Following the first round of online judging in December, this year’s Gift of the Year judges got together on the last day of Spring Fair (February 9) to finally see and touch the products that had been shortlisted in this year’s competition, spanning 22 categories.
“Judging Gift of the Year was so inspiring and a real insight into the selection of products that are new to the market,” said Sam Gibbs, owner of three Nest gift shops in Stoneygate, Broughton Astley and Thurlaston Garden Centre and Tearoom. “It was a great opportunity to see extra products from the companies that I was there to see at Spring Fair. After the judging, I went away with a new list of stands that I wanted to find, and companies I wanted to buy from, and have bought from.”
She continued: “I set myself pretty high standards for judging and quickly came to the conclusion that values really matter to me – the packaging and the ethos of the company and the product, whether it was environmentally conscious, especially in the eco categories. The price point also became a point of consideration, and whether it would be right for Nest, as well as whether the price would be achievable. I also felt bringing a new direction to a category was important. For example, is the product a new take on something that has already been done or is it genuinely a new and a brilliant idea (and there were plenty of them). All in all, it gave me great hope that British design is alive and bright and has a wonderful year ahead.”
Jo Williams, owner of Joco in Nuneaton, added: “as always, the standard of entries this year was high. “Choosing the top three from each category wasn’t easy,” admitted Jo. “I take into account the potential interest in the product, it’s longevity and interest through its use, the look and feel in terms of the quality and the RRP, as these are all the things my customers look for when deciding on their purchases.”
Summing up the view of the many retailers and industry experts who formed the GOTY judging panel this year – which once again included Progressive Gifts & Home/GiftsandHome.net’s Sue Marks – Ian Downes, director of Start Licensingcommented: “I so enjoyed reviewing all the shortlisted entries and chatting to my fellow judges. There were a few recurring themes that I noticed across the entries, most notably being a greater awareness of sustainability with regard to product development and packaging.”
The winners and highly commended products will be announced at The Gift Awards at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 12 May, marking a significant unified step forward for the UK gift industry.
The awards event ceremony will bring together the GA’s Gift of the Year Awards and The Greats gift retailer awards – currently celebrating their 20th milestone year – organised and owned by Max Publishing (publishers of Progressive Gifts & Home magazine). At the lavish awards event, both gift product excellence and retail prowess will be duly recognised and rewarded.
In addition to the main judging, Gift of the Year finalists are also in with a chance of winning the coveted Judges Choice award, presented in previous years to Gingko, Go La La and Talking Tables.
Once again, The Gift of the Year awards will also be announcing the People’s Choice award which is judged by the general public, enabling everyone to vote for their favourite product across all of the Gift of the Year categories. This year, The Giftware Association has opened it up to all shortlisted products, so there is still an opportunity for a shortlisted company to get through to become the second ever People’s Choice winner.
To view the GOTY finalists, click here – www.giftoftheyear.co.uk/2022-category
The Gift Awards 2022 enjoys a strong roster of sponsors including Spring Fair and Autumn Fair as headline supporter, plus: Abysse Corp; Brand Licensing Europe; British Allied Trades Federation (BATF); Candlelight; Cardzone; Carte Blanche Greetings; Gift Republic; Gisela Graham; Home & Gift Harrogate; Joe Davies; Lesser & Pavey; Life Charms; Progressive Greetings Live; Talking Tables; Top Drawer and Widdop and Co.
Tickets and tables for the awards event on May 12 can be booked via the Max Publishing digital box office event at Max-Tickets.net or by contacting event organiser Createvents: clare@createvents.co.uk or 0118 334 0085
To find out more about The Gift Awards and book tickets click here – www.thegiftawards.com
Top: A trio of gift retailers are shown at the Gift of the Year judging held on the last day of Spring Fair (February 9). They are, from left to right: Katrina Raill, co-owner of Etcetera in Hitchin; Tabi Marsh, owner of Papilio at Heritage, Thornbury and Jo Williams, owner of Joco in Nuneaton.
