Spring Fair celebrates 'buzzing' first day in 75th anniversary show
UK-based trade show Spring Fair welcomed thousands of retailers looking for new products and inspiration yesterday, amid a "positive" and "buzzing" first day of trading.
Taking place from 2-5 February at NEC Birmingham, the first day of Spring Fair brought in thousands of buyers from brands and retailers including John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Jarrolds, The Range, Diptyque and HSamuel, amongst others.
As part of this, visitors explored 12 sectors across five halls including Beauty & Wellbeing, Gift, Greetings & Stationery, Toys & Play, Christmas, and Home, Living & Décor, plus more.
Moda x Pure also made its highly anticipated debut, bringing together the best of both shows under one roof with four sectors covering womenswear, clothing and footwear, accessories and jewellery, alongside a rich programme of inspiring content.
Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director at Spring Fair, said: "For 75 years, Spring Fair has been at the heart of the retail community and this year we’ve welcomed more than 1,500 exhibitors to the NEC Birmingham, 400 of which are brand new to Spring Fair.
"It was great to see long queues outside the halls yesterday morning before opening and it remained busy all day. I had so many conversations with exhibitors and buyers who all highlighted the importance of Spring Fair to their businesses."
The trade show officially opened yesterday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. He later took to the stage to present 'Unleashing Creativity: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on Licensing, Art, and Designing for Retail Success'.
Other speakers included Elodie Sarvaiya, Head of Retailer Partnerships at online wholesalers Faire, on utilising online tools to boost effectiveness for retailers, and Google Digital Garage Digital Marketer and Trainer, Kirstie Kavanagh, on how businesses can boost their productivity with Generative AI.
The trade show also added new elements to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Spring Fair, including entrance takeovers, an anniversary fragrance, an interactive timeline celebrating the history of the show, and special collaborations with partners, ending with the show's 75 Years of Excellence Awards.