shortlist of retailer finalists before the awards ceremony. Winners will be announced at the NBF Bed Industry Awards Ceremony & Gala Dinner on 24 September at Telford International Centre by host Anton du Beke, who before his Strictly Come Dancing fame worked as a bed salesman in South London.
Entry is now open via the Bed Show website, and entrants are encouraged to read the entry criteria and tips carefully: they are there to help and can prevent mistakes such as entering the wrong category or failing to provide relevant information.
Meanwhile, registration has opened for the show, which returns on 24-25 September at the Telford International Centre.
Organised by the NBF, the Bed Show brings together the most prominent names in the British and Irish bed manufacturing industry, component suppliers and retail customers, providing a platform for showcasing new products, concepts and marketing initiatives. Visitors can see some of the biggest names in beds and component supplies, such as Airsprung Group, Breasley, GNG Group, Harrison Spinks, Highgrove Beds, Hypnos, Millbrook Beds, Sealy UK, Shire Beds, Silentnight and Simba, to name a few.
The Supplier Zone is a must-visit for all purchasing managers of bed manufacturers and those who run their mattress production units. Set in the heart of the halls, it will feature a selection of key component suppliers, including Apropa, Enkev, Handy, John Cotton Nonwovens, Leggett and Platt, Maes Tickings and Nestor Springs.
‘The Bed Show is the place to be this September and every September,’ says Tristine Hargreaves, NBF executive director. ‘Now in its 14th year, the NBF’s annual exhibition is firmly cemented as the go-to bed event in the UK and Ireland. It’s an exciting time in the trade’s calendar when the latest products and innovations are revealed ready for the busy autumn buying season. We encourage visitors to book their ticket and start making travel arrangements.
‘Visitors will enjoy plenty of catering facilities across the show’s three halls, with complimentary refreshment vouchers available from the NBF stand. And they don’t need to worry about parking: there is ample free parking on-site for all visitors. Any visitors wishing to bring young children into the halls are encouraged to do so on 25 September.’
