The stage is set for Autumn Fair 2015, which takes place this year between 6-9th September at the Birmingham NEC. Promising new products from 1400 exhibitors across 13 market categories, with tens of thousands of new launches, numerous cross-sector buying opportunities and exclusive products – as well as the addition of a new show dedicated to lighting – organiser i2i Events Group has high hopes for the upcoming edition.
Alongside some of the best-known brands in the business, Autumn Fair will host hundreds of new companies and first time exhibitors in what promises to be a valuable destination for retailers searching for new products and trends ahead of Christmas.
Located in halls 2 and 3, the robust Home sector will feature product lines from 100 suppliers – 10% of those new to Autumn Fair this year, including PTMD, Premier Interiors and Edge Sculpture.
Offering a mix of soft furnishings, furniture, wall art, interior decor, Home at Autumn Fair has seen a dramatic upswing over the past two years. Bellwether exhibitors such as Coach House, Chic Antique, Gallery, Ian Snow, Sifcon and PD Global will exhibit alongside those making their Autumn Fair debut, such as Abigail Ahern Designs, which is bringing its wholesale operation to the show.
Abigail has established herself as one of the most influential taste-makers in home interiors. As well as producing her own range of faux flowers and expanding her faux plant collection, her company will offer furniture, lighting and accessories in a comprehensive collection. Also new for 2015 is the Carpet Export Promotion Council, a collaboration of 12 Indian rug and flooring companies.
Many exhibitors are taking out larger stands this year, while several suppliers – such as Premier Interiors – are joining the show following success at sister event Spring Fair last February.
Complementing the array of home interiors products will be The Light Show, making its debut at Autumn Fair in partnership with the Lighting Industry Association (LIA). The Light Show will incorporate around 100 brands. The Light Show – the only LIA-endorsed decorative lighting event taking place in the UK this year – will include market-leading luminaries such as Dar Lighting, Searchlight, Interiors 1900, Impex Russell, TP24, Endon Lighting and Illuminati.
i2i Events Group hopes to attrract some 6000 lighting sector buyers – Autumn Fair as a whole typically attracts up to 30,000 national and international retailers each year. Portfolio director Naomi Barton says: “The arrival of The Light Show at Autumn Fair is a very exciting and important development for the exhibition, one that is hotly anticipated by both exhibitors and retailers in this sector.
“Autumn Fair is perfectly timed for lighting buyers, the central location of the NEC makes it the best possible venue, and a strong housing market bodes well for the success of this launch event. We have already seen exceptionally strong growth in our Home and Lighting sectors over the past couple of years and this major development will ensure Autumn Fair is an essential destination for the market.”
A variety of international suppliers will launch products within the Home sector and The Light Show, including IB Laursen, Light & Living, Chic Antique, Kaemingk and Baroque International. Many of these companies made impressive debuts at Autumn Fair last year and are hoping to build on that success.
With 13 individual market sectors represented at Autumn Fair, the show will also offer significant cross-sector buying opportunities. An array of table and kitchen items plus a huge selection of giftware will all present at the event, which also encompasses the following product categories: Gift; Contemporary Gift & Home; Children’s Gifts; Toys & Gadgets; Volume Gift & Home; Brands of China; Greetings; Gift & Craft; Fashion Jewellery & Accessories; Table & Kitchen; Body & Bath; Retail Shop; and The Summerhouse, a curated gift and homewares showcase.
Joining the show is the Caribbean Export Development Agency, a pavilion featuring 12 companies from across the Atlantic, displaying an eclectic mix of home accessories, hand-made cosmetics, jewellery, indigenous pottery and ceramics, leather crafts and natural body and bath products. Also new for 2015 is Taste Taiwan Design, a group pavilion devoted to unique and emerging Taiwanese design talent.
For those looking to identify future trends, the WGSN-supported Trends Theatre, located in hall 3 adjacent to Designlab, will provide a wealth of ideas. WGSN will provide forward-thinking design direction for the retail community via three macro trend concepts presented via daily webinars, while retailers and business leaders will share the secrets of their success.
The content programme at Autumn Fair is designed to guide visitors through some of the challenges facing bricks-and-mortar retailers, from how to identify the next big thing to visual merchandising and photography.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has again partnered with Autumn Fair. UKTI contributes to the content programme at Autumn Fair, and this year presents iconic British designer Emma Bridgewater, who will discuss her brand’s export journey, as the keynote speaker.
Another show centrepiece is the Ecommerce Theatre, situated within the Retail Shop area in hall 5. Seminar content will address some of the most challenging issues faced by retailers, with session topics ranging from social media to Search Engine Optimisation and website design.
Retail Shop is a key growth area for Autumn Fair, reflecting the swiftly-evolving retail environment. Exhibitors within Retail Shop will help businesses navigate the online space, build a multi-channel offering and enhance their bricks-and-mortar offering through in-store solutions.
This area of the show will include logistics companies, digital marketing and social media specialists, web designers, payment providers, product photography, warehousing and returns companies, mailing houses, PoS suppliers and packaging solutions.
Naomi Barton concludes: “I’m incredibly excited to be working on Autumn Fair, which has massively grown in stature over the years and is one of the fastest-growing seasonal trade exhibitions in Europe, showcasing more new and innovative products than any other event of its kind taking place in the autumn/winter season.”
