KBSA national chair Richard Hibbert reviews the 2024 KBB industry conference and shares the plans for making it even better next year.
This year's KBSA KBB industry conference was full of energy and there was a huge amount of positivity from everyone who attended. It has been a challenging year, but everyone brought so much optimism for the future – it was very inspiring.
Feedback has revealed that people not only enjoyed being at the conference, but they felt it was relevant and useful, prompting many to offer to be involved with the planning for next year.
Our aim has been to grow and improve the conference every year – we have achieved this but there are always ways to make it better.
Growth is high on the agenda for 2025. Our venue has been full for the last 2 years so we are considering making a change to allow us to extend the numbers, which would be a substantial increase. In recent years we have invited potential members along, and many of these go on to become members after attending. The conference provides a showcase for member benefits but also highlights the benefit of being part of something bigger, and what can be gained by sharing ideas and best practice.
Supporting members is at the heart of the KBSA ethos and the conference needs to reflect this in every way. We will keep the elements that have become core to the event such as the generous amount of time for networking and the Big Debate.
We take the feedback from attendees very seriously. The board is reviewing the feedback from 2024 and already making plans for next year. Ideas for improving the Big Debate include extending the topics outside of those covered during the conference and asking more in-depth questions. Engaging the audience in live debate is important and there is potential to develop this part of the day.
The KBSA designer awards dinner that follows the conference has been changing in recent years, as we respond to how guests want to relax at the end of the day. Recognising and rewarding talent is at the heart of the event but we have been trying different formats for music, entertainment and dancing. We have some new tweaks for next year based on feedback, so watch this space.
KBB retailers can often feel alone when running their business and it can be difficult to share experiences in a small family business. We want the KBB industry conference to be a highlight of the year. An opportunity to mix with peers, be inspired, entertained and return back to the business with knowledge to boost the business, as well as the warm glow of having had a great time.
