Bumper show issue - Gift Focus magazine

industry newsCatch up on all the latest in our news round upAnd the winner is!Lizzie Lees has won the Jam Tart NewDesigner competition with her hand-craftedteacup and saucer design.Her designs are inspired by the importanceof the home environment and a shift inattitudes away from ‘disposable’ consumerismtowards more home-spun values.Mandy Allen of design-led company JamTart introduced the new designer scheme this year to raise awareness ofthe diffi culties faced by graduates and new designers in such a competitivemarketplace. The aim is to help launch the successful candidate into theirchosen fi eld.“We had a phenomenal response with over 400 entries; clearlyhighlighting the need for this kind of support and the chasm that there isbetween graduation and the world of business,” said Mandy.Jam Tart will be showcasing Lizzie’s work at Top Drawer Autumn inLondon this September from stand A88.Dartington Crystal partners withRoyal SaluteDevon based Dartington Crystal has teamed up with the world’s leading luxuryScotch whisky brand, Royal Salute, to produce hand-crafted decanters for thebrand’s most prestigious blend – Royal Salute 62 Gun Salute.Working exclusively with Royal Salute, Dartington Crystal makes eachdecanter by hand at its workshops in Torrington. Using midnight blue crystal, eachpiece is decorated with 18 carat gold and crowned with a cut crystal stopper.Neil Hughes, managing director for Dartington Crystal commented: “It isa pleasure to be working with Royal Salute whose name is as synonymouswith craftsmanship and quality as our own. To fulfi ll the exacting and superiorrequirements of such a prestigious brand is testament to the unique hand-craftingskills we have ourselves nurtured and developed for more than 40 years.”Rainbow steel butterfliesfrom Joe DaviesShudehill giftware showSeptember is showtime at Joe Davies with the company holdingits 10 th annual special Shudehill show. The event is held at JoeDavies’ south Manchester showrooms from August 31 st toSeptember 10 th (Special opening on Sunday 5 th September2010) and coincides with retailers travelling to and from theAutumn Fair International at Birmingham’s NEC.The Joe Davies showrooms have been freshly merchandisedafter the company’s recent success at the Home & Gift Show inHarrogate. Over 7,500 gifts, frames and jewellery items will beon show with over 2,000 brand new products for autumn andwinter.The showrooms are 10 minutes from the nearby M60motorway and Stockport mainline train station (directtrains from London and Birmingham) and 20 minutes fromManchester International Airport.For more details contact Joe Davies on +44 (0)1619 756 300.New Zealand firm set onUK expansionSixpence Worldwide Agencies, a family run agency businessbased in Auckland, New Zealand, is hoping to extend itsoperations in the UK.The company has been specialising in product sourcingfrom the Far East for more than a decade. It describes itsmain focus as the gift packaging industry but can also supplyother areas such as promotional items, party products andreusable bags. The company says it also has a wealth ofexperience in dealing with and creating licensed product.“Over our years spent dealing in Asia we haveformulated long term relationships with a group ofexclusive factories.This enables us to provide ourcustomers with top quality OEM products, competitivepricing and above all excellent communication and workeffi ciency,” says Jeremy Halligan for the company. It’s currentclient base covers customers within U.S.A, U.K, Australiaand New Zealand.For further details email carol.halligan@sixpence.co.nz orjeremy@sixpence.co.nz6 giftfocus