It's Show Time!

The Care Show, and its co-located partner the Retirement Living Show, are at the NEC on 11th & 12th September, with an enticing variety of exhibitors and a packed conference programme.

Being focused on the built environment we are obviously most interested in those exhibiting under the Design & Build banner which is attracting architects, developers, occupational therapists and engineers, but the show is of interest to anyone involved in residential or at-home care.

You can get up to date with new regulations and legislation, find new suppliers, learn from over 75 CPD-accredited conference sessions, network with colleagues, make new contacts

The show’s organisers, Closer Still Media, have done a great job!

“I am looking forward to seeing both suppliers to the sector and care professionals come together under one roof to network and share best practices,” said Matthew Moore, Closer Still Media’s Senior Sales Manager. “I am also looking forward to seeing the Thirty Under 30 awards taking place on the 11th of October within our Keynote Theatre to acknowledge the amazing future leaders of the Care Sector.’’

The Care Show Thirty Under 30 celebrates tomorrow’s leaders and their successes, together as a community. The Class of 2023 will gain recognition from their peers, receive official acknowledgement for their achievements so far and join a support network of like-minded individuals leading the sector to a brighter future.

The packed conference programme includes a raft of information for care home owners and managers; the use of technology, recruitment, marketing your business, the importance of gardens, enhancing your interior design, and embracing social media. In the Design, Build & Environments Theatre these two presentations caught our eye.

On Wednesday at 2.25pm, ’Designing for better living, wellbeing, health and happiness: supported by scientific research and evidence using the global WELL building standard – An architect's approach’ features Minal Parmar, Director/Architect and Mitesh Parmar, Director/Visionary, both of Wellspace Architects.

“We are keen to see what’s new and existing in the sector,” said Minal. “As an innovative collaborative architect practice it's also good to meet future partners we can work with and see how we can be creative working together. Being all under one roof makes it easier to see all the exciting new products and services on offer.Saves a lot of time too!

“Our talk at the show will be around the WELL Building Standard and how its collaborative evidence-backed design approach is being used in over 44,000 locations, in over 100 countries and the impact building design can have on residents and carers' physical and mental wellbeing, from increased productivity, improved staff retention and better quality of care to ROI benefits, increased value and more.

“Having multi-sector experience that we can bring into the care sector along with our focus on wellbeing and sustainable design approach should be an eye opener for many.”

‘Designing for dementia: Creating empowering and supportive living spaces – In partnership with The Care Homes Interior Company’ is at 3.05pm on Wednesday. Speakers include Mike Davies, Managing Director, Catalyst Interiors, and Rebecca Ruscoe, Senior Project Coordinator, Boutique Care Homes.

The presentation describes how thoughtful design transforms the lives of people with dementia, and teaches innovative strategies for creating empowering living spaces that prioritise their unique needs, dignity, and well-being.

“The Care Show gathers professionals and stakeholders from all over the country and even internationally,” said Mike. “It's a fantastic opportunity to meet peers, potential clients, and partners.

“I am very passionate about my profession and the wider care industry. Being a panellist offers me a platform to share my insights, experiences, and best practices. Apart from sharing my own knowledge, I get to learn from others. The questions raised, the discussions initiated, and other panellists' perspectives often provide me with new insights and understanding.”

“Being on a panel gives you the chance to shape the narrative and direction of the industry, even if it's just by a little bit. Shared opinions and insights can inspire change or new ways of thinking.

“Apart from my panel participation, the Care Show itself offers multiple exhibits, presentations, and workshops that I find engaging and educational.”

Rebecca explained that she was most excited about connecting with fellow professionals and sharing insights on dementia design at The Care Show.

“It's a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from others, and collectively work towards enhancing the quality of care and living environments for individuals with dementia,” she told us. “In our panel session we'll explore how purposeful design can truly transform the lives of individuals living with dementia.

“Our focus will be on innovative strategies that prioritise their unique needs, dignity, and overall well-being. Throughout the panellists which I am honoured to chair, will provide practical insights into the creation of dementia-friendly living spaces and we'll delve into the principles that underlie empowering designs. By the end of our session, attendees will have a deeper understanding of how purposeful design can have a profoundly positive impact on their lives.

