[gallery ids="1245,1246" type="rectangular"]

 

Our two winning members of The Stationery  Shows Launchpad Competition showed off their winning products and designs at The inaugural Manchester Stationery Show. The show, playing host to 40 exhibitors representing some 70 leading stationery brands was set in the Old Trafford area of Manchester, was the first of its kind to focus on just stationery outside of London attracting buyers from Paperchase, Moonpig and WH Smith.

The new show attracted buyers from as far afield as Penny Black Glasgow, Klondyke Garden Centre, Falkirk, Pencil Me In from Elgin and Scottish Trade Stationers from Alloa, to local leading craft retailer Fred Aldous and The Co-operative Group.

Other regionally based visitors included Marple Stationery Supplies, Utility Retail, Austin & Co, Ryman, OPen Office Solutions, Castlegate Stationery, Art & Toys, B&M Retail, Celebrations of Stourbridge, Budget Greeting Cards, Hunkydory Crafts, Poundland, The Crow Emporium, The Little Stationery Shop and Write Here. Which was a great opportunity for our Launchpad winners  Paper Mirchi and Emma Lawrence.

Paper Mirchi

    

"And this is only the beginning..." said Rani from Paper Mirchi, looking forward to more opportunities in the future. To find out more about Rani's beautiful unique handmade designs, visit her website - https://papermirchi.co.uk/

Emma Lawrence

 

 

Emma said of the show “Being a Launchpad winner was a fantastic introduction to participating in my first trade show and was great experience.  I met lots of potential buyers, made some positive contacts which could lead to something exciting and received wonderful feedback.  You can’t underestimate the benefits of speaking to other traders and companies who provide amazing insight and a wealth of advice.  I am now looking forward to Spring Fair 2018.”

To find out more about Emma and her fun educational designs, visit her website - https://www.emmalawrence.com/

The Manchester Stationery Show will return next with Vanessa Fortnum, the shows Marketing Director stating

“The stationery industry is a creative and fashion-led sector.  We want to tap into this creativity and stage events that inspire and inform, we are already planning how to encourage more suppliers to take advantage of this new industry event to network with customers and new contacts in 2018.

“We will also address the issue of visitor parking for next year. Many visitors were frustrated and delayed on the first day of the show as the show clashed with a Manchester Utd Championship League home game.  We hope our decision to pull the show forward to the beginning of October next year will help with this.”