New partnerships with Hyve Group, Business Show Media and Raccoon Media Group will integrate intelligent sourcing and navigation into flagship events including Autumn Fair & Glee, ISPO, White & Private Label Expo and The London Business Show
Accio, Alibaba.com’s agentic AI platform for businesses announced it has been appointed as the Official Agentic AI Partner for three premier exhibition organisers: Hyve Group, Business Show Media and Raccoon Media Group. The collaboration will deploy Accio’s ‘Exhibition Agent’ across six flagship European trade shows spanning retail, home & gift, garden, business services, private label and sporting goods.
Accio is Alibaba.com’s agentic AI platform for SMEs and solo founders providing a pre-configured agentic business team that manages the entire SME lifecycle end to end, from market analysis, design and sourcing to store optimisation and inventory monitoring.
Globally, more than 10+ million SMEs already use Accio to run their businesses. It requires no code or setup and automates complex tasks such as sourcing, supplier research, procurement and marketing that would otherwise consume hours of manual effort. By embedding this capability directly into official exhibitor directories and floor plans, the Exhibition Agent transforms raw supplier lists into actionable visit plans, ranked matches and post-event procurement workflows, all within a single conversation thread.
This expansion follows the successful pilot of Accio as the Official Agentic AI Partner of Smart Manufacturing Week in June 2026, where the technology supported over 13,000 visitors and 430+ exhibitors at the NEC Birmingham in the UK.
Launching at Autumn Fair and Glee this September,
The new technology is free to use for all visitors and exhibitors, helping buyers discover relevant brands and products, create personalised exhibitor shortlists, plan the most efficient route around the show and build tailored agendas before they even arrive.
To ensure every visitor can make the most of the new technology, large interactive touchscreens will be positioned at each entrance to Autumn Fair, Glee, and Spring Fair in 2027, where visitors can explore the platform, download the app and receive support throughout the event.
“Show me sustainable garden brands under £30 wholesale” or “I’m looking for new children’s gift brands exhibiting at Autumn Fair,” and receive tailored recommendations drawn directly from the official exhibitor directory.
One of the platform’s most exciting features allows buyers to upload photos of their shop, display or shop window and ask the AI event assistant to recommend exhibitors and products that best suit their retail style, customer demographic or visual merchandising approach.
Because the technology works using information already available within Autumn Fair, Glee, and Spring Fair’s exhibitor listings and online resources, exhibitors do not need to upload any additional content or create new profiles.
The partnership offers an additional opportunity to increase visibility for exhibitors. As buyers search for products and suppliers through the AI assistant, exhibitors whose products match those requirements will be recommended, helping connect brands with highly relevant buyers already attending the show.
For visitors, the platform can generate personalised walking routes around the exhibition, grouping recommended exhibitors together to help buyers maximise their time on the show floor. Visitors can also browse the event agenda, save must-attend seminars and create personalised itineraries, making it easier than ever to navigate the UK’s largest retail buying events. These capabilities are designed to turn exhibitor information and floorplans into personalised sourcing and planning tools.
Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director at Spring & Autumn Fair said: “Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Glee are all about helping retailers discover the right products, make valuable connections and maximise every visit. As our shows continue to grow, we wanted to introduce technology that genuinely improves the buying experience rather than adding complexity. Partnering with Accio Work allows us to offer buyers a simple, intuitive planning tool that helps them discover brands they may otherwise have missed, build personalised buying journeys and spend more time having meaningful conversations on the show floor. It’s another way we’re investing in making our events smarter, more efficient and even more valuable for both buyers and exhibitors.”
By combining intelligent product discovery with personalised planning, Spring Fair, Autumn Fair and Glee’s partnership with Accio Work marks another step in the evolution of retail buying events, helping visitors spend less time searching and more time discovering the products, brands and ideas that will shape the future of their businesses.
Autumn Fair takes place 6–9 September 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.
Glee takes place 8-10 September 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.
Spring Fair takes place 7-10 February 2027 at the NEC Birmingham.
