Deadline for A/W exhibitors to enter competition is August 26
Top Drawer will open its doors at London’s Olympia over September 8-10, with a larger footprint, lots of new exhibitors and product launches, the Retail Revealed seminar series, and the return of the Spotlight Awards.
Over 10% of exhibitors will hail from overseas – notably Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan and the US as the trade fair is on course to showcase almost 10% more brands than in 2023, while over 30% of the 2024 exhibitors will be making their Top Drawer debut, including publisher Museums & Galleries.
There will be eight sectors – Gift, Home, Fashion & Jewellery, Play, Greetings & Stationery, Wellbeing, Food Emporium and Launchpad – showcasing over 500 exhibitors.
Areas of the show enjoying especially significant growth include Home and Greetings & Stationery, with participating publishers including Archivist, Earlybird, Stormy Knight, Cate Tate Cards, ArtPress, Penguin Ink, Roger La Borde and Susan O’Hanlon.
And Launchpad celebrates emerging talent, being set to host over 30 new suppliers such as publisher Fluffmallow, selected by show manager David Westbrooke, who said: “There’s so much going on at the event this September. More brands, more launches, more newness.”
Following their successful introduction at the spring-summer edition in January, the Spotlight Awards are set to run again this September, and will celebrate the very best brands exhibiting at the show, with a best new product prize for each of the eight sectors, plus Innovation In Design, Best Newcomer, and Best Stand.
The deadline for entries from exhibitors is Monday, August 26, and the judges include retailers such as mum and daughter Clare and Hannah Bishop, who own indie greetings and gift store Cornucopia in Worcester, and said: “It’s an honour to be part of the judging panel, and we can’t wait to discover and celebrate the best in design and creativity at one of our favourite trade shows.”
The other judges are Sarah Holmes, of Pencil Me In in Elgin; Lark London’s Priya Aurora-Crowe; Sarah Laker, of Stationery Supplies in Marple and Wilmslow; and Preena Patel, buyer for London’s Design Museum.
The new Top Drawer Product Pitch, in partnership with The Great Brand Exchange, will launch onsite, giving exhibitors the chance to present their products to a panel of industry experts and win a one-week pop-up with a leading retailer.
In addition to product sourcing, Top Drawer gives retailers a chance to learn about subjects that really matter to them and there will be another inspirational line-up taking to the Retail Revealed stage and the Business Hub will again offer the chance to sit down 1-2-1 with industry experts to get free personalised advice.
Retail Revealed sees industry leaders take the stage to share their insights and forward-thinking strategies with the first session spotlight on Is The Future Of Retail Old? where the panel of experts will delve into the trend of second-hand commerce, exploring how a curated selection of pre-loved items can coalesce with new products to create a retail experience that is both timeless and timely.
To find out more and to register to attend Top Drawer, at London’s Olympia over Sunday to Tuesday, September 8-10, go to topdrawer.co.uk.
