Toy Fair is returning to Olympia, London from 19th to 21st January 2027 for its 73rd show. With more than six months until the doors open, early exhibitor demand -both from returning companies and brand new- is proving strong, with a large proportion of stand space already allocated, including a sold-out Gold Zone, with ongoing demand from across the industry. Companies still thinking about exhibiting are advised to apply soon, as space is filling up quickly.
Posted: 4 August 2026
The Giftware Association has announced a significant evolution of its organisation, unveiling its new identity as the Home & Gift Association. The rebrand follows an extensive twelve-month period of consultation, member feedback, and strategic planning, designed to ensure the association continues to reflect the changing landscape of the industries it serves. The new name recognises the growing diversity of the sector and strengthens the organisation's position as the collective voice for businesses operating across giftware, homeware and stationery categories.
Posted: 28 July 2026
This September in Houston, h+h is bringing the industry together for a high-impact, relationship driven B2B event designed to spark new partnerships, deepen existing ones, and set your business up for a strong Q4 and beyond. With more than 130 exhibitors already on board, this is where the industry comes together, from yarn, fabric, and thread to notions, tools, sewing machines, embroidery supplies, quilting materials, patterns, kits, and accessories. Whether you're a retailer, manufacturer, distributor, designer, educator, or emerging brand, the Fall Edition is built to help you grow your visibility, your network, and your sales.
Posted: 16 July 2026
Autumn Fair has unveiled the first details of its 2026 content programme, including the launch of its brand-new Counter Talks Stage, a dedicated platform designed to tackle the issues, trends and commercial realities shaping modern independent retail. Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 6–9 September 2026, Autumn Fair's new content offering has been built in response to the findings of the recently launched Voices of Retail 2026 report by Spring & Autumn Fair and Faire, which surveyed 650 independent retailers and more than 2,000 UK consumers to uncover what is really driving growth on Britain's high streets.
Posted: 30 June 2026
Spring & Autumn Fair, in partnership with Faire, has revealed new insight showing that community-building is emerging as one of the most powerful and underused growth drivers for independent retailers. The findings, taken from the recently launched Voices of Retail 2026 report, show that 46% of consumers actively choose retailers that create a sense of community, while 89% of retailers who collaborate with other businesses report positive commercial impact, including increased footfall, stronger brand awareness and new customer acquisition. Despite the proven benefits, just 23% of retailers are actively collaborating today.
Posted: 23 June 2026
Following the overwhelming success of Craft Festival Wales 2025, which welcomed more than 4,000 visitors from across Wales, the UK and overseas, Craft Festival Wales will return to Cardigan Castle from 11th to 13th September 2026. Craft Festival has quickly become a major cultural highlight for Ceredigion, celebrating world-class craft, creativity and community in one of Wales's most iconic heritage locations.
Posted: 2 June 2026
The Knit Show is now the UK's leading trade show for the sector and was created by UK Hand Knitting to give yarn and craft shops a dedicated trade show where they can view the latest collections in a relaxed environment, while networking with other retailers in beautiful surroundings. You can expect to see products from all your favourite yarn and fabric suppliers, plus a tailored selection of new guest exhibitors to broaden the offer.
Posted: 21 May 2026
Registration is now officially open for Autumn Fair 2026, the UK's definitive buying destination for home, gift and fashion ahead of the peak retail trading season. Taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 6th – 9th September 2026, the event co-locates with garden retail show Glee on the 8th – 9th September creating Europe's biggest buying moment for home, gift, garden and fashion retail. Bringing together 1,250+ exhibitors across both shows, Autumn Fair offers an unrivalled opportunity for retailers to source, discover and connect, all in one trip, at a critical time when Q4 ranges are being finalised.
Posted: 12 May 2026
The inaugural Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival concluded its debut edition at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, welcoming more than 12,556 visitors and establishing an immediate and meaningful presence within the North American craft market. The event featured 276 companies from eight nations across 4,182 square metres of exhibit space, delivering a curated, experience-driven environment where education, artistry, and commerce came together to serve today's maker. Held 1-3 May 2026, the Festival introduced a new model for consumer craft events rooted in participation, creativity, and community engagement at scale.
Posted: 7 May 2026
Figured'Art is pleased to announce that it has officially joined AIS (Cenpac) Ltd, marking an exciting step forward in strengthening its presence within the UK retail market. Through this partnership, all AIS members can now benefit from preferential trading terms when working with Figured'Art, alongside access to the convenience and efficiency of the CENPAC central payments system. As part of this next phase of growth, Figured'Art will also be exhibiting at The Gift Edit on 19th May at Cranmore Park, Solihull, stand P370 The event provides an ideal opportunity for AIS members to explore the brand's extensive range of giftable craft formats and discover the commercial opportunities available in-store.
Posted: 30 April 2026