With less than two weeks to go until the fifth London Stationery Show opens for business, keen interest in the show is already manifesting itself in strong pre-registration visitor numbers.
Show Director Chris Leonard-Morgan says: "We are delighted with the show's pre-registration data so far. Numbers are up on the same period last year, and we're particularly pleased by the electic mix and range of companies and types of retailers who are indicating they will take the time to visit – they reflect perfectly the broad appeal of stationery as a category, whether as a mainstream or complementary offer."
Visitor names to date include representatives from UK's leading stationers such as Paperchase, Scribbler, Ryman and WHSmith; department store buyers from John Lewis, Jarrolds, Harrods, The Range, Bentalls; leading lifestyle retailers such as Anthropologie; book stores including Waterstones, Books etc; supermarkets such as Tesco, Ocado, Aldi and Lidl; visitor attractions and gift shops including the British Museum, The Tate Gallery, the Royal Academy of Arts and the Imperial War Museum; garden centres and DIY stores such as Wyevale and Trago Mills
Online specialists include Amazon, ASOS and sector specialists including retailers such as Cult Pens, Pilotfish, The Pen Shop, Osbornes; discounters such as B&M Retail; the key dealer groups and wholesalers including Advantia, Nemo, Superstat, Office Friendly, Integra, Office Club, XPD and VOW Retail; the academic and education sector represented by buyers from the Open University Students Association, the Universities of Oxford and Reading, Scholastic, Findel Education and a growing number of independent stationery and gift shops from across the country.
This year's London Stationery Show, which runs at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on Tuesday, April 28 and Wednesday, April 29, is the biggest so far and has well over 200 stationery brands and suppliers from around the world taking part. It is the only UK trade show dedicated to stationery and writing products.
"Our visitors will be able to see more new products than ever before, and meet more people from the industry – it's an easy way for buyers to get an overview of how the stationery market is developing, and how these creative and fashionable products can fit into their offer," says Chris.
In addition, the inclusion of keynote speaker David Bateman from Paperchase on the second day of the show, Wednesday, April 29, and a presentation from trend forecasting agency Scarlet Opus to mark the launch of World Stationery Day, has added new impetus for retailers to attend this year. Interest in both sessions is high, with key industry names booking their seats early! Visitors wishing to join either of these sessions should contact hazel@firstevents.com or call 020 8462 0721.
To find out more about the show, and to register to attend, go to www.stationeryshow.co.uk.