23 SHOWS & EVENTS This season’s most unmissable events August dates for Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn Scotland’s Trade Fair Autumn has re-positioned itself as the first show of the autumn buying season. Taking place at the SEC, Glasgow from 20th –21st August 2023, the show gives buyers better timing for Christmas buying, allows them to top up for autumn and gives them an early snapshot at 2024 ranges. Over a third of exhibitors at the show are new, offering greater variety and a wider selection of gifts. Ones to look out for are Enesco, Swole Panda, Shu Da Living, Kate Trouw, Academie and Cairn Candle Company. Scotland’s Trade Fair fully supports new young companies with its specially created Launch Gallery. This area is already almost fully booked with companies such as MUKA Jewellery, The Ink Balm (winner of Best Product Award at the Spring Show), Victoria Gordon Art (another Best Product Award winner), Designed by Islay, Rosana Exposito, Oir Soap and Wiktor Jewellery. Mark Saunders, Springboard Director says: “This date change came after serious consultation with exhibitors and retailers and now fits in better with the buying season. Offering retailers an earlier chance to get their hands on new products and Christmas stock is both beneficial to them and their customers. In addition, it aligns the two Scottish shows better with a six-month gap between them. This move has brought us many new exciting exhibitors and we hope new buyers will also attend. Tourism has enjoyed a strong start in the first four months of 2023. Scotland’s attractions are experiencing good footfall which is flowing into the gift shops. This bodes well for the shops, for the suppliers and for Scotland’s Trade Fairs.” Almost 90 per cent of the Show is already booked up with a good selection of gifts, homewares, jewellery and fashion accessories, making it a one-stop show for all types of retailers across Scotland and the north of England. Shows, news & events Diary dates h+h americas 21st-23rd June, 2023 Donald E. Stephens Convention & Conference Centre Rosemont, Chicago www.hh-americas.com Home & Gift 16th-19th July, 2023 Harrogate Convention Centre https://homeandgift.co.uk Scotland Trade Fair Autumn 20th-21st August 2023 SEC, Glasgow www.scotlandstradefairs.com Autumn Fair 3rd-6th September, 2023 Birmingham NEC www.autumnfair.com Harrogate Christmas & Gift 14th-17th January, 2023 Harrogate Convention Centre www.harrogatefair.com Success at h+h cologne 2023 After three busy trade fair days, the international trade fair for creative handicraft & hobby supplies came to a close in Cologne. With the participation of 280 companies from 41 countries, all of the industry’s big brands presented their products and services to the international trade audience again this year and ensured that the over 12,000 trade visitors went home with satisfied faces. In addition to gaining a comprehensive overview of the industry, the trade visitors were finally able to engage in a personal exchange at international level again this year at h+h cologne and this opportunity was exploited to the full. The industry association, Initiative Handarbeit e.V., underlined in Cologne the importance of h+h cologne’s role as a platform for the creative community and as a stimulus for new trends. Since in spite of the unabated trend towards handicrafts, the tense economic situation is also having an impact on the industry. In this way, the overall market for handicraft supplies in Germany was estimated to be around EUR 1bn in 2022, measured in end consumer prices. The market has thus declined compared to the previous years. Whereby, handicrafts were especially popular with the consumers during the lockdown, which led to the turnovers growing significantly in the years 2020 and 2021 (EUR 1.3 and 1.2 billion respectively). Which is why Hedi Ehlen, Chief Operating Officer of Initiative Handarbeit, found the wealth of innovative diversity displayed by the companies at h+h cologne this year all the more important: “Experiencing innovations and creativity together is vital for both the exhibitors and the visitors. h+h cologne is the best platform for this purpose. All of the people we talked to have emphasised the fact that the personal exchange is indispensable. This is why we are delighted that h+h cologne attracted such a convincing number of guests this year.” The motto of this year’s first-class and technically demanding event programme was ‘be creative. be unique’. Discussion rounds, lectures and workshops that provided the trade audience with plenty of inspiration and know-how were offered again on the Talk Sofa and in the course of many workshops. Here the focus lay on practice-oriented tips and information that the participants can utilise for their own business. h+h cologne next takes place, 22nd-24th March 2024.
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