23 SHOWS & EVENTS HALE EVENTS CONFIRMS FINAL EDITION OF GIFT & HOME TRADE SHOW Hale Events confirms that the 2026 edition of our Devon-based Giving & Living Trade Show was its last. “This show has marked a significant chapter in the life of the gifting industry, Hale Events, and for me personally,” said Mike Anderson, Managing Director. Particular thanks from Hale extends to all the organisations that have supported the show over its history. There has been unwavering support from a strong cohort of exhibitors and visitors, and from contractors and service providers. Mike commented “The show has taken place in the South West since 1965 & I have personally worked on the show for the last 37 years. It is an emotional day, but we’re immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together. We would like to thank all the buyers and exhibitors that have supported this regional trade show over time. Every product has its life cycle.” Pictured is Brian Lownds-Pateman of company Babbacombe Pottery. Brian first attended this trade show with his father, in 1970, when it took place in Torquay, Devon and Sales Manager, Paul Thomas presented him with a bottle of bubbly to recognise the extensive period that he has been involved. H+H COLOGNE - TOP-QUALITY VISITORS ARE MAKING THE INDUSTRY SHINE After three successful trade fair days, h+h cologne, which was held at the fair grounds of Koelnmesse from 20th to 22nd March 2026, came to a close with nearly 300 exhibitors from 40 countries and around 11,500 trade visitors from 72 countries, the event provided a boost to the international textile and handicrafts sector. Many exhibitors and trade visitors gave the event a very positive review whilst still on site, highlighting its role as an important international platform. They also emphasised the high caliber of visitors from both Germany and abroad. Almost fully-booked exhibition space and a programme co-developed by the community, underlined the fact that the integration of the industry itself is a decisive success factor for h+h cologne. Numerous ideas and impulses emerged from the exchange with the h+h community, which will enable the handicrafts industry to address the challenges of the future. This goal is also reflected in the further developed brand presence under the claim, ‘Inspired by Crafts. Built for Business’, which conveys the connection between the community, know-how and international business to the outside world. The new brand identity, with its patterns and textures inspired by handicrafts, was particularly prominent in the exhibition halls and was also well received by the handicraft community. The Creative Zone offered hands-on knowledge transfer in the form of guided interactive formats and training sessions. In its fee-based workshops, the Academy Zone additionally delved deeper into contents with the aim of optimising and scaling the day-to-day business of the trade in a target manner. The main themes included ‘Blog to Business’, ‘Pinterest Learnings’, ‘Local Visibility’, ‘Strategies for Community Building’ and ‘AI Applications’. The Creator Zone in the Press Centre East offered suitable workspaces and infrastructure for the production of professional content. The Sewing Zone was an additional crowd-puller, where selected exhibitors presented sewing and overlock machines, fabrics, materials and accessories live. Hands-on demos, real-life examples of application and adaptable concepts gave the trade concrete take-aways for consulting, sales and workshops with their own customers. The internationally renowned crochet artist Will Chatlosh delighted the community with an exhibition of his works, as did the fashion show organised by the member companies of the h+h cologne 2026 at a glance: • Around 11,500 trade visitors from 72 countries, foreign share 45% • Biggest international visitor groups from Switzerland, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan • Nearly 300 exhibitors from 40 countries • Trend Zone with PANTONE 11 4201 Cloud Dancer as the thematic focus • Sewing Zone as a practical hotspot for the trade • Fashion shows organised by Initiative Handarbeit, showcasing the latest trends and looks for winter 2026/27, attracting around 700 visitors per day The next h+h cologne will take place from 2nd to 4th April 2027.
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