GT CONTRIBUTOR: The Giftware Association
And the winner is… The Gift of the Year winners for 2021 have been announced in a series of virtual events held during Spring Fair @ Home. Chris Workman from The Giftware Association reveals all about this year’s unique competition
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t’s been unusual holding the annual competition completely virtually. From entrants uploading their products, to our expert panel judging multiple rounds and finally through to announcing the winners, we’ve had to do it all online. There were some challenges of course, but we were determined the competition would go on even with lockdowns and no physical Spring Fair. Each category had its own top secret Zoom celebration to announce the highly commended and the winners, and there was also an additional special live event to announce the Judges’ Choice winner and the first People’s Choice winner. Humour brand, Go La La, took out the Judges Choice Award with their Filthy Gorgeous Soap Range, as well as the Novelty category. The soap range was created as a fun B2C project during the first lockdown and quickly went on to become something of a hit with the company’s trade customers. Go La La Co-founder, Laura Kavanagh says: ‘When we heard we’d be shortlisted in two categories and then made the finals for the Novelty category, we were blown away. We then learned we’d won the Novelty category and were more than ecstatic! But then we were told we’d secured the top prize and won the Judges’ Vote. The celebrations haven’t really stopped since!’ Go La La weren’t the only company to take out multiple wins. The Candle Brand took out three categories, Gibsons and Fizz Creations Ltd both won two, while Blue Eyed Sun picked up an
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We were determined the competition would go on even with lockdowns and no physical Spring Fair
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CEO Sarah Ward
impressive five wins including the inaugural People’s Choice Award. The Bio Loco Loop Water Bottles, came out on top after an impressive 6000 public votes were cast in the brand new category in the competition. Blue Eyed Sun also won in the Contemporary Gift, Ethical Gift, Kitchen & Dining and Own Label categories with a variety of environmentally friendly and contemporary products. From what has been a very different competition this year we have certainly seen a resilient industry, and an industry that has grown, adapted and thrived even in testing times. It has been great to see so many fantastic products entered and congratulations to all the winners, highly commended, shortlisted and everyone who entered. You are all winners in our eyes, and we hope to see you all next year as we plan to grow the competition again to be even bigger and better.
All the winners
Beauty, Bath & Spa The Burn + Bloom Candle Collection, The Candle Brand Branded Gift Richard Osman’s House of Games, Hacche Retail Cards & Wrap Message in a bottle pop up card, All Joy Designs Children’s, Educational and Pre-School Passport to Genius, Whiz Kid Games Commemorative, Collectable and Charitable Rainbow Heroes in Aid of Samaritans Charity 500 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle, Gibsons Contemporary Gift Bioloco Loop, Blue Eyed Sun Design & Craft Hyper Jungle Paper Head Lights, Fizz Creations Ltd. Ethical Gift Bioloco Plant Kids Bottle, Blue Eyed Sun Fashion Accessories Stay Safe Sentiment Bracelets, Carrie Elspeth Festive & Occasions Christmas Around the World Jigsaw Puzzle Advent Calendar, Gibsons Food & Drink The Bottled Baking Co - Baking Mixes, The Bottled Baking Co Home & Garden Avocado Vase, Ilex Studio Home Fragrance The Flower Diffuser, The Candle Brand International Julia Gash, Julia Gash Enterprises Ltd Kitchen & Dining Bioloco Plant Lunch Pot, Blue Eyed Sun My Gift of All Time The Flower Diffuser, The Candle Brand Novelty Filthy Gorgeous, Go La La Own Label BambooCup by chic.mic, Blue Eyed Sun Pet Gift Pawbles, Wren & Rye Stationery Bookworm Booklights, Thinking Gifts Company Limited Tech & Gadgets Make You Own Tech, Fizz Creations Ltd. Under £15 Birthday In A Box, Craft & Crumb To see the full list of winners, highly commended and other shortlisted products visit the Gift of the Year website. giftoftheyear.co.uk/categories.
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