Soaking up insight at the Bathroom Association Connect Conference 2025
As an agency that specialises in home and property marketing, it’s important to us that we immerse ourselves in the conversations shaping the industry. We’re proud to be a corporate member of the Bathroom Association (BA), which means we had a front-row seat at this year’s Connect Conference – a prime opportunity to tap into the world of water, toilets and tiles.
Taking place on 16 and 17 September, the annual conference brings together manufacturers, merchants, retailers and leaders from the bathroom industry. The theme for 2025 was Connecting the Dots – and aside from resisting temptation to make a pun about connecting the leopard spots – we were excited to find out more about how the sector plans to foster collaboration.
Bubbling with bathroom (and marketing) insights
There was an array of insightful talks across the two days at the BA Connect Conference from all corners of the industry. In fact, the first day kickstarted with a Behavioural Science masterclass from our Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Anthony Tattum – delving into how we can harness human behaviour to create clever bathroom marketing strategies.
Other event highlights included a keynote speech from economist Emma Leach, a collaborative session on retailer-manufacturer partnerships, and the headline ‘Big Debate’ where a seven-strong panel of industry powerhouses discussed industry challenges and opportunities.
In many of the sessions, it was interesting to hear how important marketing is within the bathroom sector – not only to sell product, but to connect product, retailers, installers and consumers. Here were the big themes and insights we gleaned from the conference…
The impact of technology – good or bad?
As expected in 2025, tech talk was rife. But beyond smart showers and self-cleaning toilets, there was some interesting thoughts about how we transform customer experience in a digital world.
There was concern around the future of retailers – if customers can envisage their dream bathroom with AR apps and visual planners, then will they turn away from traditional showrooms and in-person advice? But many saw this as an opportunity – using technology to enhance the customer journey and bridge the gap between manufacturers and consumers. And for home and property marketers? It makes way for immersive storytelling and personalised communications with consumers.
Greener bathrooms
Sustainability was also at the forefront, particularly since the BA shared their Windsor Declaration back in 2024 – acknowledging the sector’s growing concern around water scarcity.
Interesting discussions arose around whose responsibility it is to drive the green agenda – with some feeling the consumer demand isn’t there yet, and others surmising more advocacy is needed amongst the installer community. As concluded in the ‘Big Debate’, the answer is that it’s a collective effort amongst the industry – and more needs to be done at a government and stakeholder level.
Another interesting insight was how marketers can contribute to a more sustainable sector – for example, moving away from the print brochure to a more digital-first approach to showcasing products.
Connection at the heart of everything
Yes, it was the theme of the conference – but there was an overwhelming feeling that connection and collaboration is the key to industry progress. It’s already happening – as exemplified by the recent inclusion of merchants and retailers in the BA member network – but more can always be done. For example, can manufacturers do more to communicate with the end user, rather than relying on solely the retailer or installer? Or how can the sector come together to tackle big issues, like sustainability?
It definitely gave us food for thought, particularly around how we can best talk to all customers across the purchasing funnel within our home and property marketing activity.
Want more home and property insights?
A massive thank you to the Bathroom Association for having us at another brilliant Connect Conference!
If you are looking for more nuggets of insight in the sector, our Home and Property Insight Report can help you tap into the evolving landscape of bathrooms, kitchens, home improvement and more.