The Kitchen Bathroom Buying Group (KBBG) said it “hosted its greatest Annual Members’ Meeting to date” on Monday 12th June 2023, in celebration of the buying group’s 10-year anniversary.
The event, which was sponsored by kitchen, bedroom and bathroom furniture manufacturer, JJO Plc, took place at the prestigious Silverstone Wing Building; the home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix in Northamptonshire. The venue offered space for a record-breaking attendance, as well as room to host the event’s largest ever ‘Suppliers’ Display Area’, the KBBG said. While guests could also enjoy fantastic views of the Silverstone Circuit, overlooking the famous start/finish line.
KBBG managing director, Bill Miller commented: “As 2023 marks 10 years since we launched the KBBG in the UK, we wanted this year’s Annual Members’ Meeting to be a true reflection on how far we have come as a group. The event was an opportunity for our members to meet with suppliers and benefit from exclusive offers, as well as to network with other members and celebrate our milestone. The Silverstone Wing provided us with the space to create an exhibition area, allowing our suppliers to highlight and showcase their products.”
The Annual Members’ Meeting also provided KBBG members with updates, insights and key takeaways for their businesses with respective presentations throughout the day. The conference began with a reflection, by Bill Miller, on the past 10 years and information on the KBBG’s latest initiatives. The audience was then addressed by Ralph Leimbach, Der Kreis, Systemverbund Holding (Germany), followed by a presentation from event sponsor, Jon Thelwell, JJO Plc.
The Bank of England’s Graeme Chaplin delivered a keynote speech, with an update on the country’s economic outlook, which sparked a lively Q&A session with the audience, KBBG said. Furthermore, Andrew Davies, Taylist Media, engaged the audience with interesting trends and encouraged them to think about the all-important topic of sustainability.
“Our speakers certainly provided food for thought for our independent kitchen and bathroom specialist members. The ever-changing economy is something that is always on the mind of anyone running a business, and Graeme Chaplin provided a plethora of facts and figures for our members to contemplate and absorb,” said Mr Miller.
“Andrew Davies is well-known in the KBB industry through his entertaining and informative podcasts, and he delivered a thought-provoking presentation for the audience,” he added.
The conference ended with a final word from Bill Miller, inviting guests to visit the Silverstone Museum, which truly made the day one to remember.
He concluded: “It’s hard to believe it has been 10 years since we brought the Der Kreis buying group to the UK as the KBBG. We enjoyed bringing our members together to mark the occasion and would like to thank our event sponsor, JJO Plc, our exhibiting suppliers, our speakers and the staff at Silverstone for such an outstanding day.”
