As we head towards this milestone 60th anniversary for Giving & Living on 12-14 January 2025, at Westpoint, Exeter, we catch up with some of our long-term exhibitors to find out what it is that keeps them coming back.
Steve Hadley of SH Sales Nottingham is one of the longest standing exhibitors at the show, which is the premiere retail trade event for the South West region and unique in the UK for its focus on the tourist trade. Steve says: “We’ve not missed a year of Giving & Living since 1981, when it was the West Country Gifts Fair in Torquay where we exhibited in the terraced car park. I think we will probably be the oldest one there that’s been at the show for such a length of time”.
“We keep coming back as we have a regular customer base and I personally enjoy doing it. It’s a nice show and they are nice people to deal with. It kickstarts the year and gets us in the show frame of mind.”
The importance of face-to-face contact with long-standing customers cannot be underestimated, especially when there is the vital opportunity to meet new trade contacts at the same time. This is a crucial factor for John Bradley of JBA, who “started exhibiting at the Giving and Living trade show way back in 2011 with just a three-sided display board”. John says the show gives exhibitors a chance “to show your existing customers new products and catch up on the previous year and also to meet new customers who you may not have met before”.
John continues saying: “The industry has changed a lot since 2011 as [some] suppliers have moved more to online sales only instead of exhibiting at trade shows. However, JBA feels that although this is a viable way to trade, it is not quite the same as meeting customers face to face and the customer being able to physically seeing and touching the products”.
Greetings cards and stationery are another important category for Giving & Living, where visitors can look forward to discovering beautiful new card ranges, often with a focus on tourism hotspots, Britain’s natural beauty and native wildlife.
One of the longest-standing greetings exhibitors is The Eco Friendly Card Company, whose founder, Sue Morrish says: “We started exhibiting all the way back in 1997 we think!” Sue says she likes the show because: “It’s friendly and relaxed, with a lot of independent creatives showing really interesting products. I also love meeting all our customers, it’s a great show for networking”.
The show has changed quite a bit since Sue started out there in the 1990’s. “I think there used to be a perception that the show was all about buckets and spades,” she continues, “but the South West is a great place for art and creativity – this is reflected in the kind of exhibitors you see at the show now. There have been lots of changes – the most significant being environmental awareness amongst retailers, looking for more eco-friendly and local products, which is something you can definitely find at this show”.
Last but definitely not least, Michael Boland of bellwether long-time exhibitor, Bailey’s Pewter, is also looking forward to joining the 60th anniversary edition: “We’ve been exhibiting there every year since the show moved to Westpoint, which is only an hour from home, Bodmin. The show is great for servicing our Cornish clients and catching up, showing new items and getting ideas for new products. Although the main reason is to find new outlets further afield for our extensive range of products that aren’t unique to Cornwall. This has been very successful and we have picked up customers as far away as Scotland.
“The industry has changed a lot over the years,” Michael adds, “but the show gives customers the chance to actually handle the products and see the quality for themselves. A photo online can be made to look very good but you never know the quality until you receive it. The made in Britain section is still going strong, which is great to see. Baileys Pewter will once again be showing in 2025, with our many popular designs and alongside new products”.
Whilst Giving & Living is famed for attracting a big audience of independent retailers from the South West region, including garden centres, farm shops alongside, tourist destinations and hospitality venues, exhibitors come from far and wide for a chance to capture a slice of this lucrative trade.
If you are interested in joining the show in this milestone year, you can find out more information by calling 01934 733433, emailing mail@hale-events.com or visiting givingliving.co.uk.
