Autumn Fair opened its doors yesterday, (NEC, Sunday September 3), with highlights including the Moda catwalk shows (Hall 8). “It was a really busy first day with inspirational products on show and a busy show floor all day,” stated Daniel Mayhew, event director, Spring & Autumn Fair.
He continued: “Visitors enjoyed special features including the Giftware Association’s Gift Of The Year Winner’s Showcase, and it was great to see so many of the retail industry engage in the Greetings Card Association (GCA) Thinking Of You Week and #Cardmitment campaign displays. We look forward to welcoming buyers over the next three days and continuing to fuel exciting new connections on the show floor and product discoveries.”
Among the exhibitors reporting a successful first day was Julian Hunt, managing director of Lesser & Pavey: “We were very happy with the people we saw. The spend was good, with a very positive reaction to our new products.”
At jewellery and fashion accessories company Miss Milly, managing director Sarah Watmore said the company had had “a great first day, opening lots of new accounts. We were busy all throughout the day,” she confirmed.
“We unveiled a new stand design for the show, showcasing our latest home fragrancing launches which include gift sets,” highlighted Demi Pendakis, founder of FYG. “Reactions were very positive.”
Revealed Lash Marash, co-owner of Shrieking Violet: “We had a good first day, with a positive Connect @ Autumn Fair meeting resulting in an order for us.”
Added Zoe Ryan, marketing manager at Fizz Creations: “We saw a lot of independents on Sunday, with retailers particularly impressed by our lighting ranges.”
For visitors looking to spot the key trends, there will be two sessions today (4 September), from Naomi Pollard at TrendBible who will be presenting 2024 Home and Interior Lifestyle Trends revealing how household behaviours and lifestyle choices are set to underpin product and design trends for the home over the next 12 months, and 2024 Gifting and Celebration Trends this afternoon, offering visitors insight into the key trends impacting consumers and the opportunities for celebration.
Visitors will also be invited to attend workshops with TrendBible as well as presentations offering trade show advice for new businesses, how to navigate through challenging economic times, and motivational masterclasses. All will all be taking place on the Inspiring Retail Stage and Moda Catwalk in Hall 8.
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
Top: Autumn Fair welcomed visitors to the NEC yesterday with music from a string quartet.
