Go for Impact!

Annual meeting with new winners Golden Triangle

Recently, MHK organized its annual conference for its members and partners at Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin Noordwijk. As many as 350 guests attended the event, which was all about "Go for Impact.

Managing Director Jeroen Geerling of MHK Netherlands was pleased with the commitment shown by the visitors. He went on to say that MHK had a record 9 percent growth in membership worldwide. "Also in the Netherlands the number of members increased," Jeroen told the visitors. That MHK can be proud of this is obvious given the economic stresses of the past year. Jeroen: "We are trying to respond to this by investing in attention-grabbing marketing." Consequently, the platform in the kitchen and sanitary industry managed to outperform the market across Europe, but Dutch MHK members also experienced better results than the rest of the market. Earlier, Volker Klodwig, chairman of MHK Group's Executive Board, also spoke about this period. "We can turn crises into opportunities," he indicated during his first presentation since his arrival in the Netherlands.

Good collaborations

According to Jeroen, MHK benefits from the good cooperation with trade partners and industry, but also through the good positions of the various marketing concepts such as "Your KitchenSpecialty Store," "Bath&Body," "MHK KitchenExpert," "REDDY Kitchens" and "REDDY Kitchens & Bath. "We are visible throughout the customer journey," Jeroen said. The goal is to provide trade partners with products and solutions that support them in the market, strengthen their business and set them apart from the competition. Exactly what MHK meant by the conference theme 'Go For Impact' and also the guiding principle for the Dutch strategy.

The Golden Triangle

For several years now, the presentation of award "The Golden Triangle" has been a true tradition within the MHK Congress. In it, the most beautiful kitchen and bathroom designs are nominated by jury member Monique van der Reijden, known from the world of interior design. The award ceremony becomes a bigger "happening" every year. This year's nominees of "Most Beautiful Kitchen of the Year 2024" were Van Ginkel Keukens from Barneveld, Barthen Keuken Design from Leiden and Bogaard Keukens & Badkamers from Almere. Traditionally, the guests at the conference get to decide the winner. Barthen Keuken Design from Leiden won -just like a few years ago- the coveted 'Golden Triangle'. The 'Most Beautiful Bathroom of 2024' was won by Voortman Pesse & Assen. He stayed ahead of nominees KBC Keukens en badkamers from Scharnegoutum and Studio Biesbos from Werkendam.

Strength of the specialty store

The purpose of this competition is to draw consumers' attention to the kitchen and bathroom as an experiential space and, therefore, to the involvement of specialty retailers, their expertise and craftsmanship, as well as the extra quality that a specialty store kitchen offers. With examples like these nominees, the MHK members are succeeding incredibly well. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the judges to choose just three nominees from the entries. In recent years, the competition has received a lot of media attention from prominent judges well known in the interior design industry. Culminating once every 5 years during MHK Group's lustrum celebration, where last time Loomans Keukens became the European winner.