Source Home & Gift Plans Largest Show to Date With Focus on Responsible Storytelling
Transparency continues to shape brands’ assortments as they seek to meet consumer demands and satisfy their own targets. To build more environmentally and socially responsible products, companies require likeminded suppliers.
UK-based trade show Source Home & Gift, organized by Hyve, connects buyers and responsible manufacturers across categories including homeware, furniture, gifting, toys, stationery and more. All exhibitors—from large-scale factories to artisan producers—are vetted and audited, providing peace of mind to retailers who care about where their goods come from. When Source Home & Gift returns Feb. 4-7, 2024 in Birmingham, England for its third edition, the trade show will be bigger than ever, indicating the demand for this type of event.
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“There is a genuine need to connect good manufacturers to people that want to do business with them,” said Suzanne Ellingham, event director of Source Home & Gift. “There are lots of businesses that do amazing things…but there’s a real lack of clarity and trust in terms of who those good people are to work with.”
The inaugural Source Home & Gift in February 2023 had around 100 exhibitors, and the show has grown considerably since. The third edition will see approximately 450 to 500 manufacturers exhibit. In addition to participants from “manufacturing powerhouses” China, India and Pakistan, Source Home & Gift has sought out exhibitors from diverse geographies, working with organizations such as the International Trade Commission and governmental bodies to expand participation.
Suppliers from about 25 different countries are expected, including companies from emerging markets such as Senegal, Ghana and Nepal, which are represented for the first time. The floor will also include manufacturers and suppliers from Bangladesh, Egypt, Hong Kong, Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
One highlight on the show floor will be handicrafts from African makers, including South African-based Gingham Ceramics’ tableware and Senegal-based Liloba Collection’s woven bags. Geolicrafts, located in Ghana, uses artisan craft as a platform for job creation, teaching the art of making woven baskets and accessories.
Egyptian glass producer Alfagr will be showcasing ornaments, candle holders, vases, jars and drinkware.
Another major region present at the show is South Asia. Mamta Fomra formed the first South Indian designer label when she opened her eponymous brand in 1995. The brand’s fashion, accessories, jewelry and home furnishing designs blend Indian and Western influences with traditional touches such as hand-woven fabrics and hand embroidery. Also preserving Indian traditions is Kaushalam, which creates hand-painted products such as kettles and utensils. Artist and entrepreneur Mrinalika Jain Bhardwaj founded Kaushalam in 2012 to bring regional and folk art forms into the present day. Meanwhile, N.D. Handicraft from Nepal makes woolen felt hats by hand.
European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines subsidiary Fairs and More Inc. will showcase a range of companies that reflect the nation’s heritage and craftsmanship as well as ecological values.
A Women in E-Commerce pavilion will feature 20 female entrepreneurs from Bangladesh who are making their debut showing in Europe. This also marks the show’s first Bangladeshi pavilion.
Verifying responsibility
Helping exhibitors communicate about their responsible attributes, Source Home & Gift has added a profile feature that allows them to list their certifications and initiatives, such as educational and community programs. The show organizers will also work with the participants to ensure they are optimizing their presentation to a mostly European buying audience that is looking at certain certifications or standards as a given.
While vendors might be used to leading with their manufacturing processes, Hyve is encouraging them to tell stories about their impact. “From manufacturers’ perspective, it’s very difficult to know what’s important to a U.K. or European buyer or head of sourcing,” said Ellingham. “We’re so used to having transactional conversations about how much something costs, but that’s a money value—it’s not an environment value, and it’s not social value.”
To boost discovery, the show is debuting a new product trend area from different manufacturing regions. “It gives us the ability to storytell on the show floor in a slightly more authentic way and really highlight some of the companies that are doing good things and their beautiful products,” Ellingham noted.
The show will also feature educational talks on the Responsible Retail Stage. Among the hot topics will be why sustainability claims alone don’t cut it and what is blocking progress. “The big conversation that we’ll be having this year across all of our shows is about the transparency of process and accountability, and all of the different things that means,” said Ellingham.
“If you’re not being transparent, if you’re not monitoring your processes, then how do you measure it? And if you’re not measuring it, and if you’re not publishing it or making yourself accountable, then how do you improve it?”
Click here to learn more about Source Home & Gift and register for the show.
