New Manchester Gift Fair to be held at EventCity

The organiser of Boutique Manchester has announced an extension into the gift fair trade to coincide with its first EventCity show.
 
As previously reported in EN, Boutique by Chic has been rebranded Boutique Manchester and will relocate to EventCity from Ricoh Arena in Coventry from 16 to 18 October. The newly launched Manchester Gift Fair will run alongside the more established exhibition and is focused on the national giftware trade.
 
Director of organiser M&S Exhibitions Mark Greenhalgh said it was inspired to launch the gift fair after first seeing the size and scope of EventCity. The proximity to the Trafford Centre retail district and free parking were deciding factors for the move.
 
Natural synergies between the core Boutique audience and gift retailers were also a key consideration, he said.
 
“What has stopped us in the past is the size of the venues we were in – we have been filling them with our existing show,” Greenhalgh continued. “We launched the Gift Fair quite late but we wanted to run it with the Boutique show. We also found the October timeframe worked for the industry and presented buyers with the opportunity to stock up with current season stock as well as for Spring.
 
“It gives our traditional visitors more reasons to come to the show as well.”
 
Boutique Manchester and Manchester Gift Fair will return to EventCity in March 2012.
 
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