September 08 - October 24 2025
Get Your Free Pass Today
Discover a mix of your favourite brands and the most exciting new names. Browse hundreds of interactive stands, discover thousands of products. Chat and connect with established brands and uncover fresh finds whenever it suits you.
Meet Lex Rogy, our Future Star Award winner
At the heart of everything we do is a mission to make the Gift Industry more accessible—for buyers, for exhibitors, and especially for newcomers.
The Gift Fair was created to be an inclusive, welcoming space where everyone feels supported. In the tech world, they call these kinds of spaces “incubators”—places where young companies can grow and thrive. That’s exactly what we’re trying to be for the gift industry. We know how tough it can be for start-ups to get their foot in the door, and we want to help change that.
That’s why we created the Future Star Award.
Trade shows are one of the best ways to get in front of buyers—but let’s be honest, they can be expensive. We know because we’ve been there ourselves—at Spring Fair, Top Drawer, Atlanta, NYNOW... And for a new designer trying to get noticed for the first time, those costs can be a real barrier.
So, we wanted to do something about it.
The Future Star Award gives early-stage brands a chance to exhibit for free at an upcoming edition of The Gift Fair. It’s open to businesses under five years old, and it’s our way of helping fresh talent shine.
We see the gift industry as fast-moving and trend-driven—much like fashion. Creativity, innovation, and originality are key, and those are exactly the qualities we look for in our Future Star winner. We also consider the potential the brand has to really grow and make waves in the industry.
Our judge is Meera Santoro, Co-Founder & Creative Director of Santoro. Meera brings incredible insight and experience—not just in design, but in global philanthropy too. She’s a UK ambassador for the re-establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal Children’s Hospital in Durban, sits on the committee for Caudwell Children’s charity, and is involved with E2E Exchange, The Women’s Chapter, and The British Fashion Council Trust.
We got a bit excited for our first-ever award and ended up choosing two winners! In this blog, we’re shining a spotlight on one of them: Little Roglets.
Hanna Walker shows off her innovate stand
One of the best things about trade shows in the gift industry is seeing what everyone’s been working on.
Even after 20+ years of attending shows, I’m still amazed by the sheer creativity on display. There’s always something fresh, clever, and completely unexpected—and that’s what makes this industry so exciting.
At The Gift Fair UK, we’re passionate about creating a community that lifts each other up. Our exhibitors are all incredibly talented, and we wanted to give them a fun challenge: use those creative skills not just in your products, but in your stand design too.
That’s how the Stand Design Award came to be.
The winner of this award gets a free stand at the next edition of the show—a little thank-you for going the extra mile.
Now, this year was a bit different for everyone. Our format meant exhibitors had to get used to a brand-new way of building their stands. And like with any change, even positive change, it can feel a bit daunting at first. But honestly? Most of our exhibitors had their stands ready in just one working day—and the results were incredible.
Visitors kept telling us how slick and cool the show looked. And that’s entirely down to our exhibitors. They brought their A-game with videos, animations, beautiful imagery, and creative layouts that made their brands shine.
Some standouts included Cheeky Legends, Rex London, Ayala Bar, and Feather Ink—but it was Sienna Glass who took home the top prize.
Hanna Walker, Director of Sienna Glass, put the entire stand together herself—months in advance! We were seriously impressed.
What really stood out was the storytelling. Her first slide didn’t just show how the products are made—it introduced the company and the people behind it. It was thoughtful, warm, and genuinely engaging.
But Hanna didn’t stop at storytelling. She balanced it beautifully with the practical side of things too—buyers had all the information they needed to place orders on the spot.
And perhaps our favourite touch? She made it personal. Photos of the whole team, their roles, and direct contact details were all included. That human connection goes a long way—and we encourage every exhibitor to follow her lead.
Give us your thoughts on how we can improve
The first show attracted thousands of unique visitors, primarily small independent businesses. Encouragingly, over 65% of exhibitors have already signed up for the next show, reinforcing confidence in the event's potential for future success.
Following the success of the first event, Xpofairs is already planning two further editions in 2025:
With an emphasis on international expansion, Xpofairs is collaborating with US partners to pay special attention to the cultural differences between the two territories, there is meaningful support for UK brands entering the American market. Interested businesses are encouraged to sign up now to secure their participation.
Xpofairs have learnt a lot from the first show with the help of their wonderful exhibitors, curious retailers through feedback sessions, they have been making changes throughout to make it more successful for everyone. The main changes include:
· Simplified Registration Process: A more streamlined sign-up, making attendance easier for busy buyers.
· Instructional Videos: The new website will feature a comprehensive library of video guides to help attendees navigate the platform with ease.
· Simplified navigation. If you are looking for a specific brand it is now easier to search them and see who is in each hall. If you need to leave the show when you return you will now enter right where you left off!
Another exciting announcement is Mobile App Launch: A dedicated app will be introduced for the next event, enabling seamless participation from anywhere. The plan is that these along with other adjustment will make for a more user-friendly experience to help visitors interact more with exhibitors.
