Hyve Five

A bold new partnership between Spring and Autumn Fair organiser Hyve Group, and Products of Change, has seen the grand launch of a new series of educational resources for retailers, buyers, and brand owners across the gift and home sector, highlights Products of Change’s Rob Hutchins, editor and community manager.

“Okay, we know the score. You hear the word ‘whitepapers’ and suddenly you’ve remembered you left the oven on. The kids need picking up from school. The cat litter tray needs emptying. There are literally a thousand reasons not to read one.

None of those excuses are applicable here. And none of them cropped up when Products of Change embarked on its joint venture with Hyve Group - the team behind Spring and Autumn Fair - to deliver a fivepart series of learning and knowledge resources all on the topic of sustainability. And that says everything you need to know about us.

Yes, you read that correctly. That number. Again, is indeed five. Sustainability is, after all, one heck of a meaty topic to sink your gnashers into. But it’s also one filled with exciting potential to unlock new business models, new revenue streams, and a whole new age of working in harmony with the planet and its resources, rather than battling against it. And the best part is, that knowledge is all at your fingertips, now.

It’s all part of Hyve Group’s ongoing Power of One campaign, built upon three powerful pledges to help retailers take steps to ‘change the world, their mental health, and their environment.’

“Our aim, through collaboration is to assist retailers and brands with their journey to operating a more sustainable, ethical, and regenerative business,” explains Nikki Griffiths, group communications and ESG director at Hyve. “And the aim of the whitepapers is to continue the show’s Power of One activity by providing businesses across the gift and home sector with the tools to build action, and together reduce the collective impact over the next eight years.”

This is the ethos that sits at the heart of Products of Change. Which is why the team was called upon to deliver the whitepapers - a new suite of resources for retailers and brand owners with a vested interest in the planet.

The Pathway to Sustainability, The Circular Economy, Consumer Trends, Navigating the Green Claims Code and Avoiding Greenwashing, and Legislation; these are the five foundations of the industry’s journey of sustainable development. They also happen to be the five Products of Change x Hyve Group whitepapers - delivered through the creative eye of NOSY. And they all launched in time for this year’s Spring Fair.

The resources have been created by the experts at Products of Change, including founder Helena Mansell-Stopher, Products of Change’s circular economy ambassador, James George, and packaging and materials ambassador, Mike Swain.

“Education is at the heart of Products of Change and to get the opportunity to deliver some practical guidelines to the industry through our collaboration and help the industry navigate the broad topic of sustainability to build action within business through these whitepapers, is a real privilege,” said Hyve Group’s Nikki. “We can’t wait to see how this work is transitioned into business to drive real action.

“Thanks to our partnership with Products of Change, we can deliver real education to our audience of retailers and suppliers, with which they can begin to build actionable steps as part of a wider strategy to transition towards sustainability and business practices that benefit people and the planet.”

The Products of Change x Hyve Group whitepapers are available to download and read via www.springfair.com. Products of Change members can access the resources via the Members Hub at www.productsofchange.com. Anyone looking to join the Products of Change member community and access the platform’s expanding library of learning resources and industry insight can find out more by getting in touch with me on rob@productsofchange.com.

“We are really excited to deliver this first series of whitepapers through the lens of the expertise at Products of Change,” added Nikki. “We look forward to seeing the positive change we can all drive across business around the world together.”