Manchester Furniture Show 2026 Exhibitor List

Bilen Zeremariam is a respected design leader within the luxury interior design industry. With 18 years of experience leading high-end projects and guiding design teams across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. She has served in senior leadership roles at Harrods Interiors, Bloomingdale’s Dubai, and RH England. Developing a deep understanding of the expectations and lifestyles of HNW and UHNW clients worldwide. This also strengthened her holistic approach to luxury, where interiors, hospitality, service, and lifestyle come together to shape a complete client journey. As Editor-in-Chief of OLISE Magazine, she leads a platform dedicated to craftsmanship, design innovation, and global cultural dialogue, staying closely connected to international design studios, architects, and emerging talent shaping the future of the industry. Her dual perspective, spanning both design practice and editorial direction, places her at the forefront of emerging movements shaping luxury interiors in 2026 and beyond.

Carey Pearson is the Head of Brand & Integrated Marketing at Wayfair EU, where she leads the strategic and creative direction of brand campaigns, content strategy, social media and influencer marketing, consumer insights, and onsite marketing experiences. She guides multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated, insight-driven campaigns that strengthen Wayfair’s brand presence across Europe. With over 20 years of experience in brand marketing, advertising, and digital communications, Carey has cultivated a global perspective shaped by work across three continents and a diverse range of industries. Her career spans building brand functions in tech start-ups to managing global portfolios for powerhouse brands including Revlon, Nikon, and Standard Chartered Bank. She has also contributed to large scale integrated programs in leading agencies such as Ogilvy and within dynamic e-commerce environments. A passionate advocate for creative storytelling, Carey focuses on crafting meaningful brand narratives that resonate with diverse audiences and inspire people to explore, create, and express themselves in their homes. She is equally committed to building high-performing teams and strong cross-functional partnerships that advance Wayfair’s brand reputation within the European market and beyond.

<p>Hannah Gibbs is a&nbsp;director&nbsp;at Coytes Furnishing Ltd, an established independent furniture retailer based in Burton upon Trent. Working closely with both customers and suppliers, she helps to curate ranges that balance quality, comfort and value, with a strong emphasis on long-term relationships and personal service on the shopfloor.​</p> <p>Deeply rooted in the local community, Hannah plays an active role in keeping Coytes a trusted destination for furnishing the home, championing knowledgeable advice and a friendly, family-run approach in an increasingly competitive retail landscape.</p>

<p>Natasha Shillingford is an accomplished brand marketeer with more than 15 years of experience in the furniture industry.</p> <p>Currently serving as Brand Marketing Director at La-Z-Boy International, she oversees the company&rsquo;s global brand presence outside of the US and Canada, working directly with brand and marketing teams in almost 70 territories worldwide.</p> <p>She played an integral role in the international roll-out of the new La-Z-Boy brand identity, ensuring its cultural relevance for core markets and bringing it to life within key retail accounts DFS and Sofology &ndash; the first launches anywhere worldwide.</p> <p>Passionate about equality and positive change, Natasha also chairs the La-Z-Boy Women&rsquo;s Employee Resource Group, championing diversity and inclusion across the organisation.</p> <p>With a Master&rsquo;s degree in Marketing and Communications (Distinction) from Edge Hill University and a BA in Journalism from the University of Sheffield, Natasha combines strategic marketing expertise with award-winning writing skills. Her career began in journalism, where she earned accolades such as Young Journalist of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year (Shortlisted), before moving into PR and marketing leadership roles, including running her own agency,&nbsp;where she honed a specialism in the furniture sector, working across B2B and B2C markets with some of the sector&rsquo;s most recognized manufacturers, retailers, and importers.</p> <p>Outside of her professional achievements, Natasha is known for her approachable leadership style, her ability to craft compelling brand stories, and her dedication to driving meaningful connections between people and products.</p> <p>In her free time Natasha enjoys live music, travel and learning new skills and hobbies.</p>

<p dir="ltr">After obtaining a BA Hons in English Literature at Westfield College, University of London, Jessica Alexander started her career on the weekly furniture trade magazine Cabinet Maker. Later Jessica went on to found her own PR &amp; Communications business, working for many familiar names in the industry.</p> <p dir="ltr">For over 35 years Jessica has been involved with the trade association for UK bed manufacturers, the National Bed Federation, running its PR and communications. She set up and for 20 years ran the Sleep Council, which set out to educate consumers about the importance of a good bed to getting a good night&rsquo;s sleep and he importance of sleep to health and wellbeing, running many imaginative campaigns and appearing on radio and TV and the organisation&rsquo;s spokesperson.</p> <p dir="ltr">In 2006 she took over the helm of the National Bed Federation, stepping back in 2023. Achievements include the introduction of the NBF audited Cde of Practice for members; the launch of the Bed Show and annual bed industry awards in 2010 and extensive work on sustainability support for members including the launch of the NBF&rsquo;s Pledge for the Planet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jessica has been a Liveryman of the Furniture Makers Company for over 20 years and is currently Senior Warden..</p> <p dir="ltr">Jessica has lived in North Yorkshire for &lsquo;half her life&rsquo; and in her spare time loves hiking, runs a book club, enjoys pub quizzes and the theatre. She is also an accredited Humanist wedding celebrant!</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Rob Abrahams is the CEO and Co-Founder of sustainable paint company COAT Paints - bringing fifteen years of brand and growth marketing expertise to reimagine the painting experience for the online age. Since founding COAT, Rob leads corporate strategy, brand-building, product innovation, and COAT&rsquo;s unique team culture - disrupting a legacy industry with a new digital, conscious business model. COAT is proudly listed in The Sunday Times 100 Fastest Growth Companies in the UK.</p>

Former commanding officer of the Royal Tank Regiment with extensive experience of combat.

<p>Zo&euml; has worked in the Events and Exhibition industry for over 20 years for leading publication and events companies such as; Euromoney Institutional Investor Plc, Haymarket Media Group, i2i Events, Ascential, ITE Group and most recently Clarion Events where she held roles as Show Director for the consumer Baby Shows and now Portfolio Director for the trade Retail division.</p> <p><br /> Zo&euml; has experience of managing UK and international shows in China, India and Europe and has managed teams remotely and travelled extensively with her job. Zo&euml; specialises in sales strategy, brand development, launch and geo clone events, as well as, most recently creating, designing and implementing new digital products in both the consumer and the B2B retail space.</p> <p><br /> As Portfolio Director, Zo&euml; currently oversees 7 live events in the retail sector including January Furniture Show and Manchester Furniture Show, Home &amp; Gift, Top Drawer Spring and Autumn, Scotland Trade Fair Spring and Autumn, as well as the digital platform REVEAL.&nbsp;&nbsp;Zo&euml; is passionate about supporting young talent, coaching and mentoring and in particular empowering women within the work place to fulfil their potential. Zo&euml; has successfully launched 3 networks dedicated to women, latterly the Women in Furniture Network, which aims to improve the visibility of women in the furniture sector as well as providing much needed networking opportunities and access to a new mentoring platform.</p>