Spring Fair, the UK’s largest and most influential trade show for home, gift, and fashion, returns to the NEC Birmingham from 2nd–5th February 2025 for its 75th anniversary, offering a packed programme of free educational content, workshops, and networking opportunities. This year’s event promises hundreds of hours of inspiration, actionable advice and insights, and trends delivered across three dedicated stages: the Inspiring Retail Stage, the Masterclass Studio, and the newly launched Licensing Lab.
A Sneak Peek at This Year’s Highlights
Inspiring Retail Stage | Hall 2
A hub for innovation and forward-thinking ideas, the Inspiring Retail Stage offers daily catwalk shows, high-profile keynote speakers, and cutting-edge trend presentations in partnership with BDA London’s Trendhub. Buyers will gain valuable insights into the future of retail and actionable strategies to grow their businesses.
Masterclass Studio | Hall 3
Dive deep into today’s pressing retail challenges with hands-on panel discussions and workshops in the Masterclass Studio. Tailored for practical application, these sessions cover everything from digital trends to sustainability and AI, ensuring retailers leave equipped with skills and strategies to tackle real-world issues.
Licensing Lab | Hall 5
New for 2025, the Licensing Lab, developed in partnership with Fabacus and Licensing International, is dedicated to driving growth in the licensing industry. With networking opportunities and exclusive expert-led sessions, this space provides invaluable insights for licensors, licensees, and retailers looking to unlock new business opportunities.
Session Highlights
Sunday, 2nd February:
- Keynote – Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen on Unleashing Creativity: Licensing, Art, and Designing for Retail Success. 10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage
- Tess Cope, Leadership Coach at The Transformation Agency leads a dynamic session on Empowering Women in Retail and Entrepreneurship, tackling leadership challenges, Tess will uncover the real barriers holding women back while offering actionable strategies to help them thrive. 10am, Masterclass Studio
- Instagram content creator Rachel Henderson offers actionable advice on The Art of Visual Selling: How to Create Eye-Catching Content That Converts on Instagram. Learn how to transform your Instagram presence with content creator and designer, Rachel Henderson. In this dynamic session, she’ll reveal insider techniques for crafting visually striking posts that capture attention and drive conversions. Whether you’re a business owner or aspiring influencer, you’ll walk away with actionable strategies to make your content stand out in today’s crowded digital landscape. 11.30am, Masterclass Studio
- Key Trends in Licensing for 2024 – Explore the emerging trends shaping the licensing industry in 2024 with Steve Manners, Licensing International. 11.30am, Licensing Lab
- Digital Trends For SME Retailers to Plan For in 2025 – Join leading digital experts Lucy Hall (Digital Woman), Lucia Dello (Dello Insights), and Niki Hutchison (Enjoy Marketing) as they reveal the essential digital trends that SME retailers need to embrace in 2025. 12.45pm, Masterclass Studio
- TikTok 2025: Leveraging Next-Gen Trends to Elevate Your Brand. 2pm, Licensing Lab
- Faire takes to the stage to deliver expert sessions for retailers, offering insights and guidance on industry trends.2pm Masterclass Studio
Monday, 3rd February:
- Keynote – Andrew Xeni, Founder & CEO – Fabacas & Nobody’s Child on Scaling Sustainability: Growing an E-commerce Brand in a New Retail Era. 10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage
- Exceptional Shopper Experiences: Delivering Short and Long-Term Impact. Through in-depth analysis and real-world examples, David Wall and Jauneen Tarin from Kantar will explore the importance of customer experience and marketing in achieving both short-term commercial impact and long-term growth in brand perceptions. They will demonstrate how meaningful and different brand experiences are critical to thriving in an ever-evolving retail landscape. 10.30am, Masterclass Studio
- Join Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen for key insights into design and the Garden of Pattern. 10.30am, Licensing Lab
- Join Ron Sachs, Shopping Director at Deliveroo, for From Click to Customer: Deliveroo’s Cross-Sector Journey in Digital Retail Excellence an insightful exploration of customer-centric transformation across diverse retail sectors. This session will offer valuable takeaways for retailers looking to enhance their customer experience and adapt to evolving consumer expectations in the digital age.Inspiring Retail Stage
- The Future of Sustainable Retail – Strategies That Work with Steve Lister, Sustainability Consultancy to Global Brands, Retailers & Supply Chain Partners. Get ready to be inspired by retailers who are already redefining sustainability in retail. Steve will explore the key strategies that drive sustainable retail success, from sustainable design and ethical material sourcing & selection to responsible manufacturing, mindful packaging, efficient logistics, closing the loop on end-of-life recycling and circular economy principles. 11.30am, Masterclass Studio
- Lunch and learn at the Licensing Lab. Expanding Horizons: Licensing Success and Diversification at Nobody’s Child with Andrew Xeni, Chairman of Nobody’s Child, CEO Fabacus. 12pm, Licensing Lab
