Roving reporter, Denre Bruins writes: With the showUP and Trendz collaboration and relocation, this would be the last time I walked through the doors of the Expo Greater Amsterdam. Whilst I’m sorry to see this location disappear from the calendar, the good news is that this opens a door to the largest retail event for Home, Flowers & Gifts in the Benelux.
The first joint edition of Trendz / showUP will take place on 30 and 31 August and 1 September 2026 and does not clash with any major UK events. This will simplify matters for companies wishing to showcase brands to both UK and EU markets and, likewise, retailers who want to cast their net widely in their quest to find the hottest new lines to stock their shelves with.
As always, the atmosphere was great, with lots of friendly stand holders promoting their new collections. Over the years I’ve got to know many of them and seeing them again on the show floor always gives me a buzz.
Talking about buzzing, when I sat down at one of the tables at the back of hall 1 I found a little envelope that had written on it: “Finder’s keepers”. I opened it and in it was this little card with a heart and the text “To buck you up”. Thank you happylittlemoment.com for this nice surprise. (below left).
Making Memoireis
At Memoireis (above) it’s all about celebrating those moments in life that are precious to you. A beautiful, finished box and book to store your important memories into eternity.
Just opposite Memoireis was the stand of StoryTiles. I already featured them in a previous review of showUP, but since we have a big dog (Carson) and although there is little resemblance between Carson and the dog on the card, seeing the card with a dog on a pile of pillows, I just had to put that in, knowing he would try the same.
We love nature and although also already mentioned in a previous review, the stand of Wildlife Garden had again a nice selection of products on display. They were not the only ones with garden products that got my attention. The very stylish bird houses by Heeej.nl look fab and were remarkably affordable.
Here comes the sun
Life is just better when the sun shines and to make it even better, with WAKA WAKA (above) you can now “share the sun”. Their products include ultralight and ultrafast power-banks, solar panels and other gadgets that make life easier. They are members of “1% for the Planet”, a worldwide network of companies that donate 1% of their revenue to environmental nonprofit organisations.
By now I had collected quite a few business cards and catalogues and was in need of a good bag to keep it all in order when I spotted notabag. Wondering what this was, if it wasn’t a bag, I walked over to get myself better informed. It turns out they do make bags, but foldable. Handy to take with, for those moments you do a bit of impromptu shopping or card collecting!
With all that paper, it made me realise the vast amount of paper that gets wasted during proofing and offcuts. I was not the only one who thought of that and the guys of Redo Papers are making a living out of it. Cleverly sorted offcuts and declined proofs are transformed into nice colourful notebooks that are handy to use.
Hanging Loose
Although recycling is mainstream nowadays, many people still have that “alternative feeling” about it, along the lines of some hippies somewhere in a field trying to save the planet. Busting apart that theory are the fabulous designs by Moken Organic Eyewear (above). Stylish eyewear, goggles and more for the extreme sports community. Hang loose.
Thinking of being out there on the beach reminded me of the poster I saw at Printjes. She makes funny cards and the one I was thinking about in particular was: “Home is where I kill my plants”. But not any longer as explained to me by neighbouring stand, Mathilde & Margot, with the use of the ollas from pepin. The ollas distribute water autonomously and gradually for simplified watering. They come in many different patterns and colours. Always handy if you’re away for a couple of days.
Also worth mentioning is Gigi van Grevenbroek. This young and upcoming artist tries to make the world more accessible with her illustration. Her work is colourful, full of lines and great for a wide audience. Behind every work you can find an important message that makes the viewer more aware of different topics.
Kaleidoscopic Colour
To rice(byrice) I would say, you’re welcome and thank you for bringing more colour into everyday life. Another stand that stood out was that of Kitsch kitchen (above), with strong colours and clear marketing.
Last but not least and not hard to mis was the stand from Ib Laursen. This Danish company showcased some stylish products in contemporary colours.
As always, there were so many other great products and people to talk to that I can’t include them all in my review. For example, the candidates of the showUP Academy, who were there for their third time running to show what they have learned during their Master Classes, or the tour around the show floor with Jan Agelink that included short interviews with artists/designers.
To see for yourself, register for the Autumn event on 30 and 31 August and 1 September 2026.
