Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Following its hugely successful beta trial and launch within the UK at Spring and Autumn Fair, Curated Meetings is now opening its doors to buyers and brands from across Europe and the rest of the world, inviting them to take part in this new game-changing way of doing business at Autumn Fair on the 5th – 6th September 2022 at NEC Birmingham, England. The programme is now open to retailers and buyers who have purchasing responsibility and are actively sourcing across product categories including home decor, housewares, garden, toys, party, beauty, wellbeing, seasonal, accessories, jewellery, white label and more.
Attracting brands and buyers from across the UK, Europe and rest of the world, Curated Meetings facilitate efficient, 15-minute pre-scheduled, 1:1 meetings between qualified buyers and relevant suppliers based on a mutual interest to drive new business opportunities together. Working closely with DIT representatives, Curated Meetings is specifically focused on attracting buyers and brands from Central & Eastern Europe, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Nordics, France, USA, Mexico, and India, with buyers from Four Sisters, The Snug, Hedgerows, and Henry Vokes Adare from Ireland, Manor from Switzerland, Kosmelita from Lithuania, and Pro-92 from Slovenia, already confirmed.
Elizabeth Miller, International Buyer Community Manager, Curated Meetings says; “Two highly successful Curated Meetings events have taken place at Spring and Autumn Fair in the last year, and it has without question proven its value. As part of the next phase of our strategy, we are very excited to be extending our reach to become a truly international proposition. Curated Meetings is a game changing programme for the global retail community; for international decision-making buyers it offers the opportunity to discover amazing products in an efficient, focused, personal and highly productive way. For international brands, Curated Meetings enables a fast-track route into the UK market – plus brands don’t have to exhibit at Spring and Autumn Fair to take part in Curated Meetings. For both brands and buyers, it offers incomparable returns on time and investment and will take your business to a whole new level.”
International buyers attending Curated Meetings will be able to accept meeting invitations with suppliers in advance of Autumn Fair and secure up to nine 15-minute meetings to touch and feel the products, all taking place in the exclusive Curated Meetings lounge. Approved buyers will also receive up to £350 in travel expense subsidies.
Drew Stevenson, Source Specialist, from ASDA, took part in Curated Meetings at Spring Fair in February 2022, and said: “Through Curated Meetings, we did supplier groundwork in advance to identify the right meeting opportunities, and it worked really well. Today we had meetings with people we’ve not spoken to previously and scoped products we’ve not sourced before. I will join Curated Meetings again and advise our trading teams to do the same.”
Carolyn Johnston, Retail Operations Director, from Houstons added; “Yesterday I had eight meetings and out of those I have already placed four orders, so I’ve been matched with companies that are useful to my business and it has made my life a lot easier.”
