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TRADE ONLY SHOW PREVIEW
You’re all very welcome
to show number seven!
HAPPY New Year to you all!
Here we are again, then – as I
write this, we are into December
already and the National
Show once again looms large
– number seven, to be exact.
It doesn’t seem like five minutes
since we first rolled out the yellow
carpet!
Well, you live and learn. While
the yellow carpet may be long
gone, many of the other things
that make this such a great show
have remained.
We started the Trade Only National
Show with the concept of a
show that was open to the whole
industry.
A show that would provide suppliers
with a cost-effective means
of reaching the maximum number
of distributors.
A show that would enable distributors
to meet all their key suppliers
and source new ones in one
place at one time.
A show where they could be the
first to source the latest products
from all the industry’s leading
suppliers.
To sum up, a show where business
could be done.
I still maintain this approach
and believe that it is in the best
interest of the industry that everyone
involved in the supply and
distribution of promotional products
is able to attend the show.
Hence our slogan this year:
“You Are All Very Welcome.” And
you are!
As usual, we are very excited
about the show, and I just thought
I would share with you a few of
the things that we are working on.
As reported elsewhere in this
issue, pre-registration for the
show is up, exhibitor numbers are
growing and demand for space is
at a premium.
The whole industry is coming
together in January in Coventry
and it’s great to see.
I am pleased to tell you that the
following groups will all be officially
endorsing the Trade Only
Nigel Bailey
nigel.bailey@ppda.co.uk
National Show and working with
us to bring their members to both
the show and the awards dinner –
Select, IBG, Envoy, Ignite, Promotional
Union, Advantage, Spectrum
and PAGE.
Additionally, a number of exhibitors
have agreed to enhanced
key sponsor packages.
That’s not forgetting, of course,
the backing we have from our
partners, PSI and the key endorsement
of the British Promotional
Merchandise Association.
The acclaim that the Education
Day and the new Continuous
Development Programme has received
is great. Education in our
industry has finally grown up and
not before time!
Worx! in Hall 3 is taking shape
nicely, with a number of exhibitors
demonstrating manufacturing
and print live for you. Add to
that the Student Design Competition,
which certainly created a lot
of interest last show.
The Hall 5 Theatre once again
plays host to the expanded Worx!
fashion shows and the new round
table lunchtime discussion featuring
leading industry figures.
If you are visiting the show I
cannot urge you enough to take
advantage of the hotel and transport
offers and come for two days
– there is so much to see and do
A word about screening
WE DO make every effort possible to screen visitors, both at
pre-registration and on the door, to make sure that only distributors
and resellers of business gifts are allowed in.
All online registrations are checked individually and thoroughly.
This year at the show, both registration desks will be operating
live visitor checking on arrival to validate all entry requests.
Suppliers and manufacturers are not permitted to attend either,
unless they exhibit.
However, inevitably there will always be the odd one or two who
gain entry to the show somehow by lying.
If you experience any problems on-site, please contact a member
of staff or security.
that will benefit your business.
Virtually without exception,
your key suppliers will be there
and will be looking forward to
seeing you. Many of them will
have chosen the show as their
only national promotional exhibition
of the year, so don’t miss out!
Something we have always
operated, but perhaps not quite
shouted about enough before, is
the appointments facilitator.
This is designed so that visitors
can pre-arrange appointments
with suppliers at specific times.
These can be either off or onstand.
We will, as always, have
off-stand meeting rooms available
that can be pre-booked by
the hour or day for more in-depth
conversations.
The bpma dinner is taking
shape now and I can only say that
the response from the industry
has been truly phenomenal.
As I write, we are down to our
last few tables and negotiating
with the venue to fit more in – so
if you have not ordered your places
yet...!
In addition to our star headline
acts, this year we will once again
feature live voting for two of the
awards.
For those of you who want to
chill out for a bit at the dinner, we
have once again negotiated with
the venue for a quiet seating area
adjacent to the E.on lounge for
those of you who would prefer to
sit and chat after the meal.
This area will be within the
event’s drinks licensing area and
there will be a waiter service here
for alcohol, as well as for coffee.
We are already working on the
2014 dinner, so watch this space!
The Ricoh Arena is a great venue.
It has been a fantastic experience
to work with them once
again. The venue is right at the
heart of the UK, with excellent
connections by road, rail and air.
There is ample parking and of
course, we make that free to all.
The venue staff are friendly and
helpful and have the same great
customer-focused ethos as ours.
They listen as well and we have
been heavily involved in many of
the developments and changes
there, and in some of the refurbishment
work they have undertaken
in recent years.
The Trade Only National Show
will always be forward-thinking.
It will always be for the whole industry,
not just a bit of it. It will
remain the only event of its kind –
a show where the whole industry
can come together.
I look forward to seeing you
there. Please come and say hello!
TRADE
ONLY
SHOW
FOR many of you, Biff
Promotions is not a name
that trips off the tongue –
and you may be forgiven
P152
for this, because while Biff is an
established brand, it has not been
truly allowed to flourish – until
now.
Over the last nine months, the
Leeds-based company has undergone
a complete rebrand and
facelift, with a new website and
new direction. Building on the
proven track record of innovation
and product development of its
sister company, Boxer Gifts, Biff
has already begun to bring new
ideas to the market.
A great success at London
Olympia this summer, the Slapon
Rule, a flexible wrap-around
silicon ruler, is a clever variation
on the theme of slap wristbands,
but as a fully functional half-metre
ruler aimed primarily at the
construction industry, it also has
conceptual applications in all
sectors including financial, education
and marketing.
Biff will soon be announcing
their latest innovative product
at the Trade Only National Show
and will enter the design for the
coveted bpma Innovative Product
of the Year award. Sales and Marketing
Manager Tony Speight told
PPD: “We’re really excited about
bringing new products to the industry.”
More at ppda.co.uk/biff
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