Home & Gift Harrogate concluded last month on "a resounding note of success", says organiser Clarion Events, pointing to a significant visitor uplift and record exhibitor rebookings.
Held across four halls of the Harrogate Convention Centre and three design points in the grounds of the DoubleTree By Hilton Harrogate Majestic Hotel, the event brought thousands of industry professionals, exhibitors and buyers together from around the world for "an immersive and inspiring festival experience".
Benefiting from a new layout and larger footprint, the event saw the visitor Net Promoter Score (NPS) go to +43 from +20 in 2023, and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) rise to 4.01 from 3.89.
Over the show’s four days, exhibitors benefited from an audience of which 30% had never visited Home & Gift before, driving significantly increased footfall versus 2023 across several visitor types, including garden centres (+5%), interior designers (+48%) and galleries/museums (+60%).
Among the attendee list were buyers from Fron Goch Garden Centre, Barkers Northallerton, Blue Diamond Group, Bosworths Garden Centre, British Garden Centres, De Beers Garden Centre, Dunelm, Fenwick, Haskins Garden Centre, Hoopers Department Stores, John Lewis and Wentworth Garden Centre.
In addition to the quantity, the quality of visitors was evident too, with a huge +82% increase in buyers with £1m+ buying budgets, and VIP attendance rising +14% YoY.
Over 550 exhibitors took part, with the +10% growth in stand numbers driven by more than 200 brands making their show debuts. Home & Gift’s exhibitor list offered a wide array of products including gifts, homewares and fashion accessories.
A record 69% of next year’s plan had already been accounted for by the end of the show end, with 88 of the top 100 exhibitors having already confirmed their return in 2025.
This year, Home & Gift held a range of networking events and celebrations throughout the four days. On Sunday, attendees enjoyed the annual Sundowners event at the Alfresco Bistro, while Monday featured a talk by Louise Healy from The Better Trends Co, who delved into the three key season trends for summer sourcing and accessible trend forecasts.
Visitors and exhibitors alike were then treated to a show party at Revolución de Cuba, and both Monday and Tuesday also played host to post-show Drinks on the Lawn.
Event director David Westbrooke comments: “What a show! Exhibitors and retailers alike have looked to Home & Gift to help grow their business for more than 60 years, and 2024 was no exception – for them to have placed their trust in us, and to have such a visibly larger show, coupled with the huge increases in the spending power of our visitors, perfectly illustrates the strength of feeling toward the event from the industry.
"The record-breaking rebook was the icing on the cake! Roll on 2025!”
The Home and Gift Buyer’s Festival returns from 20th-23rd July 2025.
