Hyve has launched a transformational new approach to buying, designed to revolutionise the traditional trade show model which they say will ‘connect retailers and brands on a scale never achieved before’.
Connect @ Autumn Fair will be launched at the flagship retail trade show this September.
Described as the ‘definitive shop for shops’, Autumn Fair organised by Hyve Group plc, has supported the home, gift and fashion markets, worth billions of pounds, for more than 30 years.
Hyve said Connect @ Autumn Fair will lead the way for the retail community and transform the buying experience by fuelling thousands of pre-arranged buying meetings before the show even opens.
Viewed as the dawn of a new era for retailers, thousands of the UK’s leading buyers and retailers will be connected with more than 600 exhibitors before the show. Buyers will be able to discover the brands and products their businesses need, by selecting from hundreds of data points important to them. Exhibitors can create leads, orders, and opportunities with the buyers they want to meet most – all in an incredibly efficient and effective way Hyve said – turning chance meetings into guaranteed connections.
More than 6,000 meetings are anticipated to take place at Autumn Fair. Each meeting is 15 minutes long and all meetings are double opt-in, meaning both parties have agreed to meet. Meetings take place on the stand, so buyers can explore the full product range. Buyers can participate in as many double opt-in 15-minute meetings as they like limited only by availability and mutual interest. If more than 15 minutes is required, a follow-up meeting can be arranged at or after the show.
Nicola Meadows, portfolio director at Spring & Autumn Fair said; “Buyers’ time is precious, and justifying time away from the retailing space has never been harder. Connect @ Autumn Fair changes all this. Visiting a trade show should not be about chance; buyers can now source and plan their time at the show in advance, and know they are meeting suppliers that will meet their needs. With access to extensive information on every exhibitor and product category, from origin and sustainability credentials to pricing and minimum order values, retailers will be able to pre-select meetings with brands whose products most suit their needs.
“Exhibitors will, for the first time ever, be able to discover and connect with buyers, based on over 100 datapoints. Through this revolutionary meetings programme, powered by cutting-edge but easy to use technology, we connect the right people, at the right time, and deliver game-changing impact to our customers, their businesses and their industries.
“With Connect, we remove all the potential anxiety, and the element of the unknown and allow buyers and exhibitors to be prepared and informed. This is the biggest investment we have ever made in Spring & Autumn Fair’s history.
“Connect @ Autumn Fair is ripping up the rule book on events and creating value our customers didn’t realise was possible.”
Leading retailers including John Lewis, WHSmith and Choice have endorsed the scheme.
