VM & Display Show Highlights from the British Display Society

The two days before the show was all ‘hands-on deck’. While Paul, Barbara and John were busy setting up the BDS stand, the students from our Centre of Excellence Colleges were filled with excitement as they worked tirelessly installing their concepts, under the watchful eye of their tutors.

As with previous years, the BDS held a competition for our Centre of Excellence students. Not only was this great experience for the students to exhibit their skills and their concepts, but there is also the added opportunity for the students to chat and network with the visitors at the show.

After many hours, the student stands were complete, and the students were excitied for the opening day of the VM & Display Show. Over the course of the two-day show, it created a quite buzz with attendees at the show.

Windsor-Forest College

Home/Food

Windsor-Forest College Fashion

Hertford Regional College

Sarah Southgate & Celia Leeson-Cox were delighted to be judges for this year’s competition. They spent time with the students, browsing the Mood Boards and hearing about the students’ thoughts and ideas in creating their concepts.

The winner of the VM & Display Show Student Competition were the students from TU Dublin. “This is a great achievement, and the students are absolutely delighted” said Dr. Kerry Meakin, VM lecturer from the college.

The other students received “Runner Up” Certificates. This was a big achievement for them and will be a great addition to their portfolio.

A huge thanks goes to all the students who contributed to this competition.

Several of them mentioned to me that it was constructive to chat to people at the show who took interest in their work, and many of them had made some good connections.

Iain Kimmins Chair - FBDS

We received great feedback about the design and fun side of the BDS stand. The Instagram wall worked well, and many people had their photograph taken.

There was much interest in “The Future of VM” section and the many people were interested in VM/Display Conference being held in June.

Our thanks goes to Luga Baruga for their help sponsorship and help in creating a great BDS Stand!

Check out their website: www.lugabaruga.co.uk

International Creative Conference Display

Conference Details

The BA Visual Merchandising & Display at the Technological University Dublin and the British Display Society are joining forces to invite international academics, practitioners, students, and retailers to reflect and debate the needs of both the designer and the client in the new age of phygital. A world where the fundamental physical practice of the Visual Merchandiser collides with the digital, leaving more aesthetic, real, and virtual spaces.

Current academics and practitioners are taking in hand the future of future practitioners by exploring and discovering alternative perspectives in the fundamental practice of visual merchandising. With sustainability always at the core, display practitioners will rename and re -situate themselves, ready for the remainder of the 21st century and beyond.

A two-day conference is taking place in Dublin, Ireland, on June 14 & 15, 2023, on the TU Dublin East Quad campus. The event will be hybrid, allowing for international attendees unable to travel to partake in the talks, and debates.

We look forward to welcoming you. For the Agenda, Abstracts, and Registrations please go to:

https://www.eventcreate.com/e/international-creative-disp-328062

Or scan the QR code:

It was certainly a busy and productive two-day event and we are delighted to say that circa 400 people visited our stand.

It was great to see so many new faces plus the opportunity to catch-up with others in the industry.

Everyone was handed a BDS Goodie Bag and there was an abundance of interaction with our Instagram Wall, The Future of VM Wall, and the forthcoming International Creative Display Confernece.

We also received applications for new membership to the British Display Society.

Why not join to help, support and be a part of the BDS? Membership is just £40 a year. www.britishdisplaysociety.co.uk

Established in 1947 the British Display Society is a Visual Merchandising/Educational organisation that ensures VM remains a recognised profession, that is alive and kicking in a modern retail world. Former BDS students work throughout the U.K. and indeed throughout the world are now VM Managers, College Lecturers and Consultants.

Members are backed by the Society’s ‘Pathway to Professional Recognition’ through which affixes are awarded to members whose work and achievements. In this tough market, retailers need to concentrate on a memorable and pleasant shopping environment that reflects their Brand or Store ensuring that all important customer experience. From shop fronts to window displays to interior displays, product layout and focal points around the store, it is paramount that a high standard of visual merchandising remains to ensure the future success of retail.

