Kbb Birmingham, the UK’s largest dedicated kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms exhibition, has concluded its 40th anniversary edition. Held at the NEC from 1st–4th March, the show welcomed close to 16,000 visitors, including retailers, designers, developers and installers, who explored offerings from 320 exhibitors spanning 26 categories across the show floor. Over the four days, the event brought the KBB community together for high‑impact networking, the latest product launches and impressive award wins.
“What an incredible celebration of our industry this special, 40th edition has been," says Jon Johnston, kbb Birmingham Sales Director. "A huge thank you to all our colleagues in the KBB community, whose support made this year's event such an outstanding success. We were delighted to have welcomed such a strong mix of returning exhibitors, new brands making their debuts, together with a diverse international representation from over 20 countries, all showcasing the very best in KBB design and innovation.”
Show-stopping exhibitor stands
Starting the show on a high, the kbb Birmingham 2026 Stand Award Winners were announced at the conclusion of Day 1. A panel of industry experts explored the show floor to discover stands that used innovative materials and made clever use of their space, to create an enticing stand that had the wow-factor. The 2026 winners are:
- Best Kitchen over 30sqm – Rotpunkt
- Best Kitchen under 30sqm – Daniel George Kitchens
- Best Bathroom stand over 30sqm – Ca’Pietra
- Best Bathroom stand under 30sqm – Bonavit
Innovation Awards
On the final day of the show (6th March) the much-anticipated winners of the 2026 Innovation Awards, in partnership with Blum, were revealed. The award scheme recognises the most forward-thinking and technically advanced products that can make a real difference within the KBB sector.
Each of the 10 shortlisted finalists were displayed in the Innovation Showcase, where visitors could view the innovations first hand, speak to the people behind them and hear from industry leaders in a specially curated programme of talks on some of the biggest topics currently inspiring conversations.
Receiving the highest number of votes during the show, the People’s Choice Award winner was Sensio Lighting’s Affinity Magnetic Track Lighting System. The flush-fit, cable-free magnetic track for customisable under-counter or furniture lighting, was a big hit with visitors, as it allows magnetic spotlights and LED strips to be stuck easily, moved and is powered by a single cable.
The Judge’s Choice was awarded to Flova UK, for its DripFree® Rainshower, which uses pioneering technology to draw residual water back into the shower head immediately after switch-off, eliminating drips, preventing stagnant water in nozzles and dramatically reducing limescale buildup.
The Sustainability Award winner was Finsa with its Fimapan Bio BDecor, a biobased, wood particle board for the furniture industry. It is manufactured with adhesives of biological origin obtained from tree bark, a paraffin of vegetable origin and thermos-fused decorative options impregnated with bio-resins.
A milestone marked
To mark the four-decade milestone, 40 rubber ducks were hidden across the show floor throughout the event, with visitors invited to find one to claim one of forty impressive prizes from the likes of Ca’Pietra, Smeg, Bidbury & Co, Rangemaster, Abode and more.
Sam Fisher, kbb Birmingham Event Director, presented the inaugural Andy Bishop Award to Andy posthumously on the first day of the show. In a moving speech, Sam spoke about the impact of Andy’s contributions not only to the show, but to the industry during his career, and the qualities that made him such a much-loved and respected member of the KBB community.
“I’m so proud to be celebrating four decades of kbb Birmingham as the industry’s meeting place for KBB professionals. It is truly inspiring to see our entire community come together at the show, connecting, collaborating, and forging new relationships that drive progress across the sector. The stands reflected the creativity and dedication of our exhibitors and partners, contributing to an atmosphere full of energy across all four days, where face-to-face networking, meaningful conversations, and lasting partnerships flourished. kbb Birmingham continues to shape the industry. We look forward to building on this proud legacy and welcoming everyone back for the 2028 edition!” said Sam Fisher, Event Director of kbb Birmingham.
kbb Birmingham will return to the NEC from 5th to 8th March 2028.
