Leading seasonal product showcase of Greetings, Gift & Craft grows to reflect evolving retail sector
The newly rebranded Greetings, Gift & Craft sector at Autumn Fair International 2014, an i2i Events Group exhibition, will be presented in Hall 4 of the show.
Over 150 UK and overseas publishers of greetings card, stationery, craft items, gift wrap and related giftware will present their new product launches and seasonal ranges at the event, with more than 20 new companies joining Autumn Fair for the first time in 2014.
Big news for this year is the expansion of the core greeting offering to fully incorporate the blossoming craft sector, an increasingly important element of greetings shops, gift stores and online enterprises. Craft companies participating in this year’s show include Corrine Lapierre, Craftwerk, Krasnaya Nesting Dolls, House of Crafts and The Crafty Kit Company.
A newly launched Hobby & Craft trail will make it easy for visitors to identify relevant exhibitors trading in hobby and craft items throughout the show.
From the world of greetings – currently enjoying an upsurge – renowned contemporary publishers Cardmix and Urban Graphic will be among those setting up their own stands at Autumn Fair for the first time in many years. They will exhibit alongside new retro stationery and gift company Bev-Ridge and Spanish publisher Noguera y Vintro Sa, which will make its UK market debut at the show in September.
Cardmix sales director Keith Gillespie commented: “We had space on the Cardgains stand for the past couple of years to test the water and that was successful enough to warrant us branching out this year with our own stand. Along with our new Spring Seasons lines we’ll be launching new designs within our leading contemporary range Stephanie Rose, plus 12 new designs in the extremely popular Kirstie Allsopp licensed collection.”
Other interesting lines you can look out for at the show include a new gift range from Brainbox Candy, plus beautiful new greetings from much loved British publishers including Blue Eyed Sun, Santoro, Grass Roots International, Pulp Cards, Portfolio, Really Good and Laura Sherratt Designs.
Exclusive to Autumn Fair this season will be the Cardgains Village, where a broad array of member suppliers will offer their latest must-have products and promotional deals. Cardgains retailers can also enter for the buying group’s fabulous 25th anniversary prize draw at the show this year, for the chance to win a brand new Nissan Juke.
Cardgains suppliers already confirmed to participate include some of the biggest names in the business: Ling Design / Talking Pictures, Creative Party, Grass Roots International, History & Heraldry, House of Sarunds, IC & G , Is It Art, Misumaru, Paper Island, Peartree Heybridge, Second Nature/Express Yourself, The CD Card Co/, The Great British Card Co., Cherry Orchard, Pioneer, UKGreetings, Mint Publishing and Carte Blanche Group.
With a total of some 60,000 new products being launched across 10 different product sectors, Autumn Fair International 2014 will also offer great cross-over buying opportunities for retailers seeking to refresh their shelves before the crucial Christmas trading period.
Sharing Hall 4 with Greetings, Gift & Craft will be Fashion Jewellery & Accessories and Contemporary Gift & Home, a sector which also occupies most of Hall 3. Also adjacent in Hall 5 is the UK’s largest seasonal presentation of general giftware, plush and collectables, alongside a tantalising array of Children’s Gifts, Toys & Gadgets.
Images from top to bottom: Cardmix, House of Crafts, Urban Graphic, Cardmix, Laura Sherratt
