As the 2023 Gift of the Year competition, organised by The Giftware Association, continues to gather pace, an exciting addition to the judging panel is the highly acclaimed entrepreneur Sara Davies MBE, an investor on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den since 2019.
Sara, the founder and creative director of global craft retailer Crafter’s Companion – a retail business specialising in crafting, -launched the company while she was still at university aged 21, and now employs over 200 people worldwide.
She joins an impressive line-up of Gift of the Year judges which include Moonpig’ssenior designer Dale Boreham; WHSmith’s Amanda Corrigan; Cardzone’s gift and home fragrance buyer James Taylor; Ankorstore’s general manager Tarum Gidiimal;Hobbycraft’s trading director Heather Robbins; F Hinds’ giftware buyer Amanda Evans, and the Museum of London’s buying and merchandising manager Rita Rooney, along with a raft of award winning, independent gift and lifestyle retailers.
There are 19 Gift of the Year categories this year as follows: Branded Gift: Beauty, Bath & Spa; Cards, Wraps & Stationery; Children’s, Educational and Pre-School; Commemorative, Collectable and Charitable; Contemporary Gift; Design & Craft; Ethical and Sustainable Gift; Fashion Accessories & Jewellery; Festive & Occasions; Food & Drink; Games; Home & Garden; Home Fragrance; International; Kitchen & Dining; Novelty, Tech & Gadgets; Under £15 and My Gift Of All Time.
The closing date for entries is currently 30 November. A first, online judging will take place in December, when the shortlisted products will be announced. A second, live judging will take place at Spring Fair in February.
Gift of the Year winners will be announced at The Gift Awards, taking place at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London on 11 May, 2023, which will again be bringing together the Gift of the Year with The Greats gift retailer awards. At the lavish, black tie event, both gift product excellence and gift retail prowess will be recognised and rewarded.
Visit www.giftoftheyear.co.uk; www.thegiftawards.com
Top: Dragon Dens’ Sara Davies MBE has joined this year’s Gift of the Years judging panel.
