Craft Focus - Apr/May (Issue 66)

Taking place over two days in April, this year’s London Stationery Show promises to be the biggest and best yet Over the past seven years, the London Stationery Show has evolved from a showcase of office products into one of the most exciting retail events of the year. In 2018, the show will be bigger than ever, with a dynamic programme of features, live talks, workshops and trend initiatives. More than 150 stationery suppliers and brands will be taking part, including designs that you won’t see at other UK trade events. If you’re looking to expand your stationery range, this is where it’s at. One of the show highlights is the Stationery Awards, which last year attracted 400 entries across 11 product categories. This year’s competition will be judged by a panel of senior stationery buyers, led by independent retail advisor and Giftware Association Chairman, Henri Davis, together with Cult Pen founders Amanda and Simon Walker and Papersmiths founder, Sidonie Warren. READY TO LAUNCH Launchpad London will also be returning to the show this year, and the 12 winners have already been announced. Each will receive a free exhibition stand from which to introduce their product to the industry. Winners include Back Pocket Notebooks, a premium quality brand designed in Oxfordshire, and Clipmatic, a Bristol-based company that has produced a stylish minimalist organiser. The show team is also working with forecasting experts, Scarlet Opus, to create a Stationery Trend Hub as part of the new Designer Area. Visitors can take part in a looks good on paper DON’T MISS London Stationery Show When: 24 th -25 th April, 2018 Where: Business Design Centre, London Web: stationeryshow.co.uk 30-minute tour of the show, taking in all the latest product innovations. Scarlet Opus has identified a number of global consumer and design trends that are likely to spread to the stationery sector this year , and it will be using exhibitor products and stories to highlight these latest influences. There will be two days of live talks, retailer workshops and hands-on creative stationery demonstrations, too. Each talk will be a quickfire 30-minute presentation, while workshops will offer an in-depth look at product selection and marketing strategy. The show’s creative workshops will also give visitors a chance to sit down and try their hands at calligraphy, paper art and a range of other skills, which can then be tried out in store. show preview craft focus 69