Gift Focus - May/Jun 2018 (Issue 107)

6 giftfocus Catch up on all the latest in our news round up industry news THE ASSOCIATION FOR CULTURAL ENTERPRISES ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF ACE BEST PRODUCT AWARDS The Association for Cultural Enterprises is delighted to announce the winners of the ACE Best Product Awards for the 15 th year in a row. The prestigious awards celebrate quality, innovation and creativity in cultural retail through products, publication, shops and cafés. Winners range from national to local teams, from the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the National Trust to Edinburgh Castle. This year saw 146 entries in 17 categories, from Best Range to Best Guide Book alongside Best Café and Best Shop. The judging panel, made up of industry experts, expressed delight at the standard of entries which continues to strengthen every year. As priorities change in national budgets, cultural organisations’ retail offerings and services are needed to bring vital income to national treasures by relying on original brand identities and quality designs, cultural institutions remain top of their game to compete with high street offerings. “The entries this year have shown strength in all areas. It’s clear that retail teams within the sector are full steam ahead in considering in-store customers as well as those who shop from afar in product development and choices,” said Jill Fenwick, Managing Director, Association for Cultural Enterprises. Best Product & Overall Winner - under £1m National Museum of the Royal Navy, Ernie the Knitted Sailor Best Product - over £1m Imperial War Museums, Spitfire Pilot Watch Best Range - under £1m The Hepworth Wakefield, Howard Hodgkin: Painting India Best Range - over £1m Fitzwilliam Museum, Alan Turing’s Zeta Function Machine Best Children’s Product - under £1m National Army Museum, Monty the Dog Best Children’s Product - over £1m National Theatre, Play in a Box Best Licensed Product - over £1m Imperial War Museums, IWM Construction Sets Best Licensed Product - under £1m William Morris Gallery, William Morris Ecoffee cup Best General Publication - under £1m Sir John Soane’s Musuem, Sir John Soane’s Greatest Treasure: The Sarcophagus of Seti I Best General Publication - over £1m National Trust, The National Trust Book of Scones Best Guidebook - under £1m The Charterhouse, The Charterhouse: The Guidebook Best Guidebook - over £1m The Postal Museum, The Postal Museum Guidebook Best Exhibition Catalogue - under £1m The Hepworth Wakefield, Disobedient Bodies Best Exhibition Catalogue - over £1m Published with Bloomsbury in association with the British Library Harry Potter: A History of Magic Best Shop Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art Best Cafe Edinburgh Castle Tearooms Best Supplier Just Trade THE WINNERS WERE: ASHLEIGH & BURWOOD’S SCENTED CANDLES GIFTED TO STARS OF THE BRIT AWARDS 2018 Ashleigh & Burwood was delighted that three products from its collection were selected for inclusion in this year’s Universal Music BRIT’s After Party goody bag. The 2018 BRIT Awards took place at London’s O2 Arena last week. Hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall and attended by the biggest names in pop, the star-studded event was filled with glamour, style and fun. Wild Things, Pinemingos Luxury Scented Candles as well as Tales of London, Notting Hill scented candles and reed diffusers and were the products chosen to be gifted. Ellie Goulding, Gary Barlow, Lottie Moss, HAIM and RAYE were among the lucky artists and celebrities to receive the goody bags, after attending the Universal Music and Soho House party at The Ned.