London Stationery Show hosts successful event, honors award winners

The London Stationery Show, the U.K.’s event dedicated to stationery,  held a successful in-person event May 17-18. The Business Design Centre hosted London Stationery Show for two days of business, education, and creativity, with over 150 brands attending, showcasing thousands of products from high-end stationery to everyday office staples. The show coincided with many new product launches, and provided a sneak preview of what’s to arrive in the industry over the next few months. “We were delighted to welcome everybody back to the show, including both new and returning exhibitors and many visitors from around the world. We were excited to showcase the industry’s latest innovations, as well as the many wonderful features on offer at the show,” Alex Butler, event director, stated.

Boutique Collection and LaunchPad

The Boutique Collection featured independent brands that displayed a  range of unique, design-led stationery. This carefully curated selection of brands, chosen by the London Stationery Show team, offered original artistic prints and greeting cards, distinctive notebooks, and even custom writing tools.

Stationery Matters Awards

Two winners of the Stationery Matters Awards were also showcased in the area:

• Op Art 3 Op Art Series gift wrap by Storigraphic
• Piri It’ sticky memo by Sun-Star Stationery

Five LaunchPad Winners

Other special exhibitors included the five LaunchPad winners. The Stationery Matters LaunchPad competition aims to shine a light on emerging independent businesses and this year’s selection of winners were very deserving. On display were beautiful cards, art pieces and revision tools and the team were delighted to give them a platform to show off their work.

Creative Matters Workshops

The Creative Matters Workshops were a popular and immersive feature at the show. Visitors were offered the opportunity to join a variety of product demonstrations and enjoyed relaxing sessions painting or drawing using a variety of different mediums, with eight unique sessions each day from a range of different exhibitors. There was even a chance to learn a range of new skills, such as the art of Furoshiki – gift-wrapping with fabric – and creating masterpieces using colourful tapes. This allowed retailers to try before they buy, guaranteeing they make the best decisions for their business.

Retail Matters Live Talks

Visitors were invited to the Retail Matters Live Talks that were hosted by industry experts. Topics of conversation included a mini masterclass in PR, how to grow your business, selling on Instagram, the trend forecast for Spring Summer 2023 and much more. Retailers found that the seminars provided plenty of tips and tricks to take. Speakers included:

• Martha Keith of Marth Brook London
• Sam Donnachie and Hannah Malein of Colour Hive
• Catherine Erdly of The Resilient Retail Club
• Rachel Waring, Nerrisa Pratt of Untld Project
• Therese Oertenblad of Small Business Collaborative, working in conjunction with Elizabeth Stiles

Indie Matters Business Advice Clinics

Over the course of the event, show attendees were given the opportunity to attend one-to-one sessions for personalized retail tips. The Indie Matters Business Advice Clinics enabled visitors to sit down with industry professionals, Catherine Erdly, Rachel Waring, Nerrisa Pratt, Therese Oertenblad and Elizabeth Stiles and gain more tailored advice and knowledge. London Stationery Show emphasizes education as a key feature of the event and recognizes the importance of helping independent businesses grow and allows its visitors the platform to do so. These clinics showcase the help available to brands who are looking to boost their business or sales.

Sustainability Matters

Sustainability was a major focal point of the show, with nearly every brand offering eco-friendly products. This was highlighted in the Sustainability Matters feature, presented at the main entrance of the hall and showcased the diversity in the products. Eco-friendly products displayed included pens, gift-wrapping materials, calendars, notebooks, pencil cases, desk accessories, cards, and many more. Sustainability Matters also allowed visitors to make their own sustainability pledge, such as: “I pledge to only purchase notebooks that use recycled paper” and “I pledge to think carefully about what I recycle.”

Stationery Matters Awards

Tuesday evening marked the long-awaited announcement of the Stationery Matters Awards winners. Finalists of the awards were displayed in the Stationery Matters Hub, showcasing the individual products selected for each prize. The awards ceremony recognized 11 brands as the winners for the 12 product categories, with Manuscript Brands winning two categories! Dates for London Stationery Show 2023 have already been confirmed for May 16-17, 2022. For more information, visit  the London Stationery Show website.