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Artwerx Australia is bringing a new range of garden art to Sydney Gift Fair.

AGHA Sydney Gift Fair exhibitor Artwerx Australia is a family-owned company with a passion for designing, manufacturing and selling wind spinners that are carefully crafted to exacting specifications for stylish longevity.

An in-house designer and product specialist have ensured the new products bring beauty and style to any indoor or outdoor setting, whether it be contemporary, minimalist, country or somewhere in between.

“Exhibiting at Sydney Gift Fair allows us to show retail buyers that the pieces we produce are of excellent quality with reasonable pricing,” managing director Danielle Smith told the Australian Gift & Homewares Association.

“It is extremely difficult getting your name into the retail sector and the AGHA helps us with that as our main objective is to become Australia’s leading manufacturer and wholesaler of these stunning pieces.”

According to Smith, manufacturing product in Australia is a tough business and cited having exposure and direct access to a range of different clientele across the retail sector as a huge benefit of exhibiting at Sydney Gift Fair.

“We mainly target interior design stores and Australian tourist shops as our flat pack designs are easily transportable. We’re always looking for new ways to manipulate metal, we have a few new tricky designs that proved difficult to design and test, but they’re completed now and were super excited to show them off,” Smith said.

“Our new pieces look fabulous in garden and home settings, and from all of us here at Artwerx Australia, we hope you enjoy these visually dynamic pieces as much as we enjoy making them.”

Register now to see Artwerx Australia, Stand 3S6, AGHA Sydney Gift Fair at Sydney Olympic Park, 24-27 February 2018.

Interiors Addict reveals key highlights from brand new exhibitors at Sydney Gift Fair.

If we’re honest, most interior professionals (buyers and designers) head to gift fairs to find the next big thing. And while there’s nothing wrong with checking out your old favourites, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of uncovering something new.

Run by the AGHA (the peak industry body for gifts and homewares), the Sydney Gift Fair hits Sydney Olympic Park on February 24 to 27 with more than 80 new exhibitors joining the ranks for the first time. And with so many fabulous new brands getting on board, we have picked out a couple of our favourites.

Darlin (Aust)

Established in 2009, homewares purveyor Darlin (Aust) brings with it a wealth of gorgeous product organised within four distinct aesthetic categories – relaxed contemporary, nautical, plantation and coastal. “Overall, we want our products to make people feel at home. We take care in building collections that reflect that,” says director Michelle Lawson.

“I think a point of difference for us is that we don’t necessarily follow yearly trends – our products are carefully selected to emulate care, warmth, uniqueness, and meaning,” says Michelle. Aside from creating on-trend pieces, the brand is environmentally conscious too. “The excellence in our products comes through a combination of hand crafted elements, high quality materials, and the sustainable element of the majority of our products,” says Michelle.

The Nonsense Maker

 

Inspired by old books and etching techniques, The Nonsense Maker caught our eye too, with its whimsical, nostalgic illustrations that are turned into greeting cards and art prints. “The Nonsense Maker started out as a way to express my own alter ego – a caffeine fuelled adventurer and professional maker of nonsense. I am a self-taught artist and have always loved to draw. My imagery is fun, whimsical, and sometimes a little sad, and over time I have realised that the more nonsense that sneaks into my drawings, the more sense and meaning they have to me,” says Emily Ziccone, owner of The Nonsense Maker.

“All our products are hand illustrated with fine liner pen and then coloured digitally. This process means we can have highly detailed images working with extremely vibrant colours, which is a combination you don’t find all that often,” says Emily of the brand’s ever growing range that is produced entirely out of her Melbourne studio. “We are very particular when it comes to quality, and regardless of whether something takes us 5 or 50 hours to create, we make sure each piece is wonderful in its own way,” says Emily.

The Luminaire Collective

Specialising in importing unique, high quality decorative table and floor lamps, The Luminaire Collective came about when the company director Matt Gillis was searching for a statement lighting piece. “I have high standards when it comes to lighting so I was prepared to spend a decent amount of time looking for the right product. Unfortunately the lamps that I discovered were generic, low quality and for the most part, overpriced,” says Matt.

“The trends pushed out by the big box stores appeared to have also saturated independent retailers. I became increasingly frustrated and lost in a sea of beige, white and timber lamps stripped of all personality,” says Matt who set out overseas to source statement lighting where the lamps were a feature of the room, and not just an afterthought.

“Our point of difference is that we import lighting in styles and designs currently missing from the marketplace. Our ethos ‘Beige is Boring – Make A Statement!’ is reflected throughout our entire collection. Each lamp has been selected for a specific reason ranging from an amazing use of colour, to an underutilised material. Every lamp in our collection brings something new to the lighting space,” says Matt.

Find all the transport and accommodation information you need for AGHA Sydney Gift Fair.

Register for Sydney Gift Fair.

AGHA Sydney Gift Fair gets creative with fun games and exciting stationery.

Enhance your new season product mix with the latest toys, games, books and stationery ranges to please both children and adults alike. Sydney Gift Fair’s broad selection of exhibitors has something for everyone, whether you’re sourcing trending stationery products, educational wooden toys or fun and challenging kids games.

This is your unrivaled opportunity to meet with retailers offering exciting new toy and stationery ranges. Click through for a sneak peek gallery of what to expect.

Register now to source Toys & Stationery at AGHA Sydney Gift Fair, 24-27 February 2018.

