Show organiser, Kerrison Exhibitions, has announced a raft of new developments for next year’s BCTF, including a new home for the Harrogate event, the launch of BCTF South and the 2022 edition of BCTF Online.
Next year’s BCTF will be taking place from 16th – 18th April 2023 at a new home in the heart of Yorkshire, The Harrogate Convention Centre. This well-established exhibition venue in the heart of Harrogate is a popular choice with retailers, who will benefit from being close to the railway station and easy access to the many excellent hotels and restaurants in Harrogate town centre.
BCTF South to Launch in 2023
Following the success of BCTF in Harrogate and strong reputation built over 46 years, BCTF will expand out from the North of England next year with the addition of a second show in the South of England. The first BCTF South will run from 7th – 9th May 2023 in Sandown Park, Surrey, where it will be a magnet for high-quality buyers from London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and further afield.
BCTF Online 2022
The pioneering digital event, BCTF Online, will return from 15 – 17 May 2022, enabling retailers who were unable to make it to Harrogate an unrivalled opportunity to source authentic British handmade. The event will include many of the designers who showcased their work at BCTF in Harrogate, alongside a large contingent of exhibitors who are new to BCTF or were unable to exhibit in person.
Extremely well attended during the June and September 2021 editions – attracting exceptional quality retailers from far and wide – BCTF Online proved to be a popular and successful event for designer-makers, who were able to reach a wider audience than ever before once the barriers of time and space were removed from the exhibition process.
The digital event features a live messenger service, video-calling and group chat room, enabling buyers to either join in the group buzz or interact one-to-one with exhibitors, see products ‘in the round’ and place orders in real time. Exhibitors will be able to create extended product portfolios with direct links to their own webshops or websites, further facilitating the retail buying process and enhancing their own online presence and SEO – all for less than the price of a classified advert!
According to the Crafts Council once in a decade Market for British Crafts report, around 10.3 million Brits are buying their crafts online, a number which has trebled over the past decade. BCTF Online – an event which forged a path for other retail trade exhibitions throughout the pandemic – is committed to the ongoing development and support of this incredibly important market channel for designer-makers.
If you would like to know more about exhibiting at BCTF Online please visit the website.
Pictured: BCTF Online exhibitor, Sue Palmer-Simmons Glass
