To mark the 65th anniversary of Home & Gift, event director David Westbrooke examines how the combination of an impressive exhibitor roster and strong turnout of repeat attendees has helped this exhibition become one of the industry’s most popular events

How is the 2025 show shaping up?
Home & Gift 2025 is set to be another bumper year, with an enlarged footprint again (Design Point 1 seeing the most obvious increase, with another whole module of space added!), as well as more product launches, more features, and more networking opportunities – and, of course, this is all against the backdrop of our 65th birthday!

Are many new suppliers exhibiting this year?
The massive growth that’s been so evident over the last couple of years has been driven in large part by huge numbers of brand-new exhibitors who have been flocking to the show. For 2025 we’ll have over 150 companies with us who have never taken part before, from established brands such as Donna May London, Heyyy Cards and Cereria Mollá 1899, through to smaller ones like Puzzle Post, SOEK, and Fatso.

Arguably as important are the lapsed brands returning this year after an absence, including the likes of Rex London, Suck UK, and Le Toy Van. So, all in all, there’s a staggering amount of brands to discover that weren’t here last July!

How is the attendance from retailers looking in terms of numbers?
We’re anticipating a strong turnout again this year, with a 10% increase in registrations targeted and very encouraging signs across key segments. Our VIP attendance continues to grow – we saw an 82% rise in buyers with £1 million-plus budgets last year, and we’re building on that momentum for 2025.

What’s especially exciting is the return of so many repeat attendees: we saw a 7% increase in revisits last year, and our visitor satisfaction hit an all-time high, with an NPS [Net Promoter Score: a customer loyalty and satisfaction metric] of +43. That tells us people love the experience, and we’re confident this year will be no different.

Are there any changes to the format this year that might help retailers plan their visits?
Absolutely. We’ve made a number of changes designed to improve both the planning and the experience. We’ve expanded the show footprint again, with Design Point 1 seeing an additional module added, giving buyers more to explore across the 500-plus brands onsite.
To help with prep, we’ve launched Retail Revealed Online – a brand-new digital content series offering expert insight on trends, PR, AI, tariffs and more – all before you arrive in Harrogate. We’ve also fine-tuned the Indigo Lounge experience for returning VIPs to help them plan their days in a bit of peace and comfort.

Any special show features that we can look forward to?
Plenty! The ever-popular Gift of the Year Showcase returns to Hall B, and we’ll be announcing the People’s Choice Award live during Sunday’s Sundowners.

One of my personal favourites this year is the new Trends Feature, curated by The Better Trends Co. It’s immersive, inspiring, and closely tied in with our Summer Soirée theme. And of course, the social side is as strong as ever. From the Sunday Sundowner Drinks and the famous Show Party on Monday to Tuesday’s Drinks on the Lawn, we’ve got networking covered in style.

Do you have plans to commemorate the show’s 65th anniversary?
It’s a huge milestone and we’re celebrating it in true Home & Gift style – with even more features, more inspiration, and more ways to connect than ever before. The whole show is themed as a Summer Soirée, with curated experiences designed to reflect the festival’s rich heritage and vibrant personality.
From our celebratory branding and creative direction through to the special edition Trend Installations and expanded Indigo Lounge, everything’s been designed to mark the occasion in style. I can’t wait to welcome everyone to what promises to be a truly unforgettable edition.

Why do you think Home & Gift is so important to retailers?
It’s important for a number of key reasons. First and foremost, the dateline lends itself perfectly to retailers looking to firm up ideas for the all-important Golden Quarter. Buyers can also source across the whole spectrum of products, from suppliers both big and small, from contemporary to traditional – I challenge anyone not to find their next bestseller at Home & Gift!

And what are the benefits for gift companies?
For exhibitors, it’s their chance to get new products in front of buyers from all across the UK – from London to Scotland and beyond – before anyone else, and at such a key point in the buying cycle.

As well as the obvious advantages of seeing gift exhibitors in one environment, how important is the social side when it comes to the event?
I think they go hand-in-hand. Because of the timing and the setting, it’s a much more relaxed atmosphere than you’ll find at other trade shows – it opens conversations that you just wouldn’t have on a stand alone. We deliberately have social events throughout the show – Sunday Sundowners, the Show Party, Drinks on the Lawn etc – that lend themselves to these sorts of informal interactions, and the opportunities that they create.

What do you believe sets it apart from other trade shows?
It’s fantastic that Home & Gift is so clearly growing every year, and that the exhibitor roster has become a literal who’s who of suppliers. That, combined with the unique atmosphere and all the onsite activations, means it’s a show that people genuinely want to go to.

Where else can you reward yourself for a hard day’s sourcing with a nice cool glass of something on the lawns of a beautiful country hotel, mingling with like-minded contemporaries, and enjoying the sunshine?

The gift companies keep turning up, the retailer response is great. How can the show improve further and grow beyond the levels it has already achieved?
To keep this upward trajectory, we need to make sure that we continue to deliver what people are looking for – on both the buy and sell side. It means keeping our ear to the ground so we can react to changes in the market, and thinking big!

I’m a great believer in the opportunity for trade shows to add a more experiential side to them, and we will continue to invest in ours every year, to give people those ‘wow’ moments that we’ve become known for.

What do you personally enjoy most about the show?
Besides the beautiful products on display and the gorgeous surroundings, I love all those unexpected handshakes you have over the four days – across the halls in the daytime, and Harrogate itself in the evening. The amount of familiar faces you see and the new connections you make every year is extraordinary – and everyone is always so happy!

How has the show evolved over the decades – and do you have any favourite memories?
My first Home & Gift was back in 2005 and I think the entire industry has evolved since then. While we’ve switched between different hotels and halls over the years as individual product sector growth ebbs and flows, what’s remained a constant is that unique mixture of business and pleasure that Home & Gift’s known for. And we’ve tried to build on that with a more experiential offering recently, with a separate Indigo Lounge for loyal visitors and VIPs, trend features, and the like.

I’ve personally got so many amazing memories from over the years, so it’s hard to single out only one, but a lot stem from those late-night escapades at the Show Party – people really do love to let their hair down!

Finally, any other thoughts you would like to add?
An interesting fact for you: our tenancy for the show is almost 50 days long (versus an average of a week for most others in the industry). It takes a huge amount of time to do things like level the hotel grounds and build those marquees!

What: Home & Gift Buyers’ Festival 
Where: Harrogate Convention Centre,
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
When: July 20-23
Visit: homeandgift.co.uk