PG’s snapper joins RockStock on stage as retailers and products are feted
The room will be rockin’ at The Gift Awards as PG’s photographer Eddie Macdonald takes to the stage in his original guise as a rock star.
One of the founder members of Sixty Eight Guns hitmakers The Alarm, Eddie will be joining fellow rocker Mike Winch with his band RockStock to strut their stuff at the annual event bringing together The Greats gift retailer awards and Gift Of The Year.
A familiar face to the greetings industry as the photographer at PG Live, The Henries, The Retas, and all events run by Max Publishing, Eddie currently fronts Smalltown Glory and will be putting down his camera for a few minutes to help make the party happen at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday, 16 May.
The guitarist will be joining RockStock on stage for some numbers as Mike, founder of gift and homewares business Candlelight, gets the party started.
Well-known in the gifts industry, Mike first hit the spotlight as a young Rotherham rock star in the 60s with The Originators Creed who topped the bill ahead of Joe Cocker, and gigged with Cream, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Wood, Pink Floyd and Wilson Pickett, before getting back on the road and founding RockStock in 2020.
Also joining main vocalist Mike on stage is Andrew Poulston, md at furniture and lighting company PR Home, who is RockStock’s lead guitarist.
Following a recent sell-out gig in Spain the band have two festivals in Mallorca lined up for the summer as well as a couple of UK dates, and Mike said: The band are very good and getting better all the time.”
Before rockin’ out, the serious business of recognising retail prowess and gift product excellence will take place as all winners, including the recipient of the prestigious Greats Outstanding Achievement award, will be revealed at The Gift Awards ceremony.
For the third successive year the event brings together The Giftware Association’s GOTY awards and The Greats gift retailer awards, organised and owned by Max Publishing, publishers of Progressive Gifts & Home and GiftsandHome.net as well as Progressive Greetings and PG Buzz.
The Gift Awards 2024 have been strongly supported by an impressive roster of sponsors including Allsorted, Ambiente, Aspin, Autumn Fair, British Allied Trade Federation (BATF), Candlelight, Cardgains, Carte Blanche Greetings, Cotton & Grey, DKB Toys & Distribution, Exposé Travel, Gift Republic, The Giftware Association (GA), Gisela Graham, Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair, Henry & Co, Home & Gift Harrogate, LicensingSource.net, Life Charms, Lifestyle (Motivates), London Stationery Show, Messe Frankfurt, N Smith, Progressive Gifts & Home, Progressive Greetings Live, Scotland’s Trade Fair, Source Home & Gift, Spring Fair, Talking Tables, Toy Fair (BTHA), Top Drawer and Widdop And Co.
Tickets and tables for the awards can be booked via the Max Publishing digital box office event at Max-Tickets.net, or by contacting event organiser Createvents via clare@createvents.co.uk or 0118 334 0085. To find out more about The Gift Awards and book tickets, visit www.thegiftawards.com.