If you have suggestions on how we can make the show work better for you reach out to the team at info@xpofairs.com.
Keep your eyes peeled for further updates 👀
“I’ve often thought it’d be awesome to somehow combine the magic of discovery and the real-life interaction of in-person events, with the efficiency and customised experience offered by online marketplaces. It looks like the Gift Fair has been tapping into my brain”“I’ve often thought it’d be awesome to somehow combine the magic of discovery and the real-life interaction of in-person events, with the efficiency and customised experience offered by online marketplaces. It looks like the Gift Fair has been tapping into my brain”
“Participating in the online Gift Fair was an excellent opportunity for us at Santoro to introduce our new brand, Bangoberry, to a broader audience, particularly here in the UK. Already well-received by toy chains, independent stores, and gift shops across Europe, it was thrilling to showcase our fun and colourful products to new buyers and connect with those we might not have reached otherwise. “Participating in the online Gift Fair was an excellent opportunity for us at Santoro to introduce our new brand, Bangoberry, to a broader audience, particularly here in the UK. Already well-received by toy chains, independent stores, and gift shops across Europe, it was thrilling to showcase our fun and colourful products to new buyers and connect with those we might not have reached otherwise.
We are delighted to exhibit at The Gift Fair virtual trade show. It's a brilliant concept as it allows retailers to discover new suppliers and see what existing suppliers are planning to launch in 2025, without having to travel. In addition, the timing is perfect as it allows our customers who cannot make it to the Spring Fair a chance to see what we plan to show, and inspires those visiting the show, to make an effort and visit us.”We are delighted to exhibit at The Gift Fair virtual trade show. It's a brilliant concept as it allows retailers to discover new suppliers and see what existing suppliers are planning to launch in 2025, without having to travel. In addition, the timing is perfect as it allows our customers who cannot make it to the Spring Fair a chance to see what we plan to show, and inspires those visiting the show, to make an effort and visit us.”
"We're really excited to be part of the inaugural Gift Fair. An online trade show is the ideal platform to showcase our new and bestselling collections in an accessible and engaging way, and we're really looking forward to connecting with retailers who may never have discovered us at a traditional trade show""We're really excited to be part of the inaugural Gift Fair. An online trade show is the ideal platform to showcase our new and bestselling collections in an accessible and engaging way, and we're really looking forward to connecting with retailers who may never have discovered us at a traditional trade show"
"We are very excited to be taking part in this new and exciting online trade show, connecting us with new retailers and customers, to showcase our ranges to. An online platform enables to showcase our products in new and fresh ways and inspire you to create the same in your stores""We are very excited to be taking part in this new and exciting online trade show, connecting us with new retailers and customers, to showcase our ranges to. An online platform enables to showcase our products in new and fresh ways and inspire you to create the same in your stores"
”We're excited to be part of the Gift Fair and see it as a great chance to connect and expand Good Tuesday's community in a fresh, meaningful way. We’re especially motivated by the opportunity to reduce our environmental impact by eliminating travel, paper materials, and waste - things that are typically a challenge at traditional trade shows.” ”We're excited to be part of the Gift Fair and see it as a great chance to connect and expand Good Tuesday's community in a fresh, meaningful way. We’re especially motivated by the opportunity to reduce our environmental impact by eliminating travel, paper materials, and waste - things that are typically a challenge at traditional trade shows.”
“It was a privilege to participate in the inaugural show, delivering an exceptional and seamless online experience that demonstrated a clear understanding of our industry's needs. We've seen a significant surge in visibility for our Cheeky Legends brand, underscoring the transformative potential of this tradeshow. The entire team has been brilliant, providing ongoing support to help us maximise the experience, and we are thrilled to be taking part in the September show!”“It was a privilege to participate in the inaugural show, delivering an exceptional and seamless online experience that demonstrated a clear understanding of our industry's needs. We've seen a significant surge in visibility for our Cheeky Legends brand, underscoring the transformative potential of this tradeshow. The entire team has been brilliant, providing ongoing support to help us maximise the experience, and we are thrilled to be taking part in the September show!”
“We’ve been so impressed with XPO The Gift Fair! The team, especially Aarun and Fabian, have been brilliant—so supportive and responsive throughout. It’s amazing to see such an innovative platform transforming the way the wholesale giftware industry connects. We’re thrilled to have won Best Stand and can’t wait to see how XPO grows!”“We’ve been so impressed with XPO The Gift Fair! The team, especially Aarun and Fabian, have been brilliant—so supportive and responsive throughout. It’s amazing to see such an innovative platform transforming the way the wholesale giftware industry connects. We’re thrilled to have won Best Stand and can’t wait to see how XPO grows!”
This September, there’s even more waiting for you—with new brands joining and fresh product launches around every corner. Plus, we’ve taken your feedback on board and added loads of new features to help you find the brands you’ll love, faster and easier than ever.
At this cutting-edge online trade show, you’ll connect directly with national account, territory managers as well as brand owners in real time. Meet, chat, and build relationships with people you know and innovators—all in one place, whenever suits you.
