Visitors bowled over by new ideas at the Big New Products Trade Show

No-one was stumped for ideas when the Big New Products Trade Show arrived at the home of Lancashire cricket on Wednesday, September 28.

Visitors flocked to The Point at Emirates Old Trafford to see the latest and greatest offerings in the world of promotional merchandise, with clothing and eco-friendly products particularly to the fore.

Distributors were impressed with what they saw. Drew Kale of Heatons said: “I find that being able to see and touch a product means I have a better idea about it, and if I buy in to something, I’ve got more chance of selling it to the customer.”

The diversity of visitors underlined the fact that here was a show for everyone. Geoff Walton of Gorilla Workwear said: “We mainly do workwear and PPE but get asked for merchandise quite a lot too, so this is another string to our bow.

“I like that you can get up close and personal with the products here – if you’ve touched it and tried it for yourself, you can be confident you’re buying quality.”

Sustainable products were in high demand. David Reid of Promobox said: “We made a decision recently to move over exclusively to products with good environmental credentials. It means we’re having to ditch a few ‘old favourites’ and find alternatives.

“As this is billed as a new products show, and the industry is definitely going in this eco direction, this has been great for us. Plus, unlike the big shows, it’s much easier to talk to people and have proper conversations here.”

That personal touch also made an impact with Love To Brand’s Jude Glover, who said: “It’s good to be out and about again – this is our first trade show of the year. I’ve really enjoyed seeing everybody and catching up.”

Exhibitors were equally as happy with their day. Ian Hewlett, from United Brands of Scandinavia, said: “People have come with focused questioning and a real idea of what they want to get out of the show, so the meetings I’ve had have all been very constructive.”

Clothing and textile exhibitors included, Fruit of the Loom, Russell Europe, United Brands of Scandinavia, PF Concept Clothing, Eurocap, NJ Clothing, Stormtech, Direct Textiles & Bags and others.