Marking a significant unified step forward for the UK gift industry, the GA’s Gift of the Year (GOTY) awards and The Greats gift retailer awards are to join forces – with the winners of both awards programmes to be announced at a shared lavish black tie evening event on Thursday 12 May 2022, held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.
The two award programmes will see both gift product excellence and retail prowess recognised and rewarded at an awards event to make the whole industry proud, attended by hundreds of retailers and suppliers.
Reinforcing its commitment to the gift sector, Hyve Group (which owns and organises Spring Fair and Autumn Fair) had no hesitation in coming on board as the headline supporter for the UK Gift Awards event, and will remain integral to the Gift of the Year Awards, with the live judging of the 2022 GOTYs taking place during Spring Fair 2022.
The ownership and running of the Gift of the Year product awards, now in their 45th year, will remain under the stewardship of the Giftware Association, while The Greats gift retailer awards, now in their 20th year, will continue to be wholly owned and run by Max Publishing (publishers of Progressive Greetings, Progressive Gifts & Home magazine, giftsandhome.net among others).
Both parties will work closely together to create an exciting and ‘not to be missed’ evening event that will truly celebrate the industry’s achievements, both on the product and retailing fronts.
“After everything we have all been through over the last 22 months, an event which brings the whole industry together in celebration and camaraderie is much needed and will be warmly embraced,” commented Sarah Ward, ceo of the Giftware Association. “Having received the unanimous support from the GA national committee, we are delighted to be working with the Max Publishing team, respected for their commitment to the gift industry and awards expertise, to take the Gift of the Year awards onto another level.”
While the GA will continue to organise the entry and judging process for the Gift of the Year awards (with the entry deadline for the 2022 awards having recently been extended to 15 December, and some 70 judges signed up for the judging panel, Max Publishing will continue to manage The Greats gift retailer awards. Max Publishing is to also undertake the sponsorship of both awards programmes as well as the organisation of the awards event itself, (including the ticket booking), drawing on the expertise of its affiliated Max Live Events team.
Commenting on the significant collaboration, Sue Marks, editor of Progressive Gifts & Home, said: “This is a dream come true. I have worked closely with the GA for over 20 years – to include being an enthusiastic judge of the GOTYs for some 23 years. In addition, I have been at the forefront of The Greats since their inception in 2003, so creating an event which will unify our industry’s incredible suppliers with their fabulous retail customers makes perfect sense. One side does not work without the other, and I’m looking forward to, and excited to be part of the inaugural Gift of the Year and Greats Awards event on 12 May.”
Adding her endorsement, Julie Driscoll, divisional managing director of Hyve Group, said: “This is a wonderful moment in the history of Gift of the Year. Spring Fair has, for many many years, supported the GOTY awards and we are very excited to be hosting the judging, welcoming the best of the best in the gift industry to the show in February. The unification of Gift of the Year and The Greats into the UK Gift Awards is an obvious step for the industry and our headline sponsorship demonstrates our continued commitment and love for the gift industry.”
A new, centralised website has been created for The Gift Awards 2022, containing full information about the various categories, attendance, sponsors and more. Meanwhile, entry information for the Gift of the Year awards can be found by clicking here, while more information on The Greats awards, can be found by clicking here.
The Greats 2022 awards are now open for entry, with the closing date for entries 31 January 2022.
Tickets for the UK Gift Awards event on 12 May 2022 can be booked quickly and securely by clicking here or by contacting the awards’ organiser Clare Hollick by email or by phoning her on 01183 340085.
Tickets cost £208 (+VAT) and tables of 10 and 12 are available.
To find out more about sponsorship opportunities for the event, contact Ian Hyder, Rob Willis, Warren Lomax or Ali Farrell by clicking on their names or by ringing them. (Ian: 07525 634 306; Rob: 07792 016832; Warren: 07977 572086; Ali: 07872 113635).
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