Our Membership to The British Display Society is increasing and this is reassuring to know that there are a great number of Retail/VM professionals who feel passionate about the part we play in retail.

Membership has the following benefits:

• The opportunity to network with other VM Members

• Your details will be added onto the BDS database if you are seeking “freelance work”

• A right to attend and vote at the BDS Annual General Meeting

• The opportunity to join the BDS National Council

• The opportunity to have your work published FREE in the VM Spotlight magazine

• The opportunity to have your work published on our Facebook page

• Use of the BDS Membership Logo for your publicity, stationery and social media.

What Is The Future Of VM?

We created a wall from corrugated roofing panels, whereby visitors to our stand, could fill in a post-it-note and give their thoughts about the future of VM. This proved to be a huge success and it was a great way to engage with visitors to the show. Quite a mixture of comments. These comments will be discussed further at the International Creative Display Confernece in June.

Who knew that the Instagram wall could be such fun!

How many people do you recognize from the VM industry?

Retail Focus were running Forum’s over the two days of the show. It was great way to hear about the latest trends in retail visual merchandising and design from industry experts.

John Abbate from ‘Save The High Street’ discussed Partnership initiative, the evolution of the High Street, the direction of retail and the opportunities that are ahead.

In recognition of her support for the British Display Society, her passion for VM tuition and the introduction of a new VM Course, it gave me great pleasure to award Liliana Schibetta, from Herford Regional College, the title of Honorary Fellow of The British Display Society.

Iain Kimmins FBDS BDS Chair

It was great to see several of our Corporate Members exhibiting at the show. These included; Paper Lounge, Minki Balinki, Northbanks, Glitter Walls, Shimmer Walls,

We would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you to the following companies that sponsored the VM Student Competition and the success of a great VM & Display Show.

Antalis www.antalis.co.uk

Cass Art www.cassart.co.uk

Creative Download www.creative-download.co.uk

Design4Retail www.design4retail.co.uk

Fast Printed Packaging www.fast-printed-packaging.co.uk

Icatcha Design & Display www.icatchadisplay.co.uk

Luga Baruga www.lugabaruga.co.uk

Mad About Design Ltd www.themadpeople.com

Northbanks www.northbanks.co.uk

The Graphical Tree www.thegraphicaltree.com

VM & Display Show www.vmanddisplayshow.com

Finally!

A big Thank You to the British Display Society Team who volunteered

Iain Kimmins, Liz Johnston, John Abbate, Helen Goodwin, Kat Maclennan, Barbara Chapman, Paul Symes.

Does your company supply the Retail or Visual Merchandising industry?

Then why not become a Corporate Member?

By becoming a Corporate member you will receive unlimited FREE advertising on our Social Media sites along with advertising in our VM Spotlight E-magazine which has a worldwide distribution of 1.9m people in the Retail and VM industry. It’s a great way to network with others in the business, advertise and showcase your goods and services, which in turn will help the BDS promote and support VM. The BDS is also a registered charity with the aim of promoting standards in education. We would welcome your contribution to support and maintain standards in VM and related professions.

Let’s keep retail and visual merchandising alive!

Introductory Offer: FIRST year membership only £150 - Subsequent years £200

KICK GRAPHICS

The British Display Society

Did you know?.......

• The BDS supports and promotes the industry.

• BDS individual membership is just £40 a year. As a member, you can showcase/ highlight your work FREE on our Social Media sites and in our VM Spotlight magazine that has a circulation of 1.9m readers.

• The BDS offers Corporate Membership to companies who supply goods or services to the retail and VM Industry. £150 for the first year and £200 for subsequent years.

• The BDS charity supports education in VM through our Centres of Excellence.

So why not check out our new website and sign up for membership and help us to promote and support this great industry?

www.britishdisplaysociety.co.uk