This is just what we need, isn't it? A country blanketed in snow, warnings of black ice everywhere, abandoned vehicles all over the place, trains welded to frozen tracks and no signs of improvement... All just a day or two before many of us plan to head to the NEC Birmingham for the start of the UK's biggest showcase for our sector - KBB 2018, which opens at 09:30 on Sunday!

I'm one of the lucky ones who can swan up and enjoy the show once all the hard work's been done... Yes, it's tough on the feet, covering what seems like endless miles to get around all the stands, but that's nothing compared to the efforts that have gone into building the stands and ensuring the exhibits are in place. Those involved deserve a pat on the back this year since the logistics involved will have been so much more complicated because of the weather. I can imagine the exhaustion felt at the end of each day under normal circumstances, but when that's added to, perhaps, being told that the stand's centerpiece is in an overturned lorry on the motorway and having to make last minute changes to plug the gap, or being stuck for hours a freezing vehicle, unable to make it back to the hotel for a much-needed hot shower, it must be soul destroying!

This weather causes enormous headaches for our industry, doesn't it, with customers waiting excitedly at home for deliveries and getting nasty when things have been delayed - as if they could do any better! Sometimes deliveries will arrive on time but the fitters are stranded somewhere or have been called out to an emergency.

In cases like this, communication is key. It's so easy to email and apologise for the delay, or 'phone and discuss a new estimated time/date - I don't know why more companies don't take the trouble. Although this week you're less likely to be accused of forcing someone to take an unnecessary day off work, timely communication breeds goodwill, instills trust and encourages repeat business.

If you're coming to the show, do drive safely (did you see the M62 pile-up video? It's worth a look as it explains so much more than any expert will about clever behavior in bad conditions or following an accident)! Having had my appetite whetted by the fabulous images and descriptions in the press releases I've been sent, I'm looking forward to seeing it all in reality and I'm hoping to see you there too!

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Yours,

Jan Hobbs