Attire Accessories - Seo/Oct 2019 (Issue 78)

32 One direction Autumn Fair reveals new layout designed to create a more seamless shopping experience while driving sales for exhibitors This year, Autumn Fair is set to launch a new direction for September and beyond. Taking place at the NEC, Birmingham, the show will bring together an array of new and bellwether exhibitors in the fashion and accessories sectors and play host to various debuting and well-loved theatres and areas. BIG AND BOLD Autumn Fair will offer unrivalled sourcing and deal-making opportunities for retail’s boldest buyers. More than 22,000 visitors and 1,300 exhibitors are expected to descend on the NEC for the show, providing the industry with a great opportunity for last-minute stocking-up before the all-important Golden Quarter sales period. For 2019, Autumn Fair will occupy a new venue within the NEC, moving to the Atrium as part of a re-edited offering designed to facilitate connections between suppliers and retailers. The new setup will make it as easy as possible for visitors to get to grips with the products that will drive profits. Across 11 carefully curated show sectors, visitors will be able to explore the latest products driving sales throughout the busy Christmas period and on into key selling periods for 2020. All gifting categories have been brought together into one spectacular Gift sector, creating what the organiser states is the Who: Autumn Fair, autumnfair.com Where: NEC, Birmingham When: 1 st –4 th September, 2019 UK’s largest gathering of gift inspiration under one roof. Likewise, the 2019 re-edit will unite the show’s home and interiors sectors, creating an all-new sourcing and exhibiting destination for British and international buyers and suppliers. The new show sectors are, Beauty & Wellbeing, Gift (Contemporary Edit), Greetings & Stationary, Everyday, Fashion, The Summerhouse, Living, Gift (General), Accents & Décor, Retail Solution, Play & Tech, Sourcing. FASHION FOCUS With a new location in Hall 9, the Fashion zone’s floor layout will mimic the hustle and bustle of high street locations, energising and inspiring those who exhibit and visit. The space will also sit alongside the Gift sector to help visitors looking to diversify do so more easily. New exhibitors include bitz of glitz, Börjessons Handskar, Jackie Brazil Ltd, Jo Thomas Jewellery, Miss Sparrow, Ruth Haldon Design, Sashion, The Hammer Silver Ltd and Thistle Gem Ltd. NEW SOURCING ZONE With the global retail sourcing and procurement market expected to grow by nearly 12 per cent in the period up to 2024, retailers looking to benefit from markets outside of the UK will be able to build essential relationships with leading international exporters and manufacturers at this year’s show. In turn, manufacturers from key sourcing regions around the world will have the opportunity to exhibit new products and showcase techniques to the forward-looking retail market. Throughout Hall 10, international manufacturers coming to Autumn Fair from Ghana, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Tunisia, among other nations, will be bringing together the biggest and best products for gift, home, toys, fashion and kitchen and dining buyers. A dedicated Sourcing Theatre will host talks from well-known industry experts on supply chain management, partnerships, procurement, visual merchandising and more, allowing professional buyers to get one step ahead of market rivals. In addition, visitors will also be able to draw inspiration from the hall’s trend installation, exploring trends that will influence product development and what consumers will be looking for in AW20. TREND-WORTHY PRODUCTS Each of the 11 sectors will be welcoming exciting new exhibitors and the usual visitor favourites. Across the show, exhibitors will be committed to showcasing the most relevant trends for Q4 2019 and 2020. As the season’s largest giftware showcase, both the general and contemporary edits of the Gift sector will deliver a focus on trend-led products, including wellbeing gifts and scented candles and diffusers. Exhibitors such as Eclectic Lifestyle, Bubblegum and Zakka Europe will be joining the show as part of the Contemporary edit, while the likes of Yankee Candle, Puckator and Widdop & Co. will be key features in the General edit. After another successful run at Spring Fair 2019, the DesignFirst platform for new and exciting exhibitors will return to the Gift halls for Autumn Fair 2019. Founder Sevin Ersin said, “As a first-time exhibitor, Autumn Fair 2018 was an enjoyable and useful experience and helped the business grow. That’s why we’re going back again this year.” POWER OF ONE Following the encouraging visitor and exhibitor response at Spring Fair, the Power of One campaign will continue for Autumn Fair 2019. Energising the retail industry to take action against plastic waste and unsustainable practices, the campaign champions the UN’s sustainable development goal for more responsible production and consumption by driving small individual, yet powerful, steps towards a more sustainable future.