Autumn Fair is to welcome almost 25 new greetings card and stationery publishers to the show in September, with the sector on target to reach over 50 per cent growth in new business for 2016.
Big new names for Greetings, Gift & Craft at this year’s exhibition, due to take place from September 4 – 7 at The NEC, Birmingham, include British partyware specialist Ginger Ray and renowned Germany stationery brand Leuchtturm.
Greetings, Gift & Craft will be located in Hall 4 of Autumn Fair alongside the event’s superb Contemporary Gift & Home presentation and a fabulous selection of Fashion Accessories & Jewellery.
Across the whole of Autumn Fair there are 12 individual product sectors, offering countless cross-over buying opportunities at the UK’s most important seasonal trade exhibition.
Also launching at this year’s show is a brand new partnership with the Greeting Card Association (GCA) designed to support the vital greetings show sector. The partnership sets in motion a series of important greetings sector initiatives for Autumn Fair, including a Thinking of You Week promotional campaign and dedicated feature area for new GCA members.
Speaking of the new partnership, GCA Secretary Sharon Little comments: “It’s great to be working so closely with Spring and Autumn Fairs to promote Thinking of You Week and the GCA.”
Targeted Thinking of you Week and GCA promotion is already an integral part of the Autumn Fair marketing strategy, with a raft of marketing and PR initiatives on the cards throughout 2016 and beyond.
Thinking of You Week, taking place from 26 September – 2 October 2016, is an industry-wide, GCA-led initiative that inspires people to share love and happiness by sending a card to a different person each day during the week.
Science has shown that receiving a handwritten card creates a lovely warm positive boost and makes people feel far more special than receiving texts, emails or Facebook messages. The initiative is firmly endorsed by Autumn Fair as an important sending occasion that the show is well placed to support.
Autumn Fair’s manager for Greetings, Gift & Craft, Ricardo Sidoli, says: “We have a fantastic mix of new and returning exhibitors in the hall this year. Autumn Fair continues to be the perfect show to launch a new range of products and engage with buyers form around the UK”
Exhibitors that are new to Autumn Fair for 2016 or returning after a significant absence are: Carindale Labelling Systems, Leuchtturm, Ginger Ray, Jean Barrington Ltd, Linkshelving Ltd, Maarit Kontiainen Art, Mistri Maker, Sabivo Design, Sarah Kelleher, Smiling Face and The Little Posy Print Company.
They join a host of regular participants such as Brainbox Candy, GB Eye, Glebe Cottage, Laura Darrington, Laura Sherratt Designs, Nigel Quinney, Really Good, Soul, Penny Kennedy, Pyramid International, Paper Salad, Pulp, Santoro, Grass Roots International.
Also returning to Autumn Fair for the tenth year is the Cardgains Village, where member suppliers including Cherry Orchard, Creative Party, Grass Roots, Great Gizmos, History & Heraldry, IC & G, Is It Art (including all their brands), Ling Design, Paper Island, Peartree Heybridge, Sarunds, Talking Pictures, The Great British Card Company, Wax Lyrical, Xystos and Yankee Candle will showcase their latest cards, gifts, jewellery, confectionary, party products and other new launches.
For more information and to register for your free ticket visit the website: www.autumnfair.com
