Recently voted as the Best Furniture Trade Show in the Big Furniture Group’s Biggies Awards, the Bed Show truly is regarded as the biggest and best event in the UK bed sector. The countdown is on until the organisers, the National Bed Federation (NBF) open the doors of the Telford International Centre for two days entirely dedicated to beds 26-27 September.

With more than 70 top industry brands gathering, the show celebrates the coming together of the very best in British and Irish bed manufacturing, their component suppliers and bed retailers from across the country. It is also an opportunity for visitors to network and speak face to face with an unrivalled number of experts in the field of beds.

This year, some of the biggest names in beds as well as smaller niche players will reveal the latest products and innovations to a captive market ready for the autumn buying season. For 2023, visitors can see the likes of Breasley, Deluxe Beds, Harrison Spinks, Highgrove Beds, Hypnos, Kaymed, Sealy, Silentnight and Vogue Beds – to name a few!

Setting the show apart from other furniture and bed exhibitions is the NBF’s stringent Code of Practice. Every approved NBF member manufacturer has undergone rigorous independent auditing to certify that they comply with UK regulations on safety, cleanliness of fillings and trade descriptions. Essentially, visiting retailers can be assured that the beds they buy will be everything they say they are.

Online retail visitor, Sharon Robson of MattressOnline, says: “The Bed Show is a real highlight in the calendar giving us the opportunity to touch base with our suppliers and peers and discover products and innovations that are new and upcoming to the industry. We look forward to the camaraderie and excitement of the annual event.”

Representing Glasswells, which clinched last year’s Large NBF Retail Champion of the Year and Outstanding Bed Store of the Year, Julie Valentine says: “The excellent selection of products on display at the Show provides a superb opportunity for us to plan our new ranges and there are always plenty of new innovations being launched to keep our Bed Department on top of current market trends.”

The Supplier Innovation Zone should be the first port of call for all purchasing managers of bed manufacturers and those that run their own mattress production units. The zone will host a selection of key component suppliers, including Apropa, Boyteks, Enkev, Handy Ltd, John Cotton Nonwovens, Legget and Platt, Spinks, The Vita Group, Wolf Components and many more.

Guest exhibitors include waste management provider’s Circom and Bye Bye Beds, mattress protection specialist’s Protect-A-Bed and Staingard, as well as retail software provider RetailSystem, bedding products supplier Sleepsense, bedroom furniture manufacturer Wiemann and recycling specialist, The Furniture Recycling Group.

Once again, visitors will receive complimentary refreshment vouchers to use at the many on-site cafes. There is plenty of free parking on site and entry to the Bed Show is free of charge too. Any visitors wishing to bring young children into the halls with them are encouraged to do so on the Wednesday 27 September. 

The trade’s glittering event of the year, the Bed Industry Awards and Gala Dinner, returns on the night of Tuesday, 26 September. The awards are a celebration of what is good about the UK and Ireland’s bed industry and provide a perfect opportunity for bed manufacturers, suppliers and retailers to highlight their achievements from the past year.

This year, there are five awards for NBF member manufacturers and component suppliers and five awards for retailers that predominantly stock NBF member brands. Entries are still open for members to enter the coveted Bed Product and Component Product of the Year categories, which will be judged in-person during set-up day on Monday 25 September.

Top comedian Maisie Adam will host the event, welcome and entertain the 500 guests, and present the awards, sponsored by The Vita Group. Despite only starting on the comedy circuit in 2016, Maisie’s anecdotal material and self-deprecating charm have quickly won her praise across the country.

The Yorkshire-born comedian recently appeared at the Royal Variety Performance and has just finished her ‘Buzzed’ tour which took her all around the UK and finished at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Australia.

Seven of the NBF’s manufacturer and supplier members are the official sponsors of this year’s Bed Show. Ahead of arrival, Bed Show organisers, the NBF, remind attendees to bring their e-ticket visitor badges, provided by manufacturer member Sleepeezee, before picking up a complimentary bag at the show entrance provided by Enkev Natural Fibres. During the show, component supplier Boyteks Tekstil will keep visitors and exhibitors connected throughout the event with free Wi-Fi.

Hypnos, Sealy UK and Silentnight have sponsored the five onsite cafes including: Cafe North, Cafe East, Cafe South, Cafe West and the Suppliers Innovation Zone café. The café sponsorship also includes complimentary refreshments vouchers for all visitors and exhibitors. 

Ahead of the annual gala dinner and NBF Bed Industry Awards ceremony on Tuesday evening, organisers invite guests to attend the drinks reception in the foyer provided by Hypnos. The awards ceremony will follow, made possible by the headline sponsor, The Vita Group.

The NBF also paid a special thank you to the following official Bed Show supporters: BekaertDeslee, GNG Group, John Cotton Nonwovens, Mammoth Sleep and Sweet Dreams. 

To register to attend the Bed Show and to find out more about the awards and book your gala dinner tickets, please visit www.bedshow.co.uk