WITH THANKS TO . . .

Our Fabulous Sponsors . . .

The Gift Awards 2023 have been enthusiastically supported by a strong roster of sponsors. These include… Ashleigh & Burwood; Aspin; Autumn Fair; Bira; Brand Licensing Europe (BLE); British Allied Trades Federation (BATF); Carte Blanche Greetings (CBG); Crafter’s Companion; Crumble & Core; Exposé Travel; Gift Republic; The Giftware Association; Gisela Graham; Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair; Home & Gift; HousewaresNews.net; Joe Davies; Lesser & Pavey; Life Charms; Method UK; N. Smith; Products of Change; Progressive Gifts & Home; Progressive Greetings Live; Qalara; Source Home & Gift; Sourcing Support Asia; Splatter; Spring Fair; Start Licensing; Talking Tables; Top Drawer; Trade Counter UK; Wallace & Gromit and Widdop & Co.

Our Headline Sponsor

Spring & Autumn Fair is delighted to continue its support of The Gift Awards as headline sponsor,” comments Nicola Meadows, Hyve Group’s divisional managing director for the Retail, Manufacturing and Engineering Division.

“It was fantastic to host all of the entries and judges at Spring Fair for the judging of the Gift of the Year awards, and we look forward to celebrating the winners at The Gift Awards tonight.

“The Gift Awards continue to be vital in uniting the gift industry with the amalgamation of the Gift of the Year Awards alongside the celebration of great retailers with The Greats Awards. It is a not-to-be-missed event for the gift industry.”

Above: Hyve Group’s Nicola Meadows.

Extra thanks to…

Crumble & Core... for designing the sparkling boxed earring tickets. “The Gift Awards are about celebrating the very best of UK gifting products and retailers, and as tonight kicks off with a cocktail reception, we chose a vibrant cocktail of reds, yellows and greens which really pop on the duck egg blue background,” explains co-founder Louise Pike. “The earrings top off the cocktail design with extra sparkle making it a lovely surprise gift for the recipient.”

Above: Just the ticket from Crumble & Core.

Clarion. . . for sponsoring the fabulous pre-dinner drinks reception at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel.

Qalara. . . for supplying the journals, featuring a handspun, handloom woven Tusser wild silk cover sourced from the weaver community in Bhagalpur, situated on the Southern banks of the holy Ganges river in India. The pages are made from high quality handmade paper, crafted by artisans. Left: Journals have been supplied by Qalara.

The Silver Crane Co.. . . for its unique, limited edition Motif mint tins featuring premium, vegan friendly peppermints, free from sugar and aspartame.

The Greats Awards 2023: Finalists

The fabulous Greats retailer finalists are the result of an industrywide poll of gift suppliers, reps, agents and self-nominations.

Amazing Raffle Prizes

Please dig deep for The Gift Awards raffle, where there are fabulous prizes to be won! All monies raised on the night will be divided between The Benevolent Society and The Light Fund.

The Benevolent Society is a charitable society of the British Allied Trades Federation (of which the GA is a part) and financially assists individuals who have worked within the giftware, jewellery, surface engineering, travel goods and fashion accessories industries. The Society also helps individuals starting or progressing their career journeys in these industries through bursaries to help with their studies.

The Light Fund is a registered charity (with Max Publishing directors Jakki Brown and Ian Hyder two of its founders) which raises money for charity projects that help men, women and children all over the world. It has now raised over £2m since its inception in 2004 and has changed the lives of thousands.

Making Beautiful Music

On the music front, get ready to enjoy stand out performances throughout the evening from Mike Braye, a singer/guitarist with over 20 years performing experience. His eclectic repertoire spans six decades, drawing from the finest rock, pop and indie artists. With a stomp box, live looper and vocal harmoniser he brings acoustic covers to life.

Expect to hear anything from The Beatles to Amy Winehouse, Oasis to Kings Of Leon!

Laugh Out Loud

Hosting tonight’s fabulous Awards ceremony, as well as bringing her unique brand of humour to the event, is American comedian and writer Sara Barron, one of the fastest-rising comedians of her generation. Following her 2018 debut at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe, Sara was nominated for Best Newcomer at both the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and the Chortle Awards.

A powerhouse live act, Sara has taken three critically acclaimed stand-up hours, For Worse (2018), Enemies Closer (2019), and Hard Feelings (2022) to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and had multiple runs in London’s Soho Theatre. Her shows have received rave reviews from publications including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Evening Standard and The Scotsman. Now a regular face on television, Sara’s credits include Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie to You? and 8 Out of 10 Cats. She has also featured on BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, The Now Show and Woman’s Hour.

Sara also co-created and co-hosts the hit Succession recap podcast Firecrotch and Normcore which has previously featured guests including Jesse Armstrong, Self-Esteem, Chris Addison and Lorraine Kelly.