Event Review

Inset: Stomp Luxe, Cosmo and Venus Jogger, got a lot of positive feedback on Ickle Bubba’s stand.

ALL HAIL HARROGATE

With exhibitor and visitor numbers up in 2022, Harrogate International Nursery Fair has been hailed a huge success by the industry. PPS catches up with some key exhibitors to find out how the show went for them.

Sébastien Charles, vp sales and business development, Europe – Middle East, Angelcare Group

“Great show. Meeting again our partners and the whole industry in person brought great energy. The major European show [Kind+Jugend] was nice but still quiet, so international visitors were in Harrogate and we could grow our worldwide coverage as well.

“We succeeded in developing our ranges during the pandemic. We also created a lot of new marketing assets to support our sales partners. Huge feedback welcomed these exciting new products and brand imagery. More specifically, we launched a revolutionary bath to our leading bathtime range and introduced the Pabobo by Angelcare award winning sleep range (night lights, soothers and sleep trainers). We will deploy significant investments to support these launches in 2023.

“The timing of the Harrogate show is perfect to reveal our new products and build strong partnerships for the years to come. We’re very excited to be participating in the best industry event in 2023.”

Right: Angelcare received positive feedback on its new products and brand imagery at the show.

Emma Scorah, marketing director, Ickle Bubba

“This year’s show was very exciting for Ickle Bubba, as it gave us an opportunity to showcase our new travel and home range. The team have been working hard to update some of our existing lines and bring several exciting new travel and home products to our customers, so to be able to showcase them amongst our peers was exhilarating after the last few months of hard work to get them to market. It was also great seeing the other brands and getting a sense of what is happening in market. “Ickle Bubba’s highlight was the feedback we received from retailers and media alike on the new range, stand out products were the Stomp Luxe, Cosmo and Venus Jogger, which got a lot of positive feedback, but in all honesty, we had lots of great feedback on all the products we showcased this year. This is testament to the effort that has gone in from the broader Ickle Bubba team to launch a customer focused, new product range. For me personally, we had lots of positive feedback on our most recent campaigns and branding, so I came away pleased that our marketing efforts are starting to resonate in market. “We are reviewing next year’s activity in the coming weeks to start planning for the second half of 2023, and Harrogate is very much on the consideration list. The show is a great forum to showcase our brand and range plus it gives us the opportunity to have face to face meetings with new and existing customers. We use this time effectively, to talk through the products with a more hands-on approach and this generates productive discussion on future opportunities. It is also really lovely catching up with people in person, when the majority of time it is through emails or calls.”

Martin Boyle, iCandy md

“The show this year was our most successful Harrogate attendance to date, and our network of retailers and distributors were impressed by our ever-evolving innovations. Despite the current economic climate, the energy on our stand was upbeat and optimistic, and we were delighted with the encouraging feedback about our people and products alike.

“As well as presenting the iconic iCandy range on a stunning new stand design to our extended network of retailers, we were thrilled to unveil a prototype of our revolutionary child car safety seat range, the iCandy Halo. The response was overwhelming, and we are extremely excited to now bring the product to market over the coming 12 months. In addition, we showcased the latest Peach 7 drop-in colours, much anticipated new Peach All-Terrain and new MiChair which will be launching in 2023. “As a proud British brand, the Harrogate International Nursery Fair is extremely important to iCandy, and it’s a real honour for the business to be part of the largest nursery trade show in the UK. The event allows us to showcase the very latest iCandy innovations not just to the UK market, but to its international industry attendees. We are very much looking forward to returning to Harrogate in 2023.”

Left: iCandy showed a prototype of its new Halo car seat on a newly designed stand.

Brett Capon, sales director, Snüz

“Harrogate International Nursery Fair is always a great opportunity for us to see our UK retail partners in person. It’s not often we are all under the same roof. This year we benefited from not only seeing our UK customers, but we also had the opportunity to connect with international retailers and distributors that expressed a huge interest in Snüz’s products.

“We were showcasing our 2022/23 new product development including SnüzFino, SnüzBaskit and SnüzCurve. It was amazing to hear such positive feedback and see a huge interest in what could be next for us as a brand. As for many, the past 12 months has been a real challenge especially when it comes to seeing our customers in person, so to get the opportunity to spend some quality time with them was a highlight for us.

“We will of course be attending Harrogate Nursery Fair in 2023. The show is cemented in our diary every October for the foreseeable. We were quite a late addition to the show this year, so will be ensuring we get in early for 2023 to secure space in the main halls.

“Harrogate International Nursery Fair is the perfect opportunity to showcase our new and trusted nursery products. As a leading nursery brand, our customers always expect to see us there. The show is a great opportunity to connect with existing customers, potential new customers and other nursery brands. The instant feedback is crucial and is something that we truly value, particularly when we are showcasing new products.”

Left: A number of new launches were on the Snüz stand including SnüzFino, SnüzBaskit and SnüzCurve.

Myalee Sofield, country manager, BIBS

“It was the first time we have exhibited at Harrogate and we found it to be a great show. It was very well organised and communicated with a great mix of exhibitors and visitors. It was well laid out and easy to access too and all the organisational staff were extremely helpful and supportive.

“We took some great orders, met with lots of current accounts as well as prospective accounts and also met with some buyers that we had not expected to see, so overall it was a great success for us. We will most definitely be exhibiting next year. “The Harrogate International Nursery Fair allowed us to showcase our full product range for the first time and really promote our brand and most importantly, to meet with lots of current accounts as well as new potential accounts too.”

Left: BIBS exhibited at Harrogate International Nursery Fair for the first time this year.

Emma Peak, UK sales and marketing manager, Thule

“Harrogate was very good, great attendance, it was organised well and we felt really looked after. We were busy with lots of appointments with media and retailers. Surrounded by high calibre brands from across the world, it really felt like it was an important place to be.

“Our highlight was the launch of our amazing new innovative products to trade, the Thule Air Purifier and Thule Car Seats, available in 2023; it was an amazing launch and was received really well.

“It was important to show off our new products and show our commitment to the nursery industry. It was so nice to meet people face to face and properly network in the industry. We’ll be back next year.”