There had been a certain convoluted build up to kbb Birmingham last week. The palaver surrounding a possible London show in 2009 had perhaps given exhibitors a slightly jaded feeling about the viability of a UK kitchen, bedroom and bathroom show.

And, of course, the truth was that since the last kbb Birmingham in 2008 the entire business world has changed and the radical downturn had taken the knees out from under this industry as it had with many others. So there was a lot of breath being bated when it came to considering a show in 2010. 

As it turns out it couldn't have been held at a better time - much to the relief of organiser UBM. 

The market is slowly returning to at least an upward trend and while I wouldn't say the mood at kbb was overwhelmingly euphoric it was very positive and there was very little out and out negativity or - and I haven't used this phrase in a while now - doom and gloom.

Exhibitors and visitors were there to do business, and anecdotally speaking both camps walked away satisfied. It wasn't a show for radical new products or innovative new business concepts - although there were some of each if you looked hard enough.No, it was a straightforward marketplace and attracting new business and reassuring existing customers was the order of the day.

What was interesting was the number of bathroom exhibitors who said they'd signed up plenty of kitchen retailers keen to diversify - and vice versa, though not to the same extent I felt, others may have come away with a different impression.

Visitors were clearly looking for new opportunities, and while that may not translate as radical new products, it did manifest itself as deals for new displays and new accounts and that, perhaps, is the real conclusion of kbb Birmingham 2010 - "leave the prototypes and wacky ideas to the European shows and give us stuff we can sell tomorrow, god knows we need it."