BK EXPO 2007

Bathroom & Kitchen Expo Looks To The Future With Confidence

The latest Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO has enjoyed a successful show at London ExCeL with a record number of exhibitors unveiling a diverse range of bathroom and kitchen products under the show's primary themes of water sustainability, energy efficiency and the 2012 Olympic Games. The show organiser has announced pre-audited attendance figures of 8,644.

'We, along with many of our exhibitors and visitors were delighted with Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2007" said Show Manager, Graham Martin. 'Exhibitors pulled out all the stops with some terrific stands and imaginative displays to showcase the latest products, designs and solutions for the industry. They were rewarded with solid, high quality visitor numbers on all three days of the event'.

Martin added, 'The seminar and workshop programmes were well supported too, with standing room only for many of the sessions, including that for Ben de Lisi's 'trends' interview with Grahame Morrison, the Contributing Editor of KBB Space. As an established event in the industry calendar, we're all looking forward to Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2009.'

Over 170 exhibiting companies used Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2007 to unveil a diverse range of bathroom and kitchen products and service innovations. Feedback from exhibitors was extremely positive, with many confirming orders had been taken during the event.

First Time at Expo for Mereway Bathrooms

Mereway Bathrooms exhibited for the first time at Bathroom & Kitchen Expo this year, presenting a variety of products launched earlier this spring. On show were the new ceramic and brassware to support the company’s successful fitted furniture range, along with a new freestanding furniture collection.

The show proved to be a worthwhile venture for Mereway Bathrooms, with a steady flow of interested visitors on the stand over the three days. The newer products recently launched were very well received, producing a significant amount of leads to follow up in the coming weeks.

The new ranges of products shown were introduced in response to the market shift towards contemporary styles in darker wood finishes. A slab door in a Walnut finish being introduced into the Java core fitted furniture range, with a matching laminate worktop in Walnut and a further solid surface worktop in Slate Grey, are all new additions to the range that specifically focus on this new style.

New ceramicware on display included a Levanto semi countertop basin, available in both 45cm and 55 cm sizes, along with a white ceramic vessel style basins in round, square and rectangular shapes designed for their new Synergy freestanding range. A universal back to wall pan is also available to complement.

Mereway Bathrooms' newly launched Synergy collection, a new range of freestanding furniture that unites cabinet; basin and brassware were mounted on the main wall section in prime view. Available in 3 unit styles, Synergy offers a choice of single door or 2 drawer configurations in 3 modern woodgrain finishes, with a range of contemporary chrome handles.

Synergy also offers a range of optional accessories such as matching back panels, mirrors and lighting create a very sleek European look that requires no planning and above all is easy to install.

In addition, Mereway Bathrooms also presented two new brassware ranges - Katana and Tanto. These provide a choice of contemporary or traditional styling, and include options for basin and bath which work at all pressures. Additional supporting accessories on display included a matching soap dish and tumbler in chrome.

‘This was the first time Mereway Bathrooms has exhibited at Bathrooms & Kitchens Expo, and having such a fantastic range of products available to show proved an enormous success’, says Tim Wood, Sales & Marketing Manager. ‘We included examples of the new range additions on the stand in order to demonstrate the wide choice of bathroom products that are now available, and also allowed customers to feel their quality first hand.’

To view any of these new products or for your own copy of the full colour brochure please visit http://www.merewaybathrooms.co.uk.

Success For Lathams at Bathroom & Kitchen Expo

UK timber and panel products distributor, James Latham, has reported great success at this year's Bathroom & Kitchen Expo.

The exhibition, held at Excel in London, brought together architects, designers and property developers and many others in the industry, to visit suppliers to the bathroom and kitchen sectors.

Lathams was exhibiting LG HI-MACS® and Bausen hardwood flooring at the Expo and the stand, manned by LG product manager Steve Robinson and flooring manager Richard Pickles, generated nearly 200 enquiries from visitors.

At the exhibition, all eight LG HI-MACS® vanity basin designs were on display, which are available in up to 60 colours, as well as the ten sink designs, which are available in 74 colours. There were also examples of thermoforming, translucency and sublimation of LG-HI-MACS®, which highlighted the versatility of this product.

