Show report
Harrogate Convention Centre
repainted most of the exhibition halls and installed new carpets in six of our event spaces .” Lorimer adds that the air conditioning draws only fresh air from the outside , so no air from the event space is recirculated , an important factor in a post-pandemic world . As the event was part of the Event Research Programme , there were no limits on numbers and everyone was required to take a lateral flow test .
Relationships are key Becca Turnbull , an account manager at Harrogate Convention Centre says that the relationship between the venue and the organiser was key in making the show a success . “ Everyone in Harrogate has a strong affinity with Home and Gift , the event has been coming to the town for 60 years ,” she says . “ The build-up felt quite different this year . There were a few new faces and the uncertainties around the pandemic meant that the turnaround was much more condensed , which always brings extra pressure , not to mention a few extra hours . “ However , there was great excitement about the return of events and everyone pulled together . We also had excellent communications with the teams at Clarion and all the contractors on site , and thankfully everything ran smoothly throughout the four-day event . The first Sunday was the busiest day , but it was very pleasing to get feedback from both exhibitors and delegates that people attending were happy and importantly felt safe .”
Local interest Events like that the Home and Gift
Buyers Festival are important to the local economy , this fact should not be lost on local authorities . Gemma Rio is head of destination management , she says events and the visitor economy are everything to Harrogate District . “ Large multiday exhibitions like Home and Gift account for roughly half the events at the Convention Centre and bring significant economic benefit to the town and district ,” she says . “ So , it ’ s been fantastic to see the volume of visitors back in the venue and filling up the hotels , bars , restaurants and shops . Moreover , the feedback from the exhibition halls was that people were there to do business ; people valued meeting face-to-face again , rebuilding old relationships and making lots of new connections with new buyers .” Rio says the last 18 months have been “ highly challenging ” for tourism in general but adds that it is starting to feel like things have turned a corner for the better . “ We now look forward to giving our autumn exhibitions the warmest of welcomes back ; The Northern Homebuilding and Renovation Show ; The Knitting and Stitching Show ; and The Country Living Christmas Fair , to name just a few ,” says Rio . “ But also , newer exhibitions such as Thought Bubble Comic-Con and for first time The Bespoke Bicycle Show who are discovering that Harrogate District is an accessible , attractive and safe event destination .” The show gave the Government more evidence to add to their ever-growing research papers , but at the time of press it is not clear whether this pilot event will encourage organisers to adopt Covid-status certification . But that aside , for the team at Harrogate it was great to be doing what they do best .
“ Large multi-day exhibitions like Home and Gift account for roughly half the events at the Convention Centre and bring significant economic benefit to the town and district .”
Home and Gift via Press Loft
September — 15