Autumn Fair this September (5-8) is to welcome a new element to the show – a Curated Meetings service.
Already a huge success for over five years at its partner show in Las Vegas, Autumn Fair is bringing the Curated Meetings service to the UK. It will introduce pre-qualified, vetted premium buyers, who are actively sourcing, to relevant, quality suppliers.
“All meetings are double opt-in, so both buyers and vendors must accept, ensuring maximum relevance and engagement,” explains Maleha Khan, product manager of Autumn Fair Curated Meetings. “Spaces are limited and in-demand,” she stressed.
Maleha believes that Curated Meetings is a game-changing proposition for the future of buying and sourcing in retail. “Already celebrated as a lead sourcing programme in the USA, delivering thousands of meetings per event, the Curated Meetings’ UK debut beta trial will focus more on gifts but with a cross over into greeting cards, with the full-scale programme launching across multiple sectors at Spring Fair 2022.”
She continued: “Buyers have a limited amount of time to source new brands and product collections and Curated Meetings enables them to line up a series of time efficient, hassle-free appointments to discover and see brands quickly and easily when they are onsite.”
Over 500 meetings are planned across two days, bringing together buyers from leading national and independent retailers keen to handpick next season’s bestsellers. They include a host of major names, such as John Lewis & Partners, Moonpig.com, Oliver Bonas, Booths supermarkets and as well as independent retailers, including Lark London and Mooch.
Using the Curated Meetings’ online platform, buyers can filter for products that suit their desired aesthetic, product type, price range and beyond.
Buyers and vendors must meet criteria and be approved to take part in Curated Meetings. Once meetings have been requested, onsite appointments are scheduled during dedicated time slots on the Monday and Tuesday of the show to be held in a dedicated Curated Meetings space.
Applications can be submitted by clicking here.
A Curated Meetings’ webinar will be taking place on Wednesday 7 July at 4pm for insight into what buyers are looking for – their priorities, how they search for new products and what they look for in a supplier. Click here to register to attend the webinar.
Autumn Fair takes place 5-8 September at the NEC, Birmingham.
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