With less than a month to go until the show opens its doors, while you’re all busy getting in the festive mood, we’re busy in the office getting ready to welcome you all to the show!
We’ve lined up more than 120 exhibitors, ranging from artisan British suppliers of hand-crafted goods to major wholesalers of gifts, homeware and leisure products, who will be showcasing their latest ranges for you. And, in addition to the Coastal Path, Naturally, Designed and Made in Britain features, we’ll be introducing our brand new Crafting @ Giving & Living area!
New for 2023: Craft @ Giving & Living.
One of the most exciting developments for the next edition of the show, Crafting @ Giving & Living, has been put together in collaboration with The Gift of the Year Awards, British Craft Directory and Small Business Collaborative.
The initiative will see local makers demonstrating their craft skills on the show floor and showcasing a few of their finished creations, within a dedicated zone for artisan exhibitors. Visitors will also be able to view the shortlisted Gift of the Year Design & Crafts products that will be on display in this part of the show.
The Giftware Association will facilitate training for participants alongside Therese Ørtenblad of Small Business Collaborative, whilst British Craft Directory will support participants onsite and promote the initiative to their maker community and extensive audience of specialist galleries and gift shops.
As Mike, our MD says, “The South West has a rich tradition of crafting that we’re very keen to support. On the one hand we are in a position to help crafters start working with retail in a secure and supported way, and on the other our visitors will benefit from a fresh influx of talented designers. The market for handmade British products is only going to get stronger in the years ahead and we are ready to help serve the consumer appetite for authentically crafted products.”
Crafting @ Giving & Living is a great extension of the Designed & made in Britain area at the show, which features more than 50 companies who make their work in this country, including: After Hours Creative, Metal Motif, Purbeck Candles, Rachel Stowe, Two Spoons, Skull and Cross Buns and more.
Britain’s best Coastal Path
Located at the heart of Britain’s booming home tourism market in beautiful Exeter, Giving & Living has long been renowned for its unrivalled coastal-themed product sourcing. For retailers with shops located on or near the coast, and others who are keen to target seasonal holidaymakers, there is no better place than Giving & Living to find the goods you need.
We have more coastal products than any other trade show! From beachballs and surf boards to gourmet rock and other confectionary; driftwood sculptures to fish-shaped wall art or seashell style jewellery to summer fashion accessories, you’ll find it all at Westpoint in January.
Exhibitors on the Coastal Path at the show this year include: Time and Tide Aerial, The Devon Seaweed Company, Kernow Spa, Hooper & Pearn, Christina May and more.
The art of Giving & Living Naturally
As the issue of sustainability continues to rise high on both international and local agendas, more consumers than ever before are taking an interest in the environmental credentials of the products they buy.
Whilst many retailers are already changing with the times by trying to eliminate plastic packaging from their merchandise, or selecting ranges made from sustainable materials, there is still a lot more that can be done to ensure that gifting is done in an environmentally responsible way.
As part of the initiative to help our industry to become greener, companies and brands which have been identified as having a strong environmental ethos will be identified as ‘Naturally’, enabling you to identify sustainable products at a glance, including exhibitors such as Java Art, Koseli Handmade, The Eco-friendly Card Co, Batik Indah, The Sugar Shed and more.
Getting ahead for 2023
These are challenging times for the gift and home industry, but there are still great opportunities for retailers, especially if they can tap the big consumer moves towards British-made products, sustainability and staycations. These are the very sectors that Giving & Living is bringing to the fore and we are greatly looking forward to welcoming you in January, so that you can see the fantastic array of suppliers we have lined up for you for yourselves !
If all that wasn’t enough to tempt you to join us in January, there’s also a wide range of exclusive show offers for you to take advantage of! We’re ready to help you find your bestsellers for 2023, so don’t miss out, register for your free ticket now, and we’ll see you at the show!