Scotland’s Trade Fair returned to the SEC in Glasgow from March 27 to March 29 with a fantastic range of suppliers and products
Springboard Events, organiser of Scotland’s Trade Fair, has reported that the event was a great success.
Visitor attendance was down on previous years, primarily due to the high rate of Covid infections in Scotland, the postponement of the show from January to March, and the date clashing with Mother’s Day.
But the mood at the show was upbeat, with most exhibitors glad about the quality of the buyers and enjoying the chance to reconnect with fellow suppliers and see old and new customers in person.
Buyers, in turn, were delighted with the huge number of new suppliers and the general level of innovation and originality of products. And being back at an in-person show was widely welcomed by visitors, as they could see and touch the products and connect with the suppliers in person.

Show director Mark Saunders said: “Despite numerous challenges, we were delighted to be able to host Scotland’s Trade Fair once again. A lower attendance was expected but we were pleased that the buyers who came were all ordering confidently for the year ahead, even if the economic outlook remains challenging.â€
Yvonne Carr, senior retail manager of Visit Scotland, commented: “This show is so important for us to source and support Scottish producers, and we loved seeing so many new companies. It’s just not long enough for us to complete all our buying!â€
Exhibitor Archie Macdonald, director of The Highland Soap Company, noted: “The Fair was good for us, with many orders. But most of all, we enjoyed seeing many customers whom we have not seen for two years. If we hadn’t been there, we would have missed many great opportunities.â€
The Best Product Awards, sponsored by The Giftware Association, were judged on the opening morning of the show by Linda Birkbeck, owner of House of Bruar, Catherine McGurk, buyer for Glasgow Museums, and Sarah Ward, chief executive of the Giftware Association. They were all impressed with the quality of the entries, especially from newer, younger companies. Linda said: “The winners naturally stood out from the rest with quality, desirable products that retailers would want to stock. Many showed real innovation in what they were producing, which is so good to see.â€
Winners of the Best Product Awards
Cards and stationery
Gold – Hole in My Pocket – Calendar
Silver – Cascayde – Eco friendly paper tape
Bronze – Wee Wishes – fridge magnet cards
Home & Gift
Gold – Southbeach Design – Felted sheep with Harris tweed jacket
Silver – Kelso & Titch – Bake at home dog biscuit
Bronze – Och Vegan – soap
Textiles and Jewellery
Gold – Cath Waters – 100% silk scarf
Silver – J Boult Designs – Shotgun cartridge keyring
Bronze – Helen Chatterton Textiles – silk map lavender bags
Launch Gallery
Gold – Fiodh –whisky watch
Silver – The Shoal – ceramic fish
Bronze – Eriskay Candles – rapeseed candles
The 2023 edition of Scotland’s Trade Fair will be held at the same venue from January 22 to January 24.
Call: 01877 385772
Click: www.scotlandstradefairs.com