With well over 200 entries to this year’s Stationery Show Awards, the judging panel are going to have to work hard to review all the products put forward by exhibitors.
The Awards judges include Pamela Cartwright, stationery buyer at Paperchase, Joanne Barber, of the Stationery & Gifts Boutique, Bedfordshire, Katy Golden, category manager for stationery & gifts, at WHSmith Direct and Jo Irons, buying director of Bureau Direct. Independent retail adviser Henri Davis will chair the judging panel, helping to ensure that all show exhibitors have the opportunity to get their new products get in front of some very influential buyers.
This year the show has added two categories to the Awards – Novelty (Up to £10 RRP)) and Licensed Stationery, to reflect the burgeoning number of exhibitors with product in these areas – and amended its Fine Writing Instruments category to ‘Writing Products Over £25’. The other categories are Everyday Writing Products, Diaries, Organisers and Calendars, Filing and Storage, Notebooks and Journals and Social (paper, envelopes, notecards, invitations). In addition, the judges usually award their own overall winner for the year.
The entries will be judged on the first day of the London Stationery Show, Tuesday April 28, and the winners announced at the end of that day.
“The Stationery Awards highlight the year’s standout products and they also bring together the show’s new products into one key display – centre stage at the front of the hall, says show director Chris Leonard-Morgan. “All our visitors entering the show can see what’s new in the show, easily review trends and, on the second day, see if they agree with our judges!” says Chris.
The London Stationery Show, which runs at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on April 28 and 29, has well over 200 stationery brands and suppliers from around the world taking part this year, and is the only UK trade show dedicated to stationery and writing products.