The flooring element of the stand consisted of 22mm Birch core engineered flooring, which is particularly suitable for the underfloor heating applications that are popular in the sector, as well as the new range of solid Oaks, including Bausen textured Oak and Bausen antique hand scraped Oak.

Steve commented: ‘We found that the brands worked well together on the stand as visitors enquiring about one product would then look at the other. The floor attracted a lot of attention, as did the seamless join between the LG HI-MACS worktop and the sinks and bowls. Exhibitions like this are a great way to reach different target groups, and we definitely raised the awareness of the products within this sector.’

For further information about either of these products, visit http://www.lathamtimber.co.uk, or contact the James Latham marketing department on 0116 257 3415 or email marketing@lathams.co.uk.

Aqualux Celebrates Success in a 100 Different Ways

Aqualux has smashed all predicted sales forecasts for the Bathroom and Kitchen Expo as it celebrates its most successful exhibition to date.

The UK's leading manufacturer of bath screens and shower enclosures welcomed hundreds of visitors onto its stand to 'see the bigger picture' as it launched over 100 completely new products which included four exclusive new collections.

The Aqualux stand was packed out during the four-day event as show-goers took the opportunity to be one of the first to see the West-Midlands-based company's breath-taking 'Aquaspace' range which features several UK first shower enclosure designs including the unique Walk-around and Corner Walk-through.

Aqualux's impressive stand also showcased its new 'Pura' collection a premium range of frameless enclosures available in larger sizes up to 1000mm and featuring unique, elegant long bar style handles, chrome polished fittings and matching integral towel rail.

If two new collections weren't enough, Aqualux launched a third range called 'Aquanos' which boasts an enclosure for every size bathroom and budget and two further steam cabins called Crysta and Florenta.
Commenting on the record sales figures, marketing manager Sandra Hyde said: 'We knew we'd cause quite a stir when we officially unveiled our new products, but the level of interest we generated was something we couldn't have predicted - it's been unbelievable.

http://www.aqualux.co.uk

Roman Reports Show-stopping Success at Expo

Market leading UK shower manufacture, Roman Ltd, has reported they had an extremely successful show at this year’s B & K Expo. Roman had much to see on their stand, including product launches and sneak previews of soon-to-be launched products.

Expo 2007 saw the official launch of Roman’s brand new Freedom Range of shower enclosures. All enclosures in the new Freedom range offer minimal bright silver framing with clear glass. The key feature for these uniquely shaped products is the option of integrated water delivery, where the valve is incorporated into the enclosure so it all becomes one complete unit.

The range received a great deal of positive feedback, with the Freedom Slide being the talking point of the collection. Freedom Slide is a new and innovative take on the bath replacement enclosure and is ideal for those nervous of door-less showering as it comes complete with a sliding door. This creates a capsule style entrance and an integrated dry, drying area.

Alongside the launch of the Freedom Range, Roman also showcased a number of prototype products. These included new enclosures for the top-end Roman Sculptures collection. On show were enclosures with integrated water delivery. These are in bolt-through options, which allow the valve to be operated from inside and outside of the enclosure, and also in over-head solutions where the water delivery is integrated into the bracing. Also previewed was a stunning new walk-in option offering a giant 1200mm x 1000mm showering area, whilst only using 700 x 1700mm of wall space.

Another talking point was Roman’s optic lit low-level tray. Roman has incorporated optic lighting into their standard low-level trays. They are ideal for creating a relaxing ambience for that longer more calming shower. Roman are looking to launch this technology shortly.

Other prototype products on display included Roman’s wetroom tanking kit, Roman Shield. This contains everything you would need to tank a 10 metre2 room all in one box. Alongside this, Roman Wall was also previewed; this is panels of decorative solid surface walling which removes the need to tile. A variety of coloured granite finishes were showcased – along with white.

Roman’s Managing Director, David Osborne commented; “This years B & K Expo was a really important one for us. We have so many new products launching and set to launch, the show was the ideal opportunity to showcase the products and to gain valuable feedback. In fact we had so many new products to showcase, that nearly all products on the stand were less than a year old, with only 5 out of 28 products having been available for over a year.

'We certainly found that the stand was extremely busy and gained valuable feedback from all our visitors. We are now very excited about launching the prototype products to market, and from the feedback gained we know our customers are also looking forward to their launch.'

