I'm sure the nerves set in for most of us in the KBB industry at this time every other year in the lead up to KBB Birmingham... I always feel sorry for those whose job it is to load and unload all the products - many of which are cumbersome and heavy, as well as anyone involved in building or breaking down a stand. I've never had to get involved in that side of things myself, although I have organised shows and conferences (albeit smaller than this one) and found the whole operation to be very stressful indeed - even when things run perfectly smoothly!

This year we have severe flooding, snow, ice and high winds to contend with - not to mention the Coronavirus which has some of us in meltdown while others don't seem that troubled by it. Will these issues put people off attending KBB, or perhaps make it impossible to do so?

I certainly hope not... and I say this not because of the hard effort everyone puts into having everything ready in time for the opening, but because it's always such a brilliant event with so much to see and learn about. It would be a real shame for anyone to miss it as the next one's two years away.

The event organisers are continuing to closely monitor the developments regarding Coronavirus, through the advice of public health authorities. They assure us that the health & safety of all visitors, customers and colleagues is always their top priority.

KBB Birmingham enjoys the support of many international brands of which the vast majority come from across Europe. "For those few companies based in China, we are working with them to close their physical stand and instead create an exclusively online digital pavilion," say the organisers. "This is due to the travel restrictions currently in place, brought about by COVID-19.

"Our attendees and exhibitors can all be reassured the rest of KBB Birmingham is going ahead as planned. Registrations for the show are tracking significantly ahead year on year with the highest recorded registrations received this week, and it's entirely business as usual for this amazing event."

KBB Birmingham connects the world's leading brands with 15,000 retail, design and development buyers, creating an unrivalled environment for sourcing and networking.

I, too, hope to see you there!

Yours,

Jan Hobbs