Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Organiser Clarion Events has revealed details of the speaker line-up for next week’s London trade show Top Drawer.
The Spring/Summer 2018 edition of the exhibition, which will be held from Sunday January 14 to Tuesday January 16 at Olympia, will feature 1,500 brands across four sectors: home, gift, craft and fashion.
New additions include the Food Emporium; Spotted, which spans emerging talents across all Top Drawer’s sectors; and the Men Only Trail, which showcases men’s fashion brands for the new season.
A programme of talks, panels and masterclasses will be held across the three-day fair. Highlights include:
*Geraldine James, buying manager of department store group Selfridges, will talk on the theme of ‘start thinking “stories”’. She says: ‘To survive in retail in 2018, we need to stop thinking “product” and start thinking “productions”.’ She will explore the customer experience, visual merchandising, home and stationery buying decisions, trends and influences – and share tips on maintaining success in the luxury sector.
*Lucy Ward, creative brand director of Trouva, an online community of 400 independent boutiques that specialise in design-led homeware and lifestyle products, will highlight the home, interior and design trends that she believes will be influencing design and buying decisions for the season.
*Joa Studholme, colour consultant with the upmarket supplier of own-brand paint and handcrafted wallpaper Farrow & Ball, will deliver a masterclass in exploring colour ‘to create a subtle scheme or make a scene stealing striking statement’. He will discuss transforming your studio or retail space and give tips for your home.
*Facebook trainer Natasha Courtenay-Smith will show visitors how to make Facebook ads work for their businesses, with plenty of examples, steps and practical advice including her formula for highly effective Facebook ads, which can be applied straight away. Natasha delivers Facebook For Business training on behalf of Facebook and Enterprise Nation.
*Fiona McCarthy, London editor of ‘Vogue Living’ magazine, will reveal 10 tips for getting your products into the press, ‘from research and understanding target media, to writing press releases with a great hook and interesting sound bites – and never giving up!’
