13 minute read
Trade Talk
With Spring Fair around the corner, we ask a selection of exhibitors what products they are most excited about launching at the event
Nicky Dawson
Vanessa Curry & Nicky Dawson
Managing Director & Designer
Best Kept Secrets Hall 4, Stand B36 Why are you exhibiting at Spring Fair?
Vanessa: Nicky has been designing some of our candle collections for the past year, and we’ve built an amazing working relationship - even though we are at other ends of the country! At Autumn Fair 2022, Nicky and I had a discussion to collaborate on a new eco-inspired candle collection, to be designed and developed ready for this Spring Fair.
We’ve both spent so much time selecting fragrances for a 2023 market, with sustainability in mind. With Nicky’s experience, eye for design and marketing (and having worked as senior designer for Price’s Candles for five years prior), we’ve been a match made in candle heaven. Nicky: This is an exciting collaboration. Combining my strongest skills in the greetings, gifting, and the candle industry, I’ve spent months developing the must-have candle collection for 2023 with this wonderful company.
What’s the big news on your stand?
Vanessa: We are launching our new eco-inspired candle collection: Our Fragrant World. This collection has been developed especially for gift shops, garden centres and department stores who want to be at the top end of innovation and world economic trends.
Our Fragrant World candles stand out with their dazzling biodegradable sparkles, brightly coloured labels, and recyclable designer box - all printed on FSC board with vegetable-based inks. Our Fragrant World offers quality fragrances from around the world at a price you’ll love. We can’t wait for the launch!
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
Nicky: Green is the theme for 2023, and everything moving forward shouldn’t be clogging up our landfills and waterways. It’s time to close the loop on waste.
Packaging should be reusable and solicited with the idea that customers recycle and reuse their products. Creativity and design are always at the forefront of innovation.
Packaging sustainably is one of the biggest trends we’ll see moving forward. Brands are working on setting themselves apart, creating visual narratives showing that they’re capable of developing top-tier products.
Today’s consumers want to support brands that care about the planet and that’s what we are doing with our journey into sustainability.
Any survival tips for the show?
Vanessa: Have fun, like we always do, and enjoy yourself. We feel that we have a much better relationship with our customers when we are ‘ourselves’ and it’s so lovely to have them come back at every show. We also can’t wait to supply many new customers too. Vanessa Curry
Jonny Greves
Director
We’ve never missed a Spring Fair and we’re not about to start missing them yet! It’s the biggest trade show in the calendar for us and we can’t wait to catch up with all of our existing customers, meet new customers, and show them all our brand new product ranges.
What’s the big news on your stand?
A new licensing partnership with Bug Art, resulting in a brand new range of giftware, including Christmas designs.
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
Bright and colourful! We’re excited to be launching a range with bright yellow lemons, a nice new pink rose, brand new William Morris, Bright Eyes garden ornaments, and lots more.
Any survival tips for the show?
Plan your visit so you can see all your suppliers - and save time to meet new suppliers. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. And don’t forget your business cards.
Keith Edmondson
Joint MD
Richard Lang & Son Hall 4, Stand C22-D23 Why are you exhibiting at Spring Fair?
Spring Fair has always had the biggest pull of customers of all the shows we attend. The mix of visitors from the UK and further afield allows us to showcase what we have to offer on a huge scale!
I also appreciate that a high proportion of our existing customers, as well as potential new customers, will attend - which I personally love, as it allows for discussions on many topics with those who live and breathe everything our industry has to offer.
What’s the big news on your stand? What trends have you spotted for 2023?
Following the staggering success of our Halloween range in 2022, our design team has pulled out all the stops and created a completely new offering for 2023. Part of this launch is our Pink Fall home styling décor range. Combining soft pinks and greys with a sparkle of glitter, it’s a showstopper.
I highly recommend anyone visiting the Spring Fair stops by our stand to take a peek - as well as place an order to secure stock in advance of this increasingly popular event.
There is still very much a love for all things related to being with loved ones and family. Be it sentimental, fun, or celebration, there are so many takes on this. We have ensured we have covered as many as possible within our Spring and Summer 23 ranges.
Halloween is growing in strength year-on-year, so we’ll have a completely new collection on show. And Christmas continues to be a very strong season for our customers, which we have reflected in our amazing offering for 2023.
What is so satisfying to the team is that our customers recognise that we put an incredible amount of thought and effort into each of our ranges, making Langs unique and different from everyone else.
Any survival tips for the show?
I recommend comfy footwear. Attending shows normally means you cover many miles without realising it, and there’s nothing worse than sore feet! I would also suggest bringing snacks and refreshments, so you have something if needed when on the go.
Making appointments is also very helpful. It not only ensures you are looked after by your agent or familiar team member, but it helps you save time, rather than waiting around - which can use up valuable showtime.
Paul Hooker
Managing Director
Spring Fair really sets up the new year for Joe Davies and is one of the most exciting and important events in the industry. We always love seeing our customers and there’s no better place to see our Spring Summer collection of more than 2,000 brand new lines.
What’s the big news on your stand?
We are launching some amazing products at the show, building on the success of 2022 across the Shudehill range. In addition, Xpressions 4 U is now exclusively available only from Joe Davies for independent retailers, with new range launches plus additions to Pot of Dreams, Feather & Grace and Nordic Lights.
We are also launching licensed collections under the EastWest banner from both new and existing artists. Plus, always a firm favourite, Equilibrium Jewellery will see its entire Spring Summer Collection launched at the show.