Tel: 0845 0522 445
E-mail: brochures@roman-showers.com
Web: www.roman-showers.com.

First Time at Expo for Mereway Bathrooms

Mereway Bathrooms exhibited for the first time at Bathroom & Kitchen Expo this year, presenting a variety of products launched earlier this spring. On show were the new ceramic and brassware to support the company’s successful fitted furniture range, along with a new freestanding furniture collection.

The show proved to be a worthwhile venture for Mereway Bathrooms, with a steady flow of interested visitors on the stand over the three days. The newer products recently launched were very well received, producing a significant amount of leads to follow up in the coming weeks.

The new ranges of products shown were introduced in response to the market shift towards contemporary styles in darker wood finishes. A slab door in a Walnut finish being introduced into the Java core fitted furniture range, with a matching laminate worktop in Walnut and a further solid surface worktop in Slate Grey, are all new additions to the range that specifically focus on this new style.

New ceramicware on display included a Levanto semi countertop basin, available in both 45cm and 55 cm sizes, along with a white ceramic vessel style basins in round, square and rectangular shapes designed for their new Synergy freestanding range. A universal back to wall pan is also available to complement.

Mereway Bathrooms’ newly launched Synergy collection, a new range of freestanding furniture that unites cabinet; basin and brassware were mounted on the main wall section in prime view. Available in 3 unit styles, Synergy offers a choice of single door or 2 drawer configurations in 3 modern woodgrain finishes, with a range of contemporary chrome handles.

Synergy also offers a range of optional accessories such as matching back panels, mirrors and lighting create a very sleek European look that requires no planning and above all is easy to install.

In addition, Mereway Bathrooms also presented two new brassware ranges - Katana and Tanto. These provide a choice of contemporary or traditional styling, and include options for basin and bath which work at all pressures. Additional supporting accessories on display included a matching soap dish and tumbler in chrome.

‘This was the first time Mereway Bathrooms have exhibited at Bathrooms & Kitchens Expo, and having such a fantastic range of products available to show proved an enormous success’, says Tim Wood, Sales & Marketing Manager. ‘We included examples of the new range additions on the stand in order to demonstrate the wide choice of bathroom products that are now available, and also allowed customers to feel their quality first hand.’

To view any of these new products or for your own copy of the full colour brochure please visit http://www.merewaybathrooms.co.uk.

Victoria & Albert Celebrates 10th Anniversary at EXPO 2007

British freestanding bath specialist Victoria & Albert invited visitors to Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO 2007 to help the company mark its tenth anniversary at Stand D30. Celebrating over a decade of freestanding bath development, the stand featured key models from the design-led range, all crafted from 100% QUARRYCAST®, the unique mixture of volcanic limestone and resin which is exclusive to Victoria & Albert.

Maintaining a dynamic edge to the company’s offering through the development of new models, the centerpiece bath for EXPO 2007 was the new 1,900mm long Napoli. Featuring soft organic curves cast as a solid single piece, this bold egg shaped bath has proved an instant success for Victoria & Albert, with distributors and dealers quick to recognise a winning design. Complementing the Napoli's sleek rimless design, the Lido optional freestanding tap stand provides a neat location to install brassware.

Another six models were also on display at Stand D30. These included the Freedom Collection; models that offer all the features of a high-end deep, double-ended bath in a package that is small enough to fit virtually anywhere.

Nick Portlock, Victoria & Albert Group Sales & Marketing Director says, ‘We enjoyed showing off our latest models at EXPO. It's also good to reflect on the journey we've made in terms of design, and taking a moment to look back over the last decade, The Napoli is clearly our best bath to date.’

Tel: 01952 221100 / http://www.vandabaths.com for more information on the freestanding range.

BMA Reports Fantastic B+K Expo

This year's Bathroom & Kitchen Expo held at ExCel in London between 13th and 15th May was a huge success for the Bathroom Manufacturers Association (BMA).

With an array of new initiatives, the BMA stand attracted a lot of attention from manufacturers, retailers, architects, designers and house builders who were looking for more information about the Bathroom Academy and the Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme. In fact, the BMA stand was so popular that the Secretariat team says it needs more space in the future!

