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Spring Fair reveals four day content line-up for three 'dynamic' stages

Tom Bottomley
16 January 2025

Spring Fair, the UK’s largest trade show for home, gift and fashion, which celebrates its 75th anniversary at the show taking place at the NEC in Birmingham on 2-5 February 2025, has revealed its latest content line-up across three separate stages.

In Hall 2, the Inspiring Retail Stage will offer daily catwalk shows, high-profile keynote speakers and trend presentations with BDA London’s Trendhub.

Hall 3 will be home to the Masterclass Studio, which will take a deep dive into today’s retail challenges with panel discussions and workshops. Sessions will cover digital trends, sustainability and working with artificial intelligence to help retailers equip themselves with the skills needed for modern retail.

New for 2025, in Hall 5 will be the freshly launched Licensing Lab, developed in partnership with Fabacus and Licensing International and dedicated to driving growth in the licensing industry. There will be networking opportunities and exclusive expert-led sessions, and the space will provide insights for licensors, licensees, and retailers looking to unlock new business opportunities.

Session highlights for the four days across three halls include:

Sunday, 2 February

  • Keynote: Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen on ‘Unleashing Creativity: Licensing, Art, and Designing for Retail Success’ - 10:30, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • Tess Cope, Leadership Coach at The Transformation Agency, will lead a session on ‘Empowering Women in Retail and Entrepreneurship’. Tackling leadership challenges, Cope will uncover the real barriers holding women back while offering actionable strategies to help them thrive - 10:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • Instagram content creator Rachel Henderson will offer advice on ‘The Art of Visual Selling: How to Create Eye-Catching Content That Converts on Instagram’ - 11:30, Masterclass Studio.
  • ‘Key Trends in Licensing for 2024’: Explore the emerging trends shaping the licensing industry in 2024 with Steve Manners from Licensing International - 11:30, Licensing Lab.
  • ‘Digital Trends For SME Retailers to Plan For in 2025’: Join leading digital experts Lucy Hall from Digital Woman, Lucia Dello from Dello Insights, and Niki Hutchison from Enjoy Marketing as they reveal the essential digital trends that SME retailers need to embrace in 2025 - 12:45, Masterclass Studio.
  • ‘TikTok 2025: Leveraging Next-Gen Trends to Elevate Your Brand’ - 2pm, Licensing Lab.
  • Faire will take to the stage to deliver expert sessions for retailers, offering insights and guidance on industry trends - 14:00, Masterclass Studio.

Monday, 3 February

  • Keynote: Andrew Xeni, founder and CEO of Fabacas and Nobody's Child on ‘Scaling Sustainability: Growing an E-commerce Brand in a New Retail Era’ - 10:30, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • ‘Exceptional Shopper Experiences: Delivering Short and Long-Term Impact’: Through in-depth analysis and real-world examples, David Wall and Jauneen Tarin from Kantar will explore the importance of customer experience and marketing in achieving both short-term commercial impact and long-term growth in brand perceptions - 10:30am, Masterclass Studio.
  • Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen gives key insights into design and the Garden of Pattern - 10.30, Licensing Lab.
  • Ron Sachs, Shopping Director at Deliveroo, on ‘From Click to Customer: Deliveroo's Cross-Sector Journey in Digital Retail Excellence’, an insightful exploration of customer centric transformation across diverse retail sectors. The session will offer valuable takeaways for retailers looking to enhance their customer experience and adapt to evolving consumer expectations in the digital age - 16.15, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • Steve Lister, sustainability consultancy to global brands, retailers and supply chain partners, on ‘The Future of Sustainable Retail - Strategies That Work’ - 11:30, Masterclass Studio.
  • Lunch and learn at the Licensing Lab: ‘Expanding Horizons: Licensing Success and Diversification at Nobody’s Child’, with Andrew Xeni, Chairman of Nobody’s Child, CEO of Fabacus - 12:00, Licensing Lab.
  • Keynote: Jeff Banks on ‘Licensing, Branding, and the Keys to Lasting Success’. Join Banks as he reflects on 60 years of success in the world of licensing, branding and design, sharing anecdotes and hard earned lessons - 12.15, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • From Stage to Page: ‘Licensing Insights from Theatrical Giants with the Really Useful Group and Royal Shakespeare Company’, delving into how licensing can extend theatrical works into new formats and markets, offering invaluable strategies for creative and commercial success: 13.15, Licensing Lab.
  • Andrew Xeni, founder and CEO, Fabacas and Nobody's Child, on ‘Digital Product Passports: The Future of Connected Commerce’. 14:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • ‘End of The Line for Barcodes: Are You Ready for 2027?’ By 2027, QR codes powered by GS1 are expected to begin replacing traditional barcodes, marking a seismic shift in the industry. In this panel talk, Camilla Young, Programme Lead at GS1 and Kasia Little, Digital Experience Manager at Bayer Consumer Health, reveal what this transformation means for businesses - 15:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • Jeff Banks on ‘Unlocking the Power of Licensing in Fashion and Beyond’. Join Banks to discover how strategic licensing partnerships can elevate brands, expand market reach, and create enduring success in fashion and beyond - 15:00, Licensing Lab.

 Tuesday, 4 February

  • Fiona Humberstone’s ‘Brand Brilliance’ session will deliver practical strategies for building standout visual identities - 11:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • Helena Mansell-Stopher of Products of Change will lead a ‘Sustainability Masterclass’ exploring emerging legislation and actionable solutions - 12:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • Join Faire for more expert insights - 12:15, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • ‘Supercharge Your Creativity’ with Canva. Unlock your creativity with the Canva visual communication suite. In this hands on workshop attendees will get a real insight into how Canva's Magic AI features can boost productivity and simplify the design process - 13:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • Keynote: Theo Paphitis shares his expertise on ‘Small Businesses, Big Impact: Thriving in a World of Giants’ - 14:15, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • ‘Using Data to De-Risk Decisions and Maximise ROI in Retail Licensing’ with Tom Williams, CEO, Insights Family - 15:00, Licensing Lab.

Wednesday, 5 February:

  • A practical workshop by Anti Copying in Design (ACID) and McDaniels Law on ‘Taking on the Copycats’ - offering guidance on protecting intellectual property in the gifting industry - 10:00, Masterclass Studio.
  • Keynote - Kate Hardcastle deliversThe Science of Shopping – what consumers want next’, a keynote speech exploring themes from her upcoming book, The Science of Shopping. The presentation will focus on the evolution of consumer behaviour, the psychology behind purchasing decisions, and actionable insights for retailers to thrive in 2025 and beyond - 10:30, Inspiring Retail Stage.
  • Elliott Webb, CEO of Urban Farm It, with a live demonstration showing how he’s putting sustainability at the heart of product development: 12:30, Masterclass Studio.


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