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
Home sentiment and homely themes are performing strongly and we are excited to launch two new collections that fit the bill perfectly: Pebble Lane and Love Lane. Seaside themes in jewellery are strong. And Village Pottery is fast becoming a collectable line, with plenty of new development across the range.
Any survival tips for the show?
Everyone has their own way of approaching the show. For me, you can’t beat taking your time and walking each hall row by row to make sure you miss nothing. Comfortable shoes are a must!
Trade talk
Ross Feeney
Operations Director
Hootyballoo by Club Green Hall 3, Stand P20-Q21 Why are you exhibiting at Spring Fair?
We’ve exhibited at Spring Fair for over 20 years as it’s the ‘must go to’ trade show for the gift and partyware sector. It provides a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase new ranges, catch up with existing customers, and meet a variety of potential new clients face-to-face.
What’s the big news on your stand?
We’re incredibly excited to be exhibiting this year for a number of reasons. Firstly, we are hosting the largest stand we’ve ever had - twice the size of 2022 - so please make sure you come and see us.
Secondly, and probably most importantly for Gifts Today readers, is that we need a bigger stand to accommodate all our new ranges. This year we are showcasing eight completely new ranges, including over 200 new items, as well as a special King’s Coronation range to mark King Charles III’s Coronation in May.
Thirdly, our partyware collection continues to expand, and we’re delighted to be able to showcase the range in a specially created ‘Party Shop’ area of our stand, which enables us to show you first-hand what the range could look like in your business.
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
There is obviously still nervousness in the market about the direction of the economy, but our customers are telling us that footfall and customer spend are still positive.
In particular, we’re focusing on enhancements to our seasonal and ‘special day’ ranges - Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and Christmas - in response to increased demand.
Any survival tips for the show?
It’s a case of survival of the fittest at trade shows! There is a lot of walking and standing up, so always wear comfy shoes. Stay hydrated with lots of cold water (try not to have too much coffee). Arrive early before the show gets too busy. And visit the Hootyballoo stand first!
Helen Cottrill
Marketing & Product Director
Spring Fair is an essential part of our new product launch. It gives us the opportunity to showcase our new and best-selling products in a spacious inviting space, and really spend time talking to our retailers. We have a full sales and marketing team on site to ensure we get the most out of the show.
What’s the big news on your stand?
We will have a couple of artist guest appearances: Michelle Allen, the talent behind our Allen Designs Collection, will be doing a painting demonstration and talking to retailers. Lolita is travelling from the US
to do a meet-and-greet. Lolita’s new cocktail glass collection is launching 20 years after Lolita launched the original concept, and this will be the focus of the event. 2023 will also see the launch of the collaboration between Enesco and The English Ladies Company. Their Disney collection will be on display on our stand ready to present to retailers old and new. Of course, we will also have a fantastic Disney 100 offering across all of our best-selling Disney Collections. We are so proud of the work our global product development teams have done to create this incredible commemorative collection.
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
In this economic climate, we find the trend is to buy functional gifts, so we are seeing huge success with our award-winning Disney and Beatrix Potter baby collections, with best-sellers being muslin squares and bibs (all gift-boxed and under £20).
Home entertaining will once again become the trend. With rising costs in every sector, especially food and drink, this will become so important as people strive to maintain the human contact denied during Covid.
Any survival tips for the show?
Berocca Boost [a vitamin and mineral effervescent drink containing natural guarana and caffeine] - I swear by it! It’s my daily saviour, but at Spring Fair, it’s my must-have.
Sarah Watmore
Owner
Spring Fair always feels like coming out of hibernation, and our stand bursts with beautiful colour ready for Spring and Summer. It’s our most successful show and usually sets the standard for how the year is going to go (with a pandemic caveat).
It’s great to catch up with customers and find out how the Golden Quarter was for them, and talk about any plans for the coming year, as well as seeing industry friends for the first time since September.
What’s the big news on your stand?
We’re hoping that on the back of being told by customers that A/W22 was our best collection to date, they’ll love S/S23 even more! We’ve worked hard to maintain the style they love, but added new pieces and even more adventurous colour combinations.
Spring Fair will also be the first time we’ve used our new tablet ordering app at a show, so we’re keeping our fingers firmly crossed for a smooth tech delivery.
Keren Dicken
Sales and Marketing Director
Personalised Memento Company Hall 4, Stand J10 Why are you exhibiting at Spring Fair?
We feel that Spring Fair is a great place to showcase our new product and ranges, and connect with our existing customers - along with hopefully meeting new customers too.
What’s the big news on your stand?
We are bringing a large range of exciting brand new designs and products to the show.
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
We’ve seen a rise in demand for gifts for gamers and gifts for pets.
Any survival tips for the show?
Wear comfy shoes, and plan your route!
What trends have you spotted for 2023?
In the midst of any kind of economic upheaval, suppliers and retailers alike tend to batten down the hatches and play safe, so we’re expecting more updates than innovation, and the continuation of existing trends such as sustainability.
The colour green, which saw a big resurgence in 2022, is carrying over into 2023 - and the general trend for colour palettes to blend rather than change completely is one we love to see, both for its flow and also the discouragement of fast fashion.
Any survival tips for the show?
If you’re planning on a lot of research, have a backpack or wheelie case for literature and a notebook; it will be much more comfortable than a shoulder bag. Changing shoes, at least between days, is great for sore feet. And bringing your own water bottle to refill as you go will keep you better hydrated and thinking clearly.
If you’re new to the show, definitely scour the show’s website first and have some kind of plan in place for your route around the halls. But be open to spontaneous stops; what a company posts (or doesn’t) on the website might be completely different in reality. And always overestimate how long it will take to wander the halls.
