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The Greats 2019
Among the other Greats winners who saw their ‘name in lights’ in their local newspapers were Maggie Thornton, owner of Alligator Pear in Tadworth, (winner of The Greats Independent Retailer of the Year – Home Counties, South and South East category); Jo Williams, owner of Joco Interiors in Nuneaton, (winner of The Greats Best Newcomer Midlands, North & Scotland) and David Lorimer and Keiron Cockley, coowners of Brocante in Mevagissey, Fowey and St Ives, (winner of the Independent Gift Retailer of the Year - South West category), with all shops receiving substantial publicity. “The local newspaper, the Epsom Guardian, ran a story, as well as the KT Connections local magazine,” enthused Maggie. “And we also had a fantastic response to our social media posts promoting our finalist positions at The Greats.” From the Awards' inception in 2003, The Greats has set out to recognise and reward every strand of great gift retailing from the tiniest gift shops in the smallest of villages to major multiples on the high street, garden centres and online retailers.
Win A £50 Golden Ticket As an extra 'gift', all independent finalists and winners of The Greats 2019 will receive a £50 bonus that can be spent against orders placed at dedicated greeting card show PG Live 2019, organised by Max Exhibitions, which takes place on June 4-5 at London's Business Design Centre in Islington. Right: The Business Design Centre, the home of PG Live. Greats winners and finalists will each receive a £50 voucher to spend at the show.
Honorary Achievement Award
Above: Last year's winner John Athwal OBE received the prestigious Greats Honorary Achievement Award which was presented to him by category sponsors The Giftware Association's (then) chairman Henri Davis.
John Athwal OBE, founder and managing director of Premier Decorations was named as the winner of the 2018 Greats Honorary Achievement Award. “I was gobsmacked, I didn’t have an inkling that is was going to be me,” commented John. “I felt very honoured and very humbled.” Do you know a very special person who deserves the 2019 Award? If so, we want to know more about the nominee, and his/her wider contribution to the giftware industry. Nominations are completely confidential and can be emailed to Ian Hyder at ianh@max-publishing.co.uk
Best Retail Employee Award What could be nicer than rewarding employees who treat your shop as their own and go the extra mile for both you and your customers every day? If you've got that 'special someone', a right hand man or woman working in your gift shop or gift department, now's your chance to nominate them for The Greats Best Employee Award. We want to know more about that person and why he or she stands out. Either download a Greats Best Employee entry form by visiting www.thegreatsawards.co.uk or email your entry direct to Sue Marks at suem@max-publishing.co.uk Above: David Lorimer, co-owner of Brocante, is shown proudly holding the shop’s Greats trophy in an article that appeared in the local Cornish media.
Retailers are also invited to enter members of staff for the Best Employee Award, and to vote for their top suppliers in the Best Service to the Independent Gift Retailer categories. Email ianh@max-publishing.co.uk and tell him why they deserve to win. However, it's not just about selfnomination. We're also looking for suppliers, reps and agents to bang the drum about the gift retailers that they think are a cut about the rest. Nominations should be emailed to: suem@max-publishing.co.uk An entry form can be downloaded by visiting www.thegreatsawards.co.uk or by emailing your entry to suem@maxpublishing.co.uk. l The Greats Awards are owned by Max Publishing, publishers of Progressive Gifts & Home.
Above: Last year's Retail Employee of the Year winner was Peter de la Mare, shop manager at England At Home in Brighton.
An Invitation To The Awards Lunch
The Greats Suppliers’ Awards While The Greats is dedicated to recognising and rewarding gift retailers, the awards also set out to highlight those special companies who provide exceptional service for their customers, with three separate awards - gold, silver and bronze - to be won. To nominate your favourite suppliers, visit www.thegreatsawards.co.uk and download an entry form or email ianh@max-publishing.co.uk Above: Beaming smiles from the gang at Joe Davies. The company won the gold award in the Best Service to the Independent Retailer category.
The winners of The Greats 2019 will be announced at a fabulous Greats Awards lunch being held in the Ballroom at London's Grosvenor House on Wednesday May 15. This year, the theme is Take A Walk On The Wild Side, so expect plenty fun as the event goes animal crackers! All guests attending the Awards will receive a fabulous goody bag bursting with a diverse range of gifts.
How To Buy Tickets To book tickets to The Greats Awards lunch on Wednesday May 15 at London's Grosvenor House, contact awards manager Clare Hollick at Createvents on 0118 340085 or clare@createvents.co.uk. Previous events have been a sell-out, with a waiting list for tickets, so don't delay!
Progressive Gifts & Home Worldwide
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