Bustling halls and the Moda catwalk show kicked off day one of Autumn Fair yesterday, (NEC, Sunday September 4), with other highlights including the Gift of the Year Winner’s Showcase, the New and Sustainable Product Showcases, the Power of One and Products of Change stand championing sustainability – with advice from leading experts – and the Greeting Card Association’s Thinking of You Week Wall of Cards.
“Sunday was fantastic,” confirmed Paul Hooker, managing director of Joe Davies. “From the off, we were incredibly busy all day, with our newly launched super soft sherpa Hoodzie hoodie a huge hit with buyers looking for cosy, snuggling up products for Autumn/Winter.”
On the Candlelight stand, marketing manager Kate Winch commented: “None of us knew what Sunday would be like, and how busy it would be, but we were pleasantly surprised, with the stand very busy all day.”
Gallery’s marketing director Bruce Bell also reported a “super busy” Sunday. “It was fantastic to be back at Autumn Fair where we definitely picked up an air of optimism. We’re really looking forward to the next three days as we’ve got some fantastic appointments.”
On the Aromatize stand, head of sales Victoria Walker said that the company had seen a steady first day. “We opened lots of new accounts and are very much looking forward to the rest of the week. Meanwhile Shrieking Violet’s co-founder and director, Lash Marash, highlighted that “people were definitely at the show to buy.”
Returning to Autumn was Widdop & Co, with Catherine Paul, head of marketing and e-commerce, confirming: “We had an outstanding first day, and people were very complimentary about how we had presented our new look stand. It’s concise and focused, with the concept very much about newness and best sellers.”
Today’s show highlights include Gifting Trends 2023; the Moda Catwalk show; Net Zero in Giftware: Exploring The Future; and the Source Home & Gift Launch Party.
Autumn Fair will be welcoming visitors on and up to 4pm on Wednesday 7 September. Visit www.autumnfair.com, register at www.autumnfair.com/visitor-registration, and download the official Autumn Fair app.
Top: It was standing room only for the Moda Catwalk show which took place at Autumn Fair yesterday.
