There is less than a week to go until the next edition of Dutch trade exhibition, showUP, which takes place from September 1-2 at the Expo Haarlemmermeer close to Amsterdam’s Schipol airport. Over 400 Dutch, Scandinavian, and other European and overseas exhibitors will showcase the latest trends in gifts, homeware and stationery, whilst sustainability and eco-friendliness will be right at the top of the agenda in a country which has for long led the way in these vital areas. If you are looking for something truly different and inspirational with strong ethical credentials, this is the ideal place to source new products.
When you’re there, don’t forget to have a look at the Trend-zone. The Trend-zone is an exhibition within the trade-fair with a mix of products from exhibitors and young talent. The theme this year is “mind over matter”. Curator of the Trend-zone, Jan Agelink, says: “Instinct and intuition are important for the home decoration. In mind of matter these soft skills are expressed in a presentation.”
If you have time, Katrine Martensen-Larsen, a Danish TV personality, gives styling and décor advice. Her presentation is Sunday at 14.00 and Monday at 13.00 and in English. Look out for the listenUP signs.
Another “must see” section of the show is popUP shop “The Store”. This year’s theme is “Dessin et Decor” and it is just fun to see how cleverly and surprisingly products are shown. Certainly worth seeing to get some inspiration for your own shop.
New for the Autumn 2019 edition of showUP is “Aan de muur” (On the wall), contemporary designs, graphics and illustrations for on the wall. Also new is the mobile gadgets section. These are not your average plastic gadgets, but high-quality gadgets, like an acoustic amplifier made of sustainable walnut wood.
Like every edition, look out for startUP@showUP, a trendy area with eight carefully selected start-ups. These start-ups stood out for their originality, creativity, enthusiasm and promising business cases. You won’t have seen any of these products anywhere before, which makes this a great opportunity.
showUP takes place on Sunday the 1st and Monday the 2nd of September. To register for free visit the website
Eco Watch
showUP exhibitor, Paper on the Rocks, aims to change the way paper is made by developing high-end notebooks made from alternative waste materials, such as stone and agricultural waste. These notebooks are completely tree-free, use way less water and energy compared to regular pulp paper, and no toxins are used. The publisher can develop regular notebooks for daily use and beautiful “branded” notebooks in your own corporate brand identity. Paper on the Rocks is a Bcorp certified organization, meaning that it uses business as a force for good. Besides developing sustainable stationery made from paper alternatives and aiming to change an industry, they also invest 5% of sales to reforestation efforts and naturel reserve protection initiatives.
