Blum, a leader in innovative furnishing solutions, will host a series of insightful live talks at this year’s KBB Birmingham event at the NEC.
Taking place across the four-day period, the brand will provide the opportunity for customers and partners alike to take part in stimulating industry conversations located at the KBB Innovation Awards stand.
Presented in a live Q&A format between the speakers, attendees are invited to gather to listen to each 30-minute discussion with audience participation encouraged. Some of Blum’s live conversation topics across the four days will include:
From Order Taker to Strategic Partner: How Distribution Had to Reinvent Itself
The role of distributors has transformed, and this talk will explore how distributor LDL Components evolved from traditional distribution to what it calls "next generation" service. Examining the factors behind the changes and what it reveals about the direction the KBB industry is heading, the discussion between Blum’s Ben Muirhead and LDD Components’ Josh Penrice will cover how rising expectations across the supply chain are forcing everyone to add more value and the result of this for retailers and manufacturers.
Beyond Recycling: What Sustainable Kitchen Design Actually Means in 2026
A conversation which explores how sustainability in kitchens has evolved beyond surface level eco-claims into meaningful design decisions. The discussion between Blum and Nested Living will examine what trade professionals should actually be telling clients about sustainability, which features deliver real environmental impact versus marketing theatre, and how designing for decades rather than trends changes specification choices.
Where Your Timber Actually Comes From (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)
For this talk, Blum’s Isabel Noy is joined by Joseph Bray from national charity Sylva Foundation to discuss the potential for homegrown timber supply in kitchen and bedroom manufacturing. The discussion will explore topics ranging from opportunities to access locally grown, traceable timber, to how better woodland management improves supply resilience and material quality. In an insightful chat between the speakers, the pair will discuss why shorter supply chains matter increasingly to consumers and how improving domestic timber production can create commercial opportunities for manufacturers and retailers who want genuine sustainability stories.
Designing for Real Life: Kitchens That Work for Changing Bodies and Minds
This conversation will address a reality most kitchen designs ignore. Our physical and cognitive needs change throughout life, yet we design kitchens as static spaces for idealised users. The exchange between Blum’s Samantha Thompson and Roundhouse Design’s Francesca Fender will cover practical design thinking that accommodates aging bodies, neurodivergent processing, fluctuating mobility, and multigenerational households sharing one space. The focus will be on discussing specification choices that serve everyone better, from families with young children to aging-in-place homeowners, without compromising aesthetics or requiring specialised expertise.
Krystyna Threlfall, Marketing Manager for Blum UK, said: "Innovation that genuinely improves quality of living has always been at the heart of what Blum stands for. That's why we're delighted to continue our partnership with KBB Birmingham and The Innovation Awards - it's a natural alignment with our values. Through these live industry conversations, we want to move beyond product features and explore the bigger questions shaping our industry: what sustainable design really means, how we create kitchens that work for real people throughout their lives and how the entire supply chain needs to evolve to deliver more value. These are the conversations that drive meaningful innovation forward and we're pleased to create a space for the industry to explore them together."
Sponsoring 40 years of KBB and the Innovation Awards
Blum is also a proud headline sponsor of KBB’s 40th birthday alongside this year’s Innovation Awards. Celebrating the most groundbreaking products and ideas that push boundaries, redefining industry standards and championing sustainability in KBB, the awards recognise exceptional achievements and showcase the creativity driving the future of KBB innovation.
Blum UK’s Head of Sales, Toby Russell, will join the judging panel for the prestigious categories which include The Judges' Choice Award, The Sustainability Award and The People's Choice Award. Returning for its seventh edition, 10 finalists will be showcased at the event, giving visitors the chance to cast their vote in the People’s Choice category with the overall award winners announced at the show’s dedicated award ceremony.
From March 1st-4th at KBB Birmingham attendees can visit Blum at the KBB Innovation Awards stand. For more information on the brand and its products, please reach out to your Blum representative or visit: www.blum.com/gb/en/
