Spring Fair confidently planning ahead

Julie Driscoll, Divisional Managing Director for Retail, Engineering and Manufacturing at Hyve Group plc says: "We're confidently planning for the show and are very much looking forward to seeing all of you there. As we always have done, we take our responsibilities around Health & Safety at our events incredibly seriously. Anyone entering into the NEC venue at Spring Fair (including those during build-up and breakdown) will need to show their valid Covid-19 Pass, or a negative result to a Lateral Flow Test taken within 48-hours. In addition, aligned to Government guidelines, all attendees will wear a face covering during the show.

"As well as our responsibility to Health & Safety, we also have a huge responsibility to the many thousands of businesses that rely on us as a key part of their buying and selling calendar. We saw a renewed energy and excitement at both Autumn Fair and Glee amongst the thousands of exhibitors and attendees. Everybody who attended the event came to do business. We also successfully launched Curated Meetings, delivering over 300, 15-minute face-to-face meetings, generating hundreds of thousands of pounds of business and an incredible return on time investment for participants.

"We've grown Curated Meetings exponentially for Spring Fair, incorporating all sectors of the show. Averaging £330k in buying power, leading retailers signed up include Denby Retail, John Lewis & Partners, Midcounties Coop Food, Paper Tiger, Yorkshire Willow, Whirligig Toys, Riley's Garden Centre, Evie&me Interiors, Staines & Brights, D Cutler International, and Four Sisters.

"What 2021 has highlighted is the importance of reliability and retailers being able to see and touch what they are buying; one thing is clear they cannot afford another year of virtual buying. Spring Fair has been a vital cog in the retail supply chain for sourcing products and reinforcing those face-to-face relationships for many years and in 2022 it is vitally important for our industry that Spring Fair opens its doors to allow retailers to restock and buy for the year ahead."

Sarah Ward, CEO, Giftware Association, agrees that the UK retail industry should continue to trade safely at Spring Fair, saying: "The entire retail industry has learned so much from the pandemic, particularly the need and desire for in-person business and buying. Spring Fair is crucial for the future of the giftware industry, not just to source products but also to facilitate and build relationships, to forge new partnerships, and to discover and drive innovation and inspiration. I have complete confidence in Hyve Group and the Spring Fair team to continue to create brilliant and safe shows and communicate best practice to everyone involved and attending them."For further information, visit: https://www.springfair.com/