- Keynote – Jeff Banks on Licensing, Branding, and the Keys to Lasting Success. Join Jeff Banks as he reflects on 60 years of success in the world of licensing, branding and design – sharing fascinating anecdotes and hard-earned lessons. Discover the do’s and don’ts of building strong partnerships and the true meaning of branding with integrity. Jeff will also explore the importance of environmental responsibility in today’s business landscape. This is your chance to gain invaluable insights from a true icon of British design. 12.15pm, Inspiring Retail Stage
- From Stage to Page: Licensing Insights from Theatrical Giants with the Really Useful Group and Royal Shakespeare Company who delve into how licensing can extend theatrical works into new formats and markets, offering invaluable strategies for creative and commercial success. 1.15pm, Licensing Lab
- Andrew Xeni, Founder & CEO – Fabacas & Nobody’s Child on Digital Product Passports: The Future of Connected Commerce. 2pm, Masterclass Studio
- AW25/26 Homeware & Festive Celebrations Trends: “From Modern Modular to Raw Minimal”. Join Trendhub’s Head of Creative Terrie Isaac on a journey through the intriguing AW25/26 world of Homeware and Festive trends. It’s a season of many contrasts, both minimal and plentiful with lots of attention to raw crafting and print layering. 2.15pm Inspiring Retail Stage
- End of The Line for Barcodes: Are You Ready for 2027? By 2027, QR codes powered by GS1 are expected to begin replacing traditional barcodes, marking a seismic shift in the industry. In this unmissable panel with Camilla Young, Programme Lead at GS1 and Kasia Little, Digital Experience Manager at Bayer Consumer Health discover what this transformation means for your business. Hear directly from GS1 UK about the next generation of barcodes, the opportunities they open, and the steps you need to take to get ready. 3pm, Masterclass Studio
- Jeff Banks on Unlocking the Power of Licensing in Fashion and Beyond. Join legendary designer Jeff Banks to discover how strategic licensing partnerships can elevate brands, expand market reach, and create enduring success in fashion and beyond. This session is a must-attend for anyone looking to harness the potential of licensing to grow their business. 3pm, Licensing Lab
Tuesday, 4th February:
- SS26 Homeware and Outdoor Living Trends: “Evolving Households: Balancing acts and Waste-Nots” with Trendhub’s Head of Creative Terrie Isaacs, assesses the evolving needs of global households and importance of discarded materials, resulting in reworked classics. 10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage
- Fiona Humberstone’s Brand Brilliance session delivers practical strategies for building standout visual identities. 11am, Masterclass Studio
- Helena Mansell-Stopher of Products of Change leads a Sustainability Masterclass exploring emerging legislation and actionable solutions. 12pm, Masterclass Studio
- Join Faire for expert insights. 12.15pm, Inspiring Retail Stage
- Supercharge Your Creativity with Canva. Unlock your creativity with the Canva visual communication suite! In this hands-on workshop, you’ll discover how Canva’s Magic AI features can boost your productivity and simplify your design process. 1pm, Masterclass Studio
- Keynote – Theo Paphitis shares his expertise in Small Businesses, Big Impact: Thriving in a World of Giants. 2.15pm, Inspiring Retail Stage
- Using Data to De-Risk Decisions and Maximise ROI in Retail Licensing with Tom Williams, CEO, Insights Family. Licensing IP for retailers is a high-stakes venture. Success depends on truly understanding your audience, spotting trends, and aligning with the right brands. Join Tom Williams, CEO of The Insights Family, to break down how data-driven insights can help you confidently choose the right IP, de-risk your investment, and maximise ROI. 3pm, Licensing Lab
Wednesday, 5th February:
- A practical workshop by Anti Copying in Design (ACID) and McDaniels Law titled Taking on the Copycats offers guidance on protecting intellectual property in the gifting industry. 10am, Masterclass Studio
- Keynote – Kate Hardcastle deliversThe Science of Shopping – what consumers want next,a dynamic keynote speech exploring themes from her upcoming book, The Science of Shopping. This presentation will focus on the evolution of consumer behavior, the psychology behind purchasing decisions, and actionable insights for retailers to thrive in 2025 and beyond. 10.30am, Inspiring Retail Stage
- Join Elliott Webb, CEO of Urban Farm It for a live demo and learn how he’s putting sustainability at the heart of product development. 12.30pm, Masterclass Studio
Driving Innovation in Retail
Spring Fair 2025 continues its mission to empower independent retailers by combining hands-on experience with visionary insights. The three stages will serve as a vital resource for buyers looking to navigate an ever-changing retail landscape, connect with industry experts, and future-proof their businesses.
For the full schedule visit, https://www.springfair.com/stage-programme
Spring Fair 2025 promises to be one to remember with over 1,200 exhibitors across 12 unmissable buying destinations dedicated to Home, Gift, Fashion, and Everyday categories. Buyers will discover more than 1 million inspirational and innovative products, over 400 new brands and many exclusive only to Spring Fair, and more than 100 international brands. For more information about Spring Fair and the 75th-anniversary celebrations, visit www.springfair.com.
