Day two of Spring Fair saw the official opening and launch of the game-changing Curated Meetings programme, uniting buyers from retailers and destinations including Asda, Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, and Houstons, with brands such as Filofax, Hill Interiors and Letts of London launching new collections.
Three rounds of Curated Meetings sessions took place yesterday, comprising a series of 15 minute meetings between buyers and suppliers. Monica Todd, product manager for show organised Hyve Group, was delighted with the first day: “There was a great buzz in the Curated Meetings lounge today as more than 100 new business connections were made. So many businesses enjoyed and benefited from the experience, and we were delighted to hear the feedback from Asda. Offering an intelligent roadmap to ROI the future for Curated Meetings is very exciting and I can’t wait to get back to business again tomorrow for day two.â€
Drew Stevenson, source specialist, from Asda commented: “We joined Curated Meetings to get a better view of selected suppliers, an overview of the show and to open a dialogue with suppliers we have not spoken to previously. It was good time spent as we were able to see a number of suppliers in the shortest time possible. We did some groundwork in advance to identify the right meeting opportunities. The most valuable part of joining Curated Meetings was to sit down with people and scope out products that we have not sourced previously but that are good opportunities for us. It has been well organised, easy to find, and been an excellent experience. I was here looking at Party, Festive and Stationery products, but would expand on these sectors. I will join Curated Meetings again and advise our trading teams to do the same.â€
Carolyn Johnston, retail operations director, Houstons said: “I wouldn’t have stumbled across some of these suppliers if I was just walking up and down the aisles.â€
Emma Newborn, lead buyer, Sappro UK added: “This is our first time at the show, we have a shop in Lincolnshire and also our online platform selling gifts and homeware. We have used Curated Meetings to explore new opportunities and find new brands and products. It is quick, easy and efficient.â€
Mark Shashoua, CEO, Hyve Group plc and organiser of Spring Fair and Curated Meetings, visited a session yesterday. He said: “It is great to see strong engagement from some of our top buyers and suppliers. Curated Meetings is going from strength to strength and I can’t wait to see it again at Autumn Fair 2022.â€
