Gift Focus - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 117)

75 AMBIENTE Hall 11.1: Classic gifts and the latest from the industry all in one place This year, the Gifts Ideas hall (Hall 11.1) will be featuring classic gifts with a firm focus on regional artisans. They will include established brands such as G. Wurm, Cepewa and Bellissima Creation as well as this year’s newcomer, the Spanish umbrella and parasol studio Rusqué. For many years, this family enterprise has been the only Spanish manufacturer of umbrellas and parasols, and its brands cover the entire colour spectrum. A sense of home is also created by Trenkle, an artisan studio that makes vibrantly coloured cuckoo clocks. In its ExS line, the family enterprise combines craftsmanship with vibrant colours. A shield clock with Kuckulino quartz clockworks is like a declaration of love to the German Black Forest. The artisan studio is represented in this year’s new souvenirs & collectibles area, Sweet Memories, where more than 35 regional artisans will be exhibiting their souvenir gifts, featuring memories (amongst others) from Germany’s Ore Mountains as well as Toledo, Istanbul and Bethlehem. Ambiente Academy Another highlight in Hall 11.1 at Ambiente 2020 will be the Ambiente Academy. As well as an additional venue in Hall 9.1, visitors can look forward to numerous industry insights here, covering the areas of retail, point of sale, brand building and e-commerce. Gift retailers will value the Academy as a knowledge and networking platform that will help them develop creative ideas and convince consumers to buy gifts in high street shops. Moreover, the Academy will be full of inspiring alternatives to cash gifts and will also give retailers an even better understanding of their youngest target group. On the Saturday of the trade fair, Dr. Steffi Burkhart will be giving a talk on the expectations of Generations Y and Z, enabling gift retailers to gain a better understanding of the mindset of a young customer – a target group whose values include more mindful and proactive consumption and puts a major emphasis on digital networking and individual appeal. But the Academy will also provide considerable inspiration for trade visitors from other retail sectors. Non-food retailers will enjoy Achim Fringes’ talk entitled Food is the New Shopping , with ideas on the smart combination of non- food and food at the POS. At the same time, they’ll undoubtedly find the perfect gift items for their supplementary ranges in the hall. Global Sourcing in Halls 9.3 and 9.2 At Global Sourcing Giving in Hall 9.3 large-volume buyers of gift items will see a variety of exhibitors from all over the world, all with experience in export. Several joint stands will be available, where suppliers from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Kenya, Tanzania, Guatemala and elsewhere will be offering both industrially made and handcrafted products. This is where gift items and artisan products can be sourced by importers and wholesalers wanting to buy in bulk. In addition, Global Sourcing in Hall 9.3 will feature further retailers who specialise in sourcing – from Mongolia, Zimbabwe and Guatemala – making it one of the most international halls at Ambiente. But visitors will find it equally worthwhile to look at Hall 9.2 – another hall with plenty of inspiration and a wide range of decorative and ethical style products suitable as gifts. This year several aid organisations – such as the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) and the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) – will be supporting a number of selected exhibitors. In 2020 these are from Africa, Hong Kong, the Palestinian territories and other Middle Eastern countries. Visitors can also look forward to a South Korean start- up area with the focus on the B2B market. For further information visit ambiente.messefrankfurt.com