The show has over 200 exhibitors who are getting ready to meet a raft of new clients!

“I first exhibited at the Care Show in 2022, I enjoyed it so much that I'm returning for 2023,” said Annette Taylor-Anderson, the Creative Director/Designer at ATADesigns. “The organisers do a great job, the show has a lovely atmosphere, and it has the right target audience for my business.

“I'm looking forward to networking with fellow exhibitors and meeting old and new visitors. There's a great vibe at the show; it's busy with a buzz.”

At the show, Annette will be offering her design services.

“I design bespoke wallcoverings and murals for interiors such as care homes, healthcare, hospitality, and commercial market,” she explained. “I work in conjunction with my printers Wallsmiths, offering a bespoke print and service.”

Melissa Magee is a Company Director and Architect at Carless + Adams.

“Carless + Adams understand that the provision of high-quality care has never mattered more as the UK’s ageing population grows,” she told us. “Our focus is on the creation of the highest quality supported living and care accommodation in the UK. The dedication to designing successful projects that promote independence whilst empowering the residents enables Carless + Adams to create facilities we would all choose to live in.”

Carless + Adams is exhibiting on stand A59 where they will be sharing their passion for design and architecture, and how this positively impacts residents and care givers.

“Attending The Care Show will give us the opportunity to share our ambition by presenting in the Design, Build and Environments theatre, exhibiting to show and discuss architectural designs plus utilising time at the show to meet with industry experts and aid our continuous learning on new and evolving products and services in the industry,” added Melissa.

AKW works closely with OTs and healthcare professionals, designing and manufacturing accessible kitchens and bathrooms.

“We are looking forward to exhibiting at the Care Show for the first time since 2014,” said Stuart Reynolds, their UK Marketing & Product Management Director. “As a leading provider of bathroom accessibility solutions, we have a wide range of products suitable for the care market and are excited to demonstrate these to care providers face-to-face. The show is a great opportunity for us to talk to key decision makers from many different care homes and discuss how we can help meet their bathroom requirements.

“As well as making a significant impact on the quality of life of those receiving care, our inclusive bathroom products have been designed to make life easier for carers too. For example, amongst the products we are exhibiting at the show will be our easy to use and control care mixer showers, our low maintenance bathroom wall panels, and our wide range of grab rails and level access showering solutions for assisted and non-assisted use.”

2023 will be the first time Utopi have been at the Care Show, and their Chief Growth Officer & Co-Founder Ben Roberts is thrilled to be exhibiting at their first event showcasing their specialist ESG technology platform for multi-tenant real estate (for measuring environmental, social, and governance values) to care homes and retirement living businesses.

“The Health and Social Care sector is a new asset class for our ESG technology, and we’re looking forward to making new contacts,” he said. “We will be showcasing the full Utopi suite of award-winning solutions, our smart devices like our Utopi Multisensor, our Utopi Platform where the ESG data comes alive, and our Resident Application. We’re on a mission to decarbonise the real estate sector!”

NPG Fire Safety Ltd are looking forward to raising awareness with care providers on training courses they offer.

“Particularly the Progressive Horizontal Evacuation (PHE) training we deliver in residential care homes,” explained Niall Patrick Graham, Director & Fire Safety Consultant. “We find that many care providers do not fully understand their evacuation strategy and have not demonstrated that their staffing levels are suitable to evacuate their largest or most difficult bedroom compartment within a suitable timeframe.

“The government issued fire safety guide – Residential Care – states that during normal operating hours staff should be able to evacuate any one compartment in 2.5 minutes, this could be up to ten bedrooms! Without prior training, how can you confidentially state the evacuation times you will achieve?”

NPG Fire Safety offers its clients an end-to-end service through their team of competent fire risk assessors, trainers, and fire and security engineers.

We’ve only had space here to talk to a tiny handful of the speakers and exhibitors, but over the two days we are planning on getting to know a lot more of them

So, are you ready for the show now? Wear comfy shoes and take a big bag to carry all the information you’re invariably going to collect. See you there!