Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Autumn Fair is building on its partnership with trade associations bira and BHETA ahead of the 2016 exhibition.
In a fresh initiative, a dedicated area will be created for bira (British Independent Retailers Association) and BHETA (British Home Enhancement Trade Association) members.
Bira will host a brand new feature area within Contemporary Gift & Home at Autumn Fair called the bira Contemporary Collective, where its supplier members will show their contemporary home and giftware in a new format and host customers in a shared hospitality area, the bira bistro. BHETA members will also be present in the area.
Bira membership and marketing director Sarah Golden said: “Evolving with the buyers’ needs at an exhibition is essential to staying relevant and crucially making sales. So evolving our Cookshop and Housewares Association (CHA) Supplier Village to present our selected bira direct suppliers in this new contemporary gift format was an obvious move.
“All independent retailers are welcome to the bira Contemporary Collective zone, and can enjoy refreshments in the bira bistro. Whilst there, they can benefit from special show offers from the participating suppliers as well as an exclusive joining offer for bira.”
BHETA executive director Will Jones commented: “We are delighted to be part of this joint initiative, as it offers the industry an opportunity to collectively focus on the Autumn Fair which offers genuine trading opportunities for all suppliers. This is also an excellent opportunity for smaller innovative companies to showcase their products as the stand deals available really do represent excellent value for money.”
Portfolio Director for Autumn Fair Naomi Barton said: “We know that September is the right time of year for buyers to attend in order to stock top-trending products ahead of the Christmas period as well as other key seasonal buying occasions such as Easter and Mother’s Day.
“We are also seeing a trend in the major multiples wishing to view products even earlier than ever before. Autumn Fair therefore acts as a pre-Spring showcase, as well as enabling retailers to restock products that are proving successful.
“We are delighted therefore to offer both bira and BHETA members exclusive packages that will include a dedicated cross-channel promotional marketing campaign to our thousands of key industry professionals before and during Autumn Fair 2016.
“This powerful new alliance between bira and BHETA, who are joining forces at the show for the first time, allows members a fantastic transactional platform where they can meet their chosen buyers for the last time in the calendar year as well as the ability to launch brand new products early.”
For further information about how to participate within either the bira Contemporary Collective or as a BHETA member at Autumn Fair, please contact Jessica Dawnay at jessica.dawnay@i2ieventsgroup.com or call 0203 033 2145.
Organised by i2i Events Group, the Autumn Fair takes place at the NEC in Birmingham from September 4 to September 7 (volume halls open on September 3). Register for free at www.autumnfair.com
