Gift Focus - Mar/Apr 2018 (Issue 106)

encouraging designers and design-led brands to take part in the show. This will use a new part of the exhibition hall and include a new ‘On Trend’ product display, curated by trend forecasters Scarlet Opus. The Scarlet Opus team has identified three key global consumer and design trends they feel will be particularly relevant to the stationery sector and will select product from exhibitors that illustrate these trends to create their ‘On Trend’ display. Exhibitors were able to attend a free trend briefing back in early January to find out what Scarlet Opus is looking for and ensure their products are considered. “Sharing and explaining the impact of global trends and their effect on our sector is vital information for our exhibitors and visitors – it means they can make key commercial decisions about new product development and purchases with confidence,” says Hazel. The display area will include trend ‘mood boards’ and the Scarlet Opus team will be on The show’s regular LaunchPad competition will deliver 12 new hopefuls to the event, each having already garnered approval from this year’s three judges; Sidonie Warner, founder of Papersmiths, Daniel Mark Carr, Global Brand Director of Colart and designer Nikki Strange. The LaunchPad winners, alongside more than 40 first-time exhibitors and 100 plus show regulars, will be keen to make the most of the audience the show delivers. “Stationery is closely influenced by the fashion industry and has a wide retail appeal. As a specialist show we represent the sector in depth and weave in not only the current product ‘hot spots’, but look ahead to what will be popular in the future. We want our visitors, whether they be looking for gifts, fashionable accessories or smart essentials, to be able to review the industry’s full product mix and all the price points available to them,” says the show’s Event Manager, Hazel Fieldwick. “In seven years, the London Stationery Show exhibitor and product mix has shifted from primarily office product to retail and gift stationery. The line-up for our eighth year continues to reflect this shift and proves the continuing popularity of writing and paper products and their broad appeal,” Hazel added. A key part of the visitor offer are the show’s Stationery Awards, which last year attracted 400 entries across 11 product categories from exhibitors. Now in its seventh year, a panel of senior stationery buyers, chaired by independent retail advisor and Giftware Association chairman, Henri Davis, will undertake the important task of judging the products on the first day of the show, with the results announced that evening. What’s new for 2018 All the products are gathered in one central display for visitors to review themselves and, for the first time, as part of the show’s 2018 design initiative, will include a new ‘Good Design’ Award. The new design initiative has focused on LONDON STATIONERY SHOW CONTINUES TO GROW The specialist London Stationery Show regularly attracts the UK’s biggest retailers, influential buyers and brands in the stationery, gift and fashion sectors In brief Show London Stationery Show Organiser Ocean Media Where Business Design Centre, Islington, London When 24 th - 25 th April, 2018 Website stationeryshow.co.uk Open 9.30am - 5pm on Tuesday, 9.30 - 4pm on Wednesday 24-25 APRIL 2018 64 giftfocus