Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - March/April 2021

32 should register as a maker via the website (https://bctf.co.uk/ register/exhibitor.html). Applicants should please bear in mind the BCTF criteria for entry to the show, which is that all products must be handmade in the UK to a high standard and be available for wholesale to retailers. Over 1,200 buyers attended the 2020 digital event, with more than 20,000 exhibitor catalogue pages viewed. More than 2,000 price lists were downloaded and 700 videos watched. BCTF exhibitors were ‘favoured’ around 1,400 times by visiting buyers. Already operating from the fastest, most user-friendly digital platform available to the industry, BCTF online will offer even more functionality in 2021, with a live appointments/meetings scheduling feature and the option for exhibitors to link specific products directly to their own webshops. Such features have been developed to drive direct sales to hard hit companies, with further efforts being made by the BCTF social media and PR programme, which is strongly focused on direct exhibitor promotion. BCTF online developer, Denre Bruins, says: “We have had great feedback from both exhibitors and buyers, many of whom said they felt we had the most user friendly online trade platform of any event. I am very excited about the 2021 editions of the British Craft Trade Fair, which will benefit from enhanced functionality alongside popular existing features including the legendary hangout! Once again, I hope to see hundreds of people in the British craft industry come along to share their experiences, hopefully sell lots of their products and show that we really are in it together. “As this is first and foremost a trade event, we are very strongly focused on the buyer experience and have tried to make our digital platform as simple to use as possible, with the least clicks required to view the most amount of products. One thing we have asked exhibitors to do this time around is include more specific details about individual products and ranges to assist retailers in the sourcing process. There are other new additional features but I don’t want to reveal too much at this stage – as the pioneering event in this sector we will enjoy the big unveil when the show opens in late spring, so watch this space!” Featured images are from exhibitors: Martin Andrews Studio Glass, Gin Durham Ceramics, Katherine Bree Jewellery and Rachel Meehan, Pictures and Words