The Gift Fair is thrilled to launch its Future Star Award. This award celebrates newcomers with exceptional potential to the UK Gift industry.
This award will provide a launchpad for talented entrepreneurs to show off their wonderful products in way they might not otherwise have the opportunity to.
This year, we were spoilt for choice so two wonderful companies have been selected, it was just too hard to pick one! The Gift Fair Future Star awards go to Cheeky Legends www.arrthi.com for their colourful and cheeky greetings cards and Little Roglets www.littleroglets.com for their beautifully painted animal collection.
Cheeky Legends was created by Arrthi Little, a cartoonist based in Hampshire creating entertaining characters in her signature style 'Cute, Chubby, Cheeky'.
Posted: 4 September 2024
The Gift Fair is an online gift tradeshow, set to take place from January 8th- February 28th, 2025.
Organised by Fabian Santoro and his team, this exciting platform hosts trade shows that work around you not the other way around. The platform is not like anything you've seen before – it's not a website, directory or meeting scheduler. Every aspect is designed to make trade shows faster, cheaper, easier and better. You can speak to real people in real time via instant messaging, video chat, exchange business cards and much more.
You can find established brands like Professor Puzzle, LifeCharms and Swing Cards as well as the hottest newcomers like Cosmic Cuties and BangoBerry.
Posted: 2 September 2024
Autumn Fair, retail's leading seasonal showcase for Home, Gift and Fashion, opened today and saw thousands of buyers walking the aisles looking to discover the latest products and hidden gems for their stores.
The four-day show is the key seasonal buying event for many independent businesses across the UK to refresh their store and stock up shelves in time for the festive period, and reports from a busy first day indicate positivity, plenty of order writing, and highlighted the importance of seeing products and people in person.
A huge variety of big name retailers, department stores, garden centres, activity centres and independent retailers attended including Tesco, Poundland, Elphicks, Blue Diamond, NHS, Willows Activity Far, Willowbrook Garden Centre, Blue Tiger, Leonards Hardware and Island jewellers.
Posted: 2 September 2024
"As I sit down to reflect on the past two decades, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and pride at the journey Laura Darrington Design has taken," shares owner Laura. "What began as a simple idea after graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2000 has grown into something far greater than I ever could have imagined. This year marks the 20th anniversary of my business, and I couldn't be more thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the people who have been with me every step of the way."
Laura continues...
Posted: 2 September 2024
This Sunday, the NEC Birmingham will come alive with the return of Autumn Fair, the UK's largest seasonal showcase for Home, Gift & Fashion. Running from 1st to 4th September 2024, this year's event promises to be a hub of inspiration and opportunity, with over 800 suppliers presenting more than half a million products. With 30 per cent of brands exhibiting exclusively at Autumn Fair, it's the ultimate destination for retailers looking to discover the latest trends and stock their shelves ahead of the festive season.
Posted: 29 August 2024
Anyone operating in the giftware industry can now order Marius Fabre from its exclusive new UK distributor, Studio Pens.
Marius Fabre is as emblematic of the country's southern Provence region as lavender fields and cicadas, and the all-natural and sustainable olive oil-based products are suitable for a host of daily uses. Palm oil free, the 100 percent vegetable-based natural biodegradable products are environmentally friendly, and the packaging is entirely recyclable. Some of the range is also Ecocert certified and organic.
The family that has been making the traditional Marseille soap since the 1900's has signed an exclusive deal with distributor, Studio Pens, which will see the Harrogate based father and daughter run company supplying the luxurious product range to retailers throughout the UK.
Posted: 26 August 2024
The UK Jewellery, Silverware and Allied Crafts industry welcomes the appointment of Lisa Nandy MP and Sir Chris Bryant MP as new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister of State (DCMS), respectively.
In letters to both ministers, the industry-wide group expressed its desire to continue open communications with the government to help drive the jewellery, silverware and allied trades forward.
Back in February, then shadow minister Sir Chris Bryant approached the National Association of Jewellers to host an industry-wide roundtable to better understand the industry's challenges, needs and opportunities. 25 individuals representing businesses and institutions throughout the breadth of the trade came together to outline the state of the industry and, in collaboration, its future direction.
Posted: 26 August 2024
After a successful transition phase, the consumer goods trade fairs Christmasworld and Creativeworld have a new show director. On 1st August 2024, Stefan Schopp took over from Eva Olbrich, who commenced her well-deserved retirement at the end of July. With the Conzoom Circle network, Messe Frankfurt links the most important international platforms for the global consumer goods and retail industry and bundles industry knowledge and expertise.
Posted: 22 August 2024
Leading licensing agency Bulldog Licensing, which represents Sesame Street in the UK on behalf of the global impact non-profit Sesame Workshop, has announced two new deals for the much-loved brand as Sesame Street continues to grow its presence on screen, on digital platforms and at UK retail.
Heathside Trading and OddBalls are the latest partners to join the fast-growing Sesame Street licensing campaign.
Heathside Trading, which specialises in branded toys and games, collectibles, drinkware and gifts, will be producing a wide range of Sesame Street gifts and novelties, including mini figures, 2D keychains, 3D bag clips, drinking bottles, bobblehead figures and die cast figures.
Posted: 19 August 2024
Fable England has launched a capsule collection with London's Natural History Museum for AW24.
The 38-piece collection features hand-painted enamel jewellery, illustrative print silk scarves, luxury sleepwear as well as signature Fable England bag shapes, dominated by an exclusive print created for the collection. With the natural world as their muse, Fable England thoughtfully weave stories from British literature through each of their collections, and their latest – developed in collaboration with London's Natural History Museum – is no exception.
Forming a connection over their shared love of the natural world, Fable England and the Museum relished the opportunity to delve into the Museum's special collections; a treasure trove of artworks, manuscripts, and rare books, to seek out inspiration for a new collection.
Posted: 19 August 2024