As we head towards the milestone 60th anniversary of Giving & Living, which takes place from January 12 to January 14 at Westpoint Exeter, we catch up with some of its long-term exhibitors to find out what keeps them coming back to this show, billed as ‘the premiere retail trade event for the South West region and unique in the UK for its focus on the tourist trade’.
Steve Hadley, managing director of SH Sales Nottingham, which supplies scarves, fashion jewellery and accessories, is a very long-standing exhibitor. He said: “We’ve not missed a year of Giving & Living since 1981, when it was the West Country Gifts Fair in Torquay and we exhibited in the terraced car park. We keep coming back as we have a regular customer base and I personally enjoy doing it. It’s a nice show and they are nice people to deal with. It kick-starts the year and gets us in the show frame of mind.”
Of course, the importance of face-to-face contact with established customers cannot be underestimated, especially when there is also the vital opportunity to meet new trade contacts at the same time.
This is a crucial factor for John Brady, managing director of JBA Souvenirs, which supplies Cornwall, Devon, Wales and Scotland souvenirs, confectionery and gifts. He said: “I started exhibiting at Giving & Living way back in 2011 with just a three-sided display board!” He concurred that the event gives exhibitors a chance “to show your existing customers new products, catch up on the previous year, and meet new customers”.
He added: “The industry has changed a lot since 2011 as [some] suppliers have moved more to online sales only, instead of exhibiting at trade shows. However, we feel that although this is a viable way to trade, it’s not quite the same as meeting customers face-to-face, and those customers being able to physically see and touch the products.”
Greeting cards and stationery is another key category for Giving & Living, where visitors can look forward to discovering beautiful new designs, often with a focus on tourism hotspots, Britain’s natural beauty and native wildlife.
One seasoned exhibitor in this sector is The Eco-Friendly Card Co. Its founder and director Sue Morrish said: “We started exhibiting all the way back in 1997 we think! I like the show because it’s friendly and relaxed, with a lot of independent creatives showing really interesting products. I also love meeting all our customers – it’s a great show for networking.”
The show has changed quite a bit since Sue started out there in the 1990s. “I think there used to be a perception that it was all about buckets and spades,” she noted. “But the South West is a great place for art and creativity, and this is reflected in the kind of exhibitors you see now. There have been lots of changes – the most significant being environmental awareness amongst retailers, who are looking for more eco-friendly and local products.”
Giving & Living is renowned for attracting a big audience of independent retailers from the South West region including garden centres and farm shops alongside tourist destinations and hospitality venues, and exhibitors come from far and wide for a chance to capture a slice of this lucrative trade.
If you are interested in joining the show in its milestone year, you can find out more by calling 01934 733433, emailing mail@hale-events.com, or visiting givingliving.co.uk
