The New Zealand Winter Gift and Homeware Fair and the South Island Hospitality Show (SIHS) will be co-locating in June 2015 at Horncastle Arena, Christchurch.
Last year the NZ Winter Gift show attracted 1,500 unique buyers, and XPO Exhibitions, which runs both fairs, believes the combined event should attract over 3,000.
“We saw a selection of show organisers attending this year’s Winter Gift Fair looking to specify furnishings for new Christchurch hotel developments resulting in some significant orders for those showcasing the right product,” says Brent Spillane, managing director of XPO. “So, the demand is there.
“XPO wants to foster this style of growth in the long-term for the benefit of gift fair exhibitors and to ultimately create a lively, vibrant environment. It’s a new value added reason to consider Winter Gift alongside the Auckland based Autumn and Spring Gift Fairs.”
Two distinct areas will be set up for the fairs and visitors will be badged separately based on the show they have primarily come to visit, so stallholders will be able to distinguish if they are talking to a qualified gift or hospitality buyer. SIHS will also host a number of cooking classes and wine tastings to add some incentive.
“We’re confident the initiative will help bring back many curious retailers to Christchurch who want to see what SIHS has to offer in addition to Winter Gift and we’re delighted to be reinvigorating the overall shows,” say Vanessa White, sales manager of SIHS and Neil Cording, sales manager of the NZ Gift and Homewares Fair. “For those exhibitors with product ranges that do not entirely complement the hospitality and gift trade, rest assured we won’t be holding back in our traditional marketing to NZ retail buyers – it’s business as usual, just on a far bigger and wider spectrum.”
