Craft Focus - Feb/Mar (Issue 65)

As head of events at ICHF Events, Dominic Fleming is the driving force behind CHSI Stitches – the key trade event in the UK craft industry’s calendar. Dominic has many years of exhibition and event management experience, in particular trade show management. He’s passionate about exhibitions and the unrivalled impacts for businesses and has brought this enthusiasm and vision to CHSI Stitches, which is set to see some exciting developments in 2018. What does your work involve? My work so far has been focused on exhibitors and giving them the best possible experience and return on investment at the show. I’ve also been working with the marketing team to plan exciting changes to the show and capitalise on our visitor database. The show’s a hugely popular and successful event but, like anything, has to change with the times so much of my work has been looking at how it can be further developed and grown in the next few years. What’s your main focus for the development of the show? Our main focus is ensuring that CHSI Stitches remains central to the industry and is delivering what exhibitors and visitors need. As part of our new Presentation Theatre, we’re presenting The Craft Report, a brand-new piece of independent UK craft industry consumer research. Not available anywhere else, the research will give visitors and exhibitors the latest data and insight on consumer trends and spending and craft participation. The Craft Report will be presented each day of the show, making it a must-see for visitors this year. Many of our most popular features are also getting a refresh, giving both exhibitors and visitors even more inspiration. What advice would you give visitors to CHSI Stitches 2018? Take a look at our website ( chsi.co.uk ) and plan which exhibitors you want to visit first. Keep an open mind and browse stands from well-known brands and those you may not yet have heard of. Make sure you take in some of the talks in The Presentation Theatre and don’t miss The Craft Report. For plenty of inspiration, take a look at new products from start-up companies in The Next Big Thing area and the latest creative trends on the New Product Catwalk. What would you like to achieve over the next 12 months? We talk to Dominic Fleming as he gears up for another exciting CHSI Stitches new steer for flagship trade show craft focus 39 CHSI Interview