Katie Bregazzi, co-director at Balls2 Marketing, shares her reflections on FIT Show 2025 after three busy days on the glazing sector’s front line. From bold leadership to the role of AI and the power of good conversations, she unpacks the trends, takeaways and challenges that will shape the year ahead.
Another FIT Show is on the books, and after three days on my feet, a few hundred conversations, and the odd party on-stand, I’m heading back to agency life with more than just sore legs and a suitcase full of merchandise. What I’m really bringing home? Clarity.
As a senior leader in a marketing agency with a long-standing specialism in the glazing sector, FIT Show is more than an industry exhibition, it’s our live R&D lab, client showcase, trend barometer, and occasionally, a very sociable bar.
This year, Balls2 Marketing and Koobr supported clients pre-show with marketing strategy, campaign rollouts, and stand activations, right through to in-show content, PR and media interviews. And across every part of that journey, one theme kept surfacing: this sector is at a pivotal moment.
A glimpse into the industry mirror
The seminars were rich with insight, especially on digital transformation and AI. It’s no longer a question of if these technologies will impact the glazing and fenestration sector, but how fast we’re ready to adapt. Just two years ago, at FIT Show 2023, AI wasn’t even part of the dialogue. Now it’s in every other sentence. Elton Boocock’s comment stuck with me: “Implemented right, AI can save you five hours a week.”
A simple thought with profound implications. As leaders, we must ask, what would you do with those five hours? Strategise? Innovate? Talk more to your customers? Share insight across your team?
This sector is known for its resilience, but are we moving fast enough to meet the rising expectations of today’s homeowners and customers? More importantly, are we marketing ourselves with the same pace, boldness and relevance?
Another standout aspect of FIT Show 2025 for me was the visibility of brave leadership. Many talks brought forward fascinating family histories, legacy businesses now being steered by a new generation. These leaders aren’t just inheriting businesses; they’re reshaping them.
Changing the narrative
It raises a challenge for marketers like me: are we doing enough to reposition the sector? Because let’s be honest, some people still see glazing and fenestration as ‘old-school’, or slow to evolve. But walk the halls of FIT, and you’ll see innovation at every stand – from smart tech integrations to sustainable design. So why doesn’t that always translate outside the bubble of the NEC?
There’s work to do, in brand strategy, content, and communication, to shake off outdated perceptions and tell a truer, bolder story about who and what this sector really is. Not hype, not hyperbole. Just honest, confident storytelling that reflects the ambition I saw on display.
As ever, what makes this industry great isn’t just the tech or the stands, it’s the people.
From breakfast coffee chats to quick catch-ups over a pint, the real substance happens in those moments that aren’t on the schedule. The peer-to-peer sharing, the unfiltered “have you thought about this?” moments – they’re what shape the direction of travel for the next 12 months. And as someone lucky enough to work across multiple clients and touchpoints, those conversations are invaluable. They keep our thinking sharp, and our strategies grounded.
So, what now?
If this FIT Show showed me anything, it’s that this sector isn’t standing still. But it does need to be heard more clearly and more confidently. We’ve got innovation. We’ve got personality. We’ve got stories worth telling. The question now is whether we’re brave enough; as marketers, business leaders, and an industry – to reframe the narrative.
Because five hours a week isn’t just saved time. It’s a creative opportunity. And I know exactly what I’ll be doing with mine.
