Craft Focus - Oct/Nov (Issue 63)

The new Manchester Stationery Show is developing its own style. Here’s what to expect… The show will take place in the heart of Manchester at the Cotton Sheds, part of the Victoria Warehouse venue in Old Trafford, and is targeting visitors from across the industry including booksellers, craft retailers, dealers and wholesalers, department and variety stores, gift and greeting card retailers, mail order and online business, visitor attractions, specialist print & copy shops, and stationers and all the national supermarkets. The show’s timing and venue mean that it’s already developing its own industrial chic style. The backdrop of exposed brickwork and beams with plenty of twinkling lights and colourful product will create a welcoming environment for visitors in the run up to the busy Christmas sales period. Like London, the Manchester Stationery Show will run for two days and will focus on specialist writing and paper products which are design-led and fashion-forward. This specialist stationery trade show will be supported by key features including: THE H.E.N.R.Y’S ARE COMING! RETAILERS ARE YOU READY? Much has been said about the millennial generation, but what are the facts about them, what makes them the H.E.N.R.Y’S of today and tomorrow and will they be buying stationery? Phil Pond of trend forecasters Scarlet Opus will be tackling how this group of consumers are different from any other, and how understanding their expectations and influence over all consumer age groups will help retailers recognise how to win their custom. His presentations, on both days of the show, will also look at how the stationery industry can work in harmony with the digital world to grow business. He’ll review fashion and design trends to identify those that will work well for stationery and are worth investing in. “This year the most popular design style for Christmas will be a very traditional, handcrafted, rustic and natural look. We’ve called the style ‘Homeland’ and we’ll share details that will inspire and inform festive merchandising and window displays,” promises Phil. THIRTY UNDER 30 Talented business people from the stationery world were asked to step forward and be acknowledged by the Thirty Under 30 Awards for their role as the up-and-coming generation. The initiative will be showcased in a display at the show. LAUNCHPAD Following its introduction at the London Stationery Show earlier this year, sister show Manchester is also running its own LaunchPad competition to find fledgling stationery suppliers looking to break into the booming design-led stationery market. The competition’s aim was to find six winners to showcase at the show, and was judged by three leading names from the stationery sector during September. Their task was to find six products/services, which they deemed of true interest to the stationery industry and stationery-loving consumers. The six deserving winners will also have the possibility of being awarded a free six sqm stand for the 2018 show and also benefit from extensive PR and marketing support from the Stationery Show. CREATIVE STATIONERY WORKSHOPS The show includes a series of hands-on Creative Stationery workshops, which has been sponsored by us here at Craft Focus and led by our editor Julie Bonnar. “I’m looking forward to working along side organisers Ocean Media, to devise a programme of simple hands-on workshops that retailers can easily run and adapt for their own store. This will help to engage customers, and encourage them to try and buy stationery products. The workshops will be running between 11am and 4pm daily so do come along to one of the session and learn a new skill and get creative with stationery,” says Julie Bonnar. To view the full workshop programme visit the Manchester Stationery website, where you can book in advance or if there’s space come along and join in on the day. Industrial chic DON’T MISS Manchester Stationery Show When: 31 st October - 1 st November, 2017 Where: Victoria Warehouse, Manchester Who: Ocean Media Web: stationeryshowmanchester.co.uk Times: Tuesday: 9.30am - 5pm, Wednesday: 9.30am - 4pm show preview craft focus 33