Visitors to the stand were very keen to learn how their businesses could benefit from the Bathroom Academy - which is now completely virtual with a new website at http://www.bathroom-academy.co.uk - and most agreed that the course material and Certification Programme will be a valuable tool for their staff, particularly retailers and installers.

Many companies wanted to know how they will be affected by the Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme and were able to learn why and how the Scheme has been developed and what it could mean for them.

A most fantastic achievement from B&K Expo for the BMA was the record number of potential membership enquiries from manufacturers of bathroom products who trade in the UK, which reached seven, more than recorded from any other Industry exhibition.

The workshops and seminars hosted by the BMA were also very popular and well attended with more than 60 visitors attending the wetrooms seminar and 20 visitors each for the Inclusive Design, Training and Water Efficiency workshops. Each of the Q&A sessions were lively and stimulating, confirming that attendees found the seminar and workshops valuable and interesting.

Yvonne Orgill Chief Executive of the BMA comments: ‘Despite returning home exhausted, we had a wonderful show and were able to share our information and services with lots of new people.

‘I would personally like to thank everyone who came onto our stand for their interest. You worked us damn hard, but it was great! Thank you.’

For further information about the BMA please email karen.myles@bathroom-association.org.uk or telephone 01782 747123

Matki Unveils Largest Ever Collection

Matki Showering has revealed its largest ever line-up of shower enclosures, walk-in's, brassware and technically advanced shower mixers at Bathroom and Kitchen Expo 2007 (13th - 15th May).

The centrepiece of the show was the new Freestanding Walk-In Shower with Two-Way Shower Control - the ultimate in luxury bathroom design. Available in square, corner and recess variants, the freestanding walk-in features exterior on/off controls eliminating the need to step inside the shower plus a thermostatic mixer and diverter allowing for extremely precise temperature control.

Other highlights include the sleek and minimalist Matki Elixir Shower Column which comes complete with diverter, simply-designed hand shower, and a 180mm Easy Clean deluge shower head.

New shower doors in the Classica, Radiance and Illusion collections were launched at the show. Both Radiance and Classica models feature smooth running roller technology allowing for auto assisted soft closure of the sliding door. All Matki shower doors and enclosures are designed for easy use and trouble free installation with push fit glass panels.

Six new contemporary designs of Concealed Thermostatic Basin, Bidet and Bath wall mixers were launched by Matki and Swadling Brassware (a Matki Company). For the first time, Matki customers will be able to match shower mixers with their basin, bath and bidet brassware.

‘Matki Showering continues to create the ultimate showering experience, combining invigorating design with uncompromising construction,’ says the company. ‘Long term durability, effortless operations, effective water seals and easy access for cleaning are just some of the characteristics that make Matki Showering's superior water features the ultimate choice for any bathroom.’

Stockist Information: tel: 01454 322888
Web: http://www.matki.co.uk

Success for Showerlux at BK Expo 2007

The new bespoke Designa range from Showerlux was launched to widespread acclaim at the recent Bathroom & Kitchen Expo 2007 at the Excel Centre in London.

Bob Bowler, managing director of Showerlux, comments:

'This year’s Expo event gave us with the perfect opportunity to showcase Designa and give the trade and industry its first chance to see the range up close.

'As a result, we’ve had some fantastic feedback and a significant number of orders have already been placed, with more expected. We’re very pleased that Designa has proved such a big hit.'

The Showerlux stand featured an exclusive first look at Designa which combines the minimalism of completely frameless panels, crystal clear glass and contemporary chrome fittings, with the UV bonding process, Ultrabond.

Visitors to the stand were able to see just six of the hundreds of options Designa offers consumers, as well as the new infinity bath and steam room which forms part of the range.

For further information on the Showerlux Designa range or your free copy of the Showerlux brochure please call sales on 02476-882-515 or visit http://www.showerlux.uk.com

The Future is Orange at William Ball

'Everyone was talking about the burst of colour that made William Ball's stand at Expo stand out from the crowds this year,’ the company reports.

Pictured is just one of the nine shiny gloss finishes available from the company's super colourful new Variocolore range. Called Arancia, this orange high gloss finish provided dramatic contrast against another first for the show - the company's Morone dark timber finish, which is a high grade 3mm PVC edged door made in the UK factory. Completed with colour-matched appliances from Baumatic's Dance Partners Collection, the stand embraced a whole-hearted return to colour in the kitchen and earned an endless stream of visitors throughout this three-day event.

