It’s the news that the giftware industry has been waiting for! Following a live judging day held on February 9 at Spring Fair, the judges’ votes have been counted, and The Giftware Association (GA) is delighted to reveal which six products are the official finalists in each category for the Gift of the Year (GOTY) 2022 awards.
View the finalists here.
The winners and highly commended products will be announced at The Gift Awards, which will be held at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday May 12.
The ceremony will bring together the GA’s Gift of the Year Awards and The Greats gift retailer awards. At the event, both gift product excellence and retail prowess will be recognised and rewarded.
In addition, the GOTY finalists are in with a chance of winning the coveted Judges’ Choice award, presented in previous years to Gingko, Go La La and Talking Tables.
Commenting on the live judging day, GA CEO Sarah Ward said: “It was great to be back to live judging again as it was sorely missed last year. And being able to hold the judging during Spring Fair – the most important exhibition on the gift industry’s calendar – makes perfect sense.â€
She added: “We are delighted that Gift of the Year 2022 has been so well supported by the whole gift community – from [Spring Fair organiser] Hyve Group’s commitment as headline sponsor to our strong roster of category sponsors – in addition to the widespread engagement from the suppliers who entered, and the great care and attention to detail from our enthusiastic judges. I can’t wait for everyone to celebrate together at The Gift Awards on May 12!â€
Summing up the view of the many retailers and industry experts who formed the GOTY judging panel, Ian Downes, director of Start Licensing, commented: “I so enjoyed reviewing all the shortlisted entries and chatting to my fellow judges. There were a few recurring themes that I noticed across the entries, most notably a greater awareness of sustainability with regards to product development and packaging.â€
Once again, The GOTY awards will be announcing the People’s Choice award which is judged by the general public, enabling everyone to vote for their favourite product across all of the GOTY categories. This year, The GA has opened it up to all shortlisted products, so there is still an opportunity for a shortlisted company to get through to become the second ever People’s Choice winner.
Tickets and tables for the awards event on May 12 can be booked by contacting event organiser Createvents at clare@createvents.co.uk or 0118 334 0085
To find out more about The Gift Awards and book tickets click here: www.thegiftawards.com
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