Interiors Addict has returned with plenty of genius advice for retail buyers heading to Sydney Gift Fair.

Trade fair season is well and truly here, for those of us in the gift and homewares industry. Events like Sydney Gift Fair, at Sydney Olympic Park from from 24 to 27 February, are the ideal place for buyers and designers to find new stock and suppliers, meet the people behind the brands they love and see what’s new for the year ahead.

But they are big events and, if you want to avoid getting to the end of the day with blistered feet, faint from hunger and with a messy bag of disorganised leaflets and business cards, unable to remember what you saw and at whose stand, pay attention to the following tips from those who have been there and done it!

Retailer Jayde Leeder from Little Paper Lane, says: “It’s a good idea to have a bit of a plan. All the fairs send out a catalogue of all the suppliers and they’re on their websites, so it’s essential to go in having an idea of who and what you want to see. Pre-registration can help with the lines at the door.

“One thing I see so often is people walking around in really high heels. They’re going to kill at the end of one day! My Nikes get a workout! Make sure you use the fair’s hashtags so you can keep an eye on the fair. It’s a good way to find suppliers’ social media accounts and keep in the loop online.”

Zoe Bristow, owner of The Print Emporium, has plenty of genius advice for buyers:

• Get a good night’s rest the night before the shows.
• Eat a good breakfast before you arrive.
• Coffee lines can be huge in the mornings at the venue, so if you spot a cafe near the entrance or outside it can be wise to buy your coffee hit there.
• Pack a few pens, ideally one that has a clip to attach to your lanyard around your neck for easy access.
• Bring a notebook & stapler, and write notes on the brochure or cards you receive too.
• Bring a mobile phone portable battery charger, a bottle of water, a snack or two and plenty of business cards.
• Wear a comfortable handbag or shoulder bag. You will receive a carry bag but make sure your own handbag has a long strap too.
• Take a photo of the stand’s business card with your phone to remind you, as it makes things super easy to find later.
• Take a few breaks during the day so you don’t become exhausted.
• When back at your accommodation each day, whilst things are fresh in your mind, try and file away the key brands you are interested in, so you don’t get confused later.
• Network! Trade shows are a great opportunity to meet fellow industry buyers and exhibitors.

Interior stylist Emma Blomfield, says: “Remember to eat! I forget this one sometimes and wonder why I feel faint halfway round the exhibition hall. Don’t hog the suppliers’ time. They are there to wheel and deal with loads of important people; if your conversation could be had with them over the phone or email at a later date, pop your head in to say hi and let them know you’ll follow up with them later.”

Located centrally in Sydney’s retail heartland at Sydney Olympic Park, it is easy to get to AGHA Sydney Gift Fair. AGHA are providing free shuttles and free P5 parking. Simply start each day at AGHA Sydney Gift Fair and take your P5 parking ticket and entry badge to the Transport Hub in Hall 3 between 11am and 3pm to validate your parking.

Find all the transport and accommodation information you need for AGHA Sydney Gift Fair.

Register for Sydney Gift Fair.

Printing company All Flags is joining Sydney Gift Fair.

Offering market-leading digital printers and competitive prices, you can rest easy knowing that Sydney Gift Fair exhibitor All Flags can print any sized job on time and with the highest possible quality.

All Flags prints light-weight and easily transported promotional flags, signs, and banners that are simple to put together and suitable for a range of purposes including retail, real estate, sports clubs, new product launches and events.

With experience at print exhibitions around Australia and Europe, All Flags is joining Sydney Gift Fair for the first time in order to approach different clients and find new opportunities to promote its business services to retail enterprises across the wider gift and homewares sector.

“The guiding principle at All Flags is simply to look after the customer. It nurtures long term relationships based on trust, good service, integrity and reliability,” All Flags managing director Peter Wagener told the Australian Gift & Homewares Association.

“With our printers we can deliver a high-volume order even at short notice. Our clients appreciate our quality and on-time delivery. Since the new equipment has been installed we’re able to deliver a far more seamless and customer-friendly experience,” he said.

Housed within a state-of-the-art 5000 sqm warehouse, the business regularly invests digital printers that are the most reliable on the market and can cater to almost any type of retailer.

“The biggest benefits of exhibiting at a trade-facing event is that the buyers and other exhibitors can see, feel and understand the simplicity and scale of the product. Our customers choose us for quality and an efficient turnaround time,” Wagener said.

“The exceptional technical qualities and robustness of the machines we can maintain continuous uninterrupted production. Over the long term, we are committed to looking after our customers and dedicated to supporting the community. Right now we’re in a position to undergo a major expansion.”

Register now to see All Flags, Stand 4D3, AGHA Sydney Gift Fair at Sydney Olympic Park, 24-27 February 2018.

Meet a selection of AGHA Business Partners including Commonwealth Bank, Austbrokers ABS and OFX together with retail service provider Australia Post in Hall 3 to see the exclusive discounts and business support on offer.

As part of our value proposition to Members, AGHA has established a network of top-tier Business Partners offering extensive savings to our Members that are often reserved for bigger organisations.

Offering a valuable opportunity for businessess of all sizes to reduce costs on a range of everyday services, this network of industry experts makes it easier to find a range of business solutions.

AGHA Member Benefits have been specially curated to support every job function within your business.

To learn more about the valuable member benefits, contact the Membership team on 1300 441 384 or email membership@agha.com.au.