Web: http://www.wball.co.uk

Geberit's Wall-Hung System Is A Hit

Geberit, the supplier of sanitary, supply and drainage systems, enjoyed success with its wall-hung sanitaryware at this year's BK EXPO. Geberit's Duofix system is a durable metal frame which is concealed behind walls and tiles and supports wall-hung sanitaryware. It is ideal for transforming bathrooms, either modernising an existing bathroom or creating a feature bathroom as part of a new building project.

Visitors to the Geberit stand at the show saw how wall-hung toilets give a feeling of additional space in bathrooms and live demonstrations also showed how Duofix can be simply and easily installed and serviced.

A new trend that is taking the UK market by storm, wall-hung offers a sleek modern look where all unsightly pipework is hidden. Popular amongst designers, wall-hung sanitaryware can already be found in many new leisure establishments including hotels, bars and restaurants, and is becoming a standard product in domestic bathrooms.

Key to a good wall-hung bathroom is a sturdy and reliable frame system such as Geberit Duofix. Frames are bolted to the floor and placed within the walls. Duofix also comes complete with all essential pipework and integral sound insulated cistern. Access to the inside of the cistern is through the flush plate, the only visible aspect of the wall-hung system.

Geberit Duofix frames are available in three different heights for wall-hung WCs, bidets, washbasins and urinals. The frame system can be used in the tightest of spaces, allowing designers to create stunning new bathrooms without the expensive structural work.Simon Spridgeon, Head of Product Management for Geberit, said: 'We had a great response to our Duofix system at the show. Visitors could see that a clean and modern finish can be achieved with no visible pipework. Suitable for both domestic and commercial use, Geberit Duofix is the backbone to Geberit's bathroom system.'
Geberit's full range of flush plates were also on show at the company's exhibition stand.

Available in different styles, flush formats, colours and finishes, the flush plate display included the new Kappa50 dual flush plate. Manufactured from high quality zinc with sleek straight lines and a gloss chrome finish, the new Kappa50 is perfect for any modern bathroom.

Live demonstrations of Geberit's new wall-hung shower toilet were the highlight of this year's B&K Expo. Exclusively designed for the luxury market, the Balena 8000 is a revolutionary shower toilet that will transform the bathroom experience.

Functioning as a WC and bidet in one, the Balena 8000 offers users complete confidence in cleanliness and personal hygiene. A whole host of benefits such as an air purification system are included alongside the warm, gentle shower spray and dry air function.

Other products exhibited at the Geberit stand were a series of new infra-red taps, and traps for basins, baths and shower trays. A concealed cistern for floor standing WCs in low height furniture was also on display.

For further information about Geberit products, visit www.geberit.co.uk or call 01622 717 811.

RAK Ceramics Achieves 0 to 157 in Three Days

RAK Ceramics UK has announced that the company is delighted with the results from this year's Bathroom & Kitchen EXPO. The bathroom brand signed up over 157 Trilogy dealers over the three day duration of the show. These dealers will now be receiving exclusive Trilogy point of sale material and a special marketing support pack to help launch the brand to consumers.

RAK Ceramics also enjoyed considerable success with new products launched for the established RAK Ceramics channel, receiving a whopping 580 general enquiries for the company’s ranges of sanitaryware, tiles, furniture, fireclay sinks, bespoke porcelain and accessories. Many dealers took the opportunity of becoming early adopters of the new 650mm-wide Chameleon basin, RAK Cabinets, the Capricorn tile range and exciting new Charlton suite WC options. However the real star of the show, measured by orders taken, was the new 'Mini Nova' basin & cabinet - at a diminutive 320mm wide, clearly a case of less is more.

Standing at the entrance to F21 at the close of the show, Rob Jull, RAK Ceramics UK Managing Director said, ‘Our 300 sq mt double-decker stand has formed the perfect base to do business. I was delighted by the positive feedback from dealers new and old to all our product launches. As the basis for the next wave of success for RAK Ceramics' dealers, distributors and specifiers alike, we're now strongly positioned to continue gaining market share.’

Contact RAK Ceramics on 01730 815 507 or visit http://www.rakceramics.co.uk for more information about Trilogy and the complete range of RAK Ceramics products.