Source Home & Gift has announced that its second show – which takes place from September 3 to September 6 at NEC Birmingham – will triple in size, uniting nearly 450 global manufacturers who pride themselves on responsible manufacturing and sustainable production, with key retailers, brands, and contractors.
The inaugural Source Home & Gift in February welcomed over 5,000 attendees from leading retailers including Argos, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Natural History Museum, Dunelm, Fortnum & Mason, Lakeland, WHSmith, Wilko, The Walt Disney Company, DFS, Barnardo’s, Clintons, Quiz Clothing, The National Trust, Aldi, and Avon Wildlife Trust, keen to source responsibly across categories including gifts, stationery, homewares, furniture, toys, textiles, and packaging, from recently audited overseas manufacturers, producers, and artisans.
The event offered a global showcase for responsible manufacturing, and exhibitors from more than 20 countries including Egypt, Pakistan, Ghana, Nepal, Singapore, and the USA – as well as dedicated country pavilions from China and three Indian pavilions organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), and the Handloom Export Promotion Council (HEPC) – converged at the NEC.
The September show will also include manufacturers from countries including the UK, China, India, Pakistan, Portugal, Philippines, Germany, Bangladesh, Ghana and Uganda.
Suzanne Ellingham, director of sourcing of Source Home & Gift, said: “Source Home & Gift brings together the best responsible manufacturers, at a time when the European buying community is looking to buy better and build direct relationships with new manufacturers and suppliers.
“As the only international sourcing show of its kind in the UK, we set out to create a platform that offers global manufacturers with sustainable production methods the opportunity to meet key retailers, brands and contractors who care about how great products are made. This show does just that.
“We launched with 150 manufacturers in February, and I’m delighted that in September we will welcome over 450 manufacturers, showcasing over 15,000 products from exhibitors who have never shown before in Europe. There is huge demand from UK businesses to find new suppliers and manufacturers to responsibly source from. Source Home & Gift meets that need, and already attracts a wide variety of UK retailers and brands who want to source from good businesses.
“We bring together heads of buying, procurement, sourcing, and quality control, alongside heads of sustainability and design, all of whom are key decision-makers when bringing on board a new manufacturing relationship. The quality of the Source Home & Gift visitors and, importantly, the quality of the beautiful products at the show is the reason this is the fastest growing sourcing platform in Europe.”
The show features eight sectors:
Gifts
Where contemporary and on-trend gifting meets sustainability. Exhibitors are invited to highlight their latest sustainable gifting products, such as candles, fashion accessories, and electronics.
Stationery & Greetings
Paper, greeting cards, notebooks, and pens and pencils, all need sustainable suppliers. Source Home & Gift hosts a group of manufacturers that can help brands bring these private-label products to life.
Homewares
This category includes a variety of exhibitors such as UK artisan designers who create bespoke range collections at a higher price point, right through to Turkish ceramic and manufacturing hubs. It covers everything from tableware and decorative accessories to ceramics.
Toys
UK consumers are demanding sustainable and ethical toys, making Source Home & Gift the place for sustainable toy manufacturers to display their services, whether that’s large-scale manufacturing capabilities or hand-crafted luxury toys.
Furniture
Many wholesale and home retailers are on the hunt for new manufacturing options. Source Home & Gift aims to bring together a large variety of furniture manufacturers who are capable of supplying the UK market.
Textiles
The textile sector aims to unite large-scale manufacturers and smaller artisan producers that can make-to-order, or co-create something on a smaller luxury scale, with homewares and lifestyle retailers.
Technology & Services
Consultants, design houses, and auditing agencies are welcome to meet with brands and discuss procurement or manufacturing challenges, sharing how they can help create a sustainable and ethical supply chain that functions cost-effectively.
Packaging
Suppliers with sustainable packaging solutions such as biodegradable, carbon neutral, or designed for minimal waste, can exhibit and discuss how their products can help tackle the increasing demand for sustainability.
Visitors will also have the chance to listen to four days of discussions on the Responsible Sourcing Stage between industry-renowned professionals, covering a range of topics surrounding sustainability and responsibility.
Source Home & Gift is co-located with Autumn Fair. Visit www.source-homeandgift.com for more information.