Craft Focus - Jun/Jul (Issue 67)

1,300+ EXHIBITORS EXPECTED AT ASIAN GIFTS & PREMIUMS SHOW Presented by Comasia Limited, an annual Asian sourcing bonanza featuring four concurrent shows will take place from 20-23 October at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre. The yearly event has become a regular feature for buyers across the region who are looking for on-trend gifts and premiums, toys and games, housewares and home decor. The huge fair has become an all-important showcase over the past two decades, and last year featured 1,342 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions. More than 37,000 international import and export houses, wholesalers, distributors, agents, mail order companies and retailers from some 130 countries attended the event. The 2018 edition is set to fill the world-class venue with an even wider and more varied selection, catering for buyers’ needs as well as introducing the latest trends. The show’s Design Studio zone will showcase a range of innovative ideas and products, and buyers will be able to meet with talented new designers and startup companies. The exhibition will also feature a wide range of customisable corporate gifts and promotional products. Go to asiangnp.com for more details. NEW STATIONERY AREA FOR TENDENCE 2018 Taking place in Frankfurt from 30 th June to 3 rd July, this summer’s Tendence exhibition will include Paper & Friends, a new area dedicated to calendars, greetings cards, stationery, gift books and notebooks. “With clearly focused content and a careful choice of exhibitors, we will be offering stationery, gift and lifestyle shop-owners a product mix that is diverse, yet goes together,” says Bettina Bär, Show Director. “With its date in early summer, Tendence presents an ideal ordering platform, particularly for calendars and greetings cards, as well as the whole range of Christmas stationery products.” Well-known companies including Ars Vivendi, Lagom, Pabuku and Paper Moon have already expressed interest in exhibiting their products in the brand new area. Paper & Friends will be curated and designed by Angelika Niestrath, who has many years’ experience in developing and implementing innovative exhibition concepts. “The new area will present the different product ranges as an attractive package, like a concept store for specialist retailers,” she explains. “What’s more, the imaginative design of the stands will generate impulses for creative product displays in shops.” With more than 20,000 visitors and 1,100 international exhibitors, Tendence is one of the most important consumer trade goods fairs of the year. Find out more online at tendence.messefrankfurt.com shows, news and events ARTISANAL GOODS SHOWCASE TO LAUNCH AT AUTUMN FAIR 2018 This year’s Autumn Fair will play host to Global Handicraft, a new showcase of artisanal products from across the world. With the £3bn UK craft industry growing by 4.5 per cent each year, the trend for artisanal products has become a key feature of the home and gift market, and will be a major part of this year’s event. The inspirational Global Handicraft segment will allow manufacturers to display bespoke products from a range of disciplines including jewellery, fine ceramics, exotic textiles and unusual lighting, enabling retailers to be the first to stock a range of rare and unusual items. It will run for the entire length of the fair, which takes place at NEC Birmingham from 2 nd -5 th September. Live craft demonstrations will also feature, as well as a programme of seminars showing shop-owners how to take advantage of this growing trend. “Consumers have made it clear they want to connect with the products they buy and understand how they were created,” says Louise Young, Managing Director of Spring and Autumn Fair at Ascential Events. “Autumn Fair is the retailers’ gateway to the golden quarter – the show is perfectly timed for short orders and the key holiday selling period. It is also ideal for sourcing products in the first half of the following year. Handicraft is a growing revenue stream across the industry, from independent gift shops to multi- store high street retailers.” For details, visit autumnfair.com 26 craft focus