xxxxxxx
Snow Show Shoow fow for
Spring g FaiFair
f the economic gloom sweeping the of the show in Hall 3.
I
country wasn’t bad enough, Spring Fair “There was no shortage of activity for us this
How the show
was hit by another disaster that threatened year,” commented Cardgains’ Chris Dyson. “The
performed
to derail the biggest greetings card event Village, which is home to 30 suppliers from the
Alison Jackson,
of the year – snow. Cardgains portfolio, is fast becoming a destination’
Managing Director
It couldn’t have come at a worse time stand and this year hosted our 20th Anniversary
at EMAP Connect,
for both publishers and buyers eager for a launch and presentations to members who have
commented;
positive start for the year. For show organisers, been with the scheme since the beginning.
“Spring Fair
Emap Connect, the arrival of the white stuff “Without doubt the snow affected visitor
International has
was a double edge sword: On the one hand it numbers, following a very positive Sunday
proven that people
couldn’t use a bumper turnout to underline SFI’s start. But there did seem to be a ‘shift’ in visitor
who are involved in
importance to the industry but on the other any patterns as numbers appeared better on the
retail are responding
lowering of footfall due to ‘credit crunch’ etc Tuesday and Wednesday, so perhaps the snow
with a fighting spirit.
could be blamed conveniently on the weather. merely ‘delayed’ some visitors.
Whilst the extreme
Not surprisingly Greetings Today picked up “Overall we were very pleased with the
weather conditions
on a lot of mixed messages from exhibitors with week and even the sceptics seemed happy!”
meant the quantity of visitors was lower,
some saying their show had been good and Not everything in the Spring Fair garden is
the quality was as high as ever. Key buyers
others that it had been dire. rosy however. It should have been clear to every
fought their way through blizzards with
The old refrain of ‘quality not quantity’ in visitor that there was a large, unused space at
representation from virtually every high
terms of visitor numbers was trotted out along the rear of Hall 3, which in previous years would
street name plus independents.
with the view that the timewasters had been have housed additional exhibitors.
“Given the challenges of the market,
kept away by the weather. There’s no doubt The show is contracting, which is
everyone needed a successful show and
that many determined buyers ignored the news understandable considering how the business
whilst the snow didn’t help, it proved
media’s dire predictions of apocalypse and of buying and selling is changing in the current
Spring Fair International still leads the
made it to the NEC despite the blizzards. economic climate and how that impacts on the
way with millions of pounds worth of
GT was particularly heartened by a story potential number of exhibitors out there.
transactions taking place.”
from Roger la Borde who told us how the The show organiser, Emap, has already
“Whilst visitor numbers were lower than
Harvey Nicholl’s buying team had got up early moved to resolve the situation by shifting the
in previous years at 52,000*, this is due to
one day, dug their cars out and driven all the art and framing section of the show into Hall
weather conditions. This was borne out
way to the NEC to be at the show. Top effort! 3 alongside Greetings & Stationery. According
by the fact that Sunday was also a strong
With the snow not arriving until Monday to Emap this will “exploit the natural synergy
day and on Wednesday, the best day in
proper, the opening Sunday of the show had a between these sectors” which sounds plausible
terms of weather, visitor numbers were up
traditional feel to it, with plenty of retailers in the enough, particularly as Art & Framing will be
on last year.
aisles and a bustling atmosphere. adjacent to the License it! section, which “will
“Plans are in place for Spring
Here at GT we’ve been urging our readers provide further opportunity for artists to license,
Fair International 2010, which will be
to make sure they get to the shows and see the as well as sell, their original work” claims Emap.
taking place at the NEC from 7th to
best new product available. Buying well will be Naturally enough there are some nervous
11th February. “It is going to be a very
a key requirement for any retail business going noises emanating from some of the established
challenging year for the home and gift
forward into 2009 - card shops included. greetings exhibitors about how this move could
industry and we will work closely with
It was clear to us that our pre-show mantra affect the layout of Hall 3. Long-term exhibitors
the trade to help them get the most out
of ‘Buy or Die’ was being picked up by visitors guard their established positions on the floor
of their investment in our fairs, but my
to Spring Fair through most of the five days of very aggressively and may resist attempts to
expectations have been buoyed by the
the event. shake things up unless they see how it could
attitudes and determination of people at
The Cardgains Village once again acted as benefit them..
Spring Fair International 2009.”
an anchor for the Greetings & Stationery section Watch this space, as they say.
40 Greetings Today
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