2025 marks a big year for Spring Fair, with the event celebrating its 75th anniversary as it opened its doors at Birmingham’s NEC on 2 February.
Event director, Soraya Gadelrab, is promising that the event is going to be a “big party, a celebration of the last 75 years, the people and the businesses that have been a part of the show for so many years. It is also a chance to reflect on what retail means today and how we continue to move forward and look ahead to the next 75 years.”
Zara Grindrod, brand and marketing director at Rainbow Designs, has fond memories of the show. “I believe Rainbow has been attending Spring Fair since the 1970s; we have some really cool photos of the stands from the early years,” she says. “However, my first Spring Fair was around 1993 and it was mind blowing just how vast it was. It was such a busy show and you saw all types of retailers there, booked appointments but there was always the element of surprise on who you could meet and take orders from. Oh, and everyone used to end up in Flares, until early in the morning!”
You can read more from Zara and Soraya, as well as a number of exhibitors as they share their thoughts and plans for the show in the latest issue of Progressive Preschool. Plus we also highlight just some of the preschool toys which will be found on the show floor.
You can read our dedicated Spring Fair section by clicking here.
This feature originally appeared in the January/February 2025 edition of Progressive Preschool. To read the full publication, click on this link.
