Trade Shows

Live Events and Trade Shows Set to Return

The pandemic put a halt to all live events and trade shows during 2020 and the start of 2021.  But with lockdown restrictions easing and the vaccine roll-out progressing live events and trade shows are set to return this summer.  When the country reopens on June 21^st the first shows to go ahead are Cake International, The Creative Craft Show, International Confex, The Cycle Show and The London Book Fair.

Cake International

Cake International takes place at Birmingham NEC from June 25-27 and November 5-7 2021. It is the biggest, best and original sugarcraft show and attracts those wanting to improve their cake making skills.  A variety of artists are invited who will run all day workshops to teach cake decorating skills.  There will also be a number of demonstrations held in the theatre.  Its renowned competition is back featuring a host of categories to choose from, assessed by a panel of judges, with feedback for every entry.  Tickets cost £14 each and are on sale now, they can be purchased here.  For £45 you can have VIP access which gives you fast track entry, a special gift and complimentary show guide, exclusive use of the cloakroom, a VIP lounge with hot and cold drinks, a pastry in the morning and cake in the afternoon and front row seating in the theatre.

The Creative Craft Show

The Creative Craft Show takes place on June 24-27 2021 at Birmingham NEC.  It is a haven for knitting, cross stitch, paper crafting, jewellery & dressmaking and stitching enthusiasts, offering all the very latest supplies, ideas and innovations in the hobby world. You’ll find everything from kits, charts and patterns to fabrics, yarns, threads and buttons plus opportunities to glean advice from industry experts.  Workshops will give visitors the opportunity to hone their skills or try something new and come away with a finished piece.  Tickets are £14 each and are available here, VIP access is also available.

International Confex

For 38 years, International Confex has been a familiar place for event organisers and event industry stakeholders to unite.  This year it takes place on June 22-23 at London Excel.  It is the leading exhibition for the events industry, bringing together the largest gathering of event professionals in the UK. Confex is where event organisers discover suppliers, venues, and service providers to help them plan their future events as well as catch up with their events industry family.  International Confex has a world-class conference programme which is central to the show. Discover 100+ talks taking place across two-days.   Entry is free, you can register for tickets here.

The Cycle Show

The UK’s leading cycling event returns to London on 25 – 27 June 2021. The Cycle Show will join the London eBike Festival powered by Shimano Steps for a unique cycling experience at one of the capital’s most iconic venues. Showcasing the best brands with dedicated halls for electric bikes and triathlon, plus live theatre shows under the roof of Alexandra Palace alongside amazing outdoor space for bike test tracks, pro races, skills sessions and more.  Featuring Meet the Legends – your chance to see some of the sport’s biggest personalities in conversation with top TV hosts; skill sessions – learn to ride like a pro; racing; an urban bike test track; bike of the year; your chance to try out mountain bikes; and a balance bike race for little ones.  Tickets are £16/adult, £14/student or senior, £7/child, under 5s free and are available here.

The London Book Fair

The London Book Fair celebrates its 50^th year on 29 June – 1 July 2021 at London Olympia.  It is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels.  Meet the ‘who’s who’ of the publishing industry and exhibitors and guests from across the globe. The giant publishing houses, the independents, the publishers of blockbuster novels and academic texts, the producers of children’s books and graphic novels will also be there, alongside mobile companies and gaming start-ups.  You can also attend over 200 seminars on the pressing themes in publishing today – from getting published to Open Access to audiobooks.  Conferences include Introduction to Rights, The Research and Scholarly Publishing Forum, Education Conference and The Writers Summit.  Entrance is free, you can register here.

All these events have put safety measures in place including social distancing measures – restricting the number of visitors, wider aisles, directional floor markings and queue management systems; extra cleaning; obligatory face coverings; perspex screens; cashless payments and temperature checks for staff. The return of live events is a welcome sign of life tentatively returning to normal.

There is a huge amount of enthusiasm to get events back up and running and better than ever, from within the industry “We are raring to go and everything is in place to bring fantastic events back to people who have been deprived of them since the start of the pandemic” says Alan Jenkins of Quadrant2Design, an exhibition stand design and build contractor. The return of live events is a welcome sign of life tentatively returning to normal.