The Giftware Association

With high streets now open, and lockdown measures slowly easing to the leisure and entertainment industry, life is slowly getting back to normal. The exciting news of the opening of trade shows on the horizon means our industry is getting back into routine or the ‘new normal’ as it was dubbed during lockdown. So, what can we expect from the new lie of the land? And how have companies adapted over the last year with many pivoting to online? In short, what does the ‘new normal’ look like for the giftware industry?

Something that has been in our industry for quite a while now is making a massive resurgence - the online marketplace. It’s a safe way for buyers to shop and suppliers to showcase their products in virtual ‘shop windows’. With Spring and Autumn Fairs adding to their live show with a digital o ering, it o ers buyers and suppliers new avenues to sell and buy products. With quite a few on o er it’s best to research, much like you would if you were to exhibit at a trade show, and choose one best suited to your business or international market you want to get into. We are keeping a close eye on the evolving online marketplaces as a benefi t to our members.

It has been evident that trade shows have been missed, although companies have not had the overheads of stand builds, sta costs and promotion - there really is no other way of getting in front of a buyer. The process of meeting buyers, seeing the actual product and having a human conversation has been lost with the absence of face-to-face events. The digital o erings have nicely bridged the gap, and given us something to show the value of technology in our industry and the potential for hybrid versions of the shows in the future. We are all very excited to get back out there and have those (socially distanced) face to face conversations we have so sorely missed. We are looking forward to Harrogate Home & Gift in the summer, the fi rst show out of the blocks.

The technological revolution over lockdown has been great for our industry. Yes, it probably means you can’t go a day without a Zoom or a Teams call, but it has actually increased communication and allowed us to be more productive without travelling up and down the country for meetings which otherwise would have taken a whole day out of our schedule. Technology has helped aid the digital shows and has encouraged business to pivot their business to get in front of buyers or change their o ering to B2C. As an association we personally saw it as an opportunity to o er online events which we are now curating into an educational package for our members, covering everything from digital marketing, how to approach buyers and international support.