There are some fantastic Spring Fair speakers this year. Here are seven you don't want to miss:
Baroness Karren Brady
Baroness Brady is a highly entertaining speaker and an extremely accomplished, no nonsense, straight talking business women. Famous for having turned around Birmingham City FC in a male dominated sport, she is now the Vice-Chairman of Westham United FC. Sitting on the boards of Syco Entertainment and the retail multinational Arcadia Group, she is also the UK government's Small Business Ambassador. Don't miss her. She's great!
Tuesday 7 February, 13:55 at The Fashion and Accessories Theatre
Henri Davis
With 35 years of retail buying experience and product development at Habitat, Next, WH Smith and the National Trust, Henri Davis is fountain of retail and product knowledge. She's also the current Chairman of the Giftware Association. Be sure to catch her speak.
The Retail Market is Under Pressure
Sunday 5th February, 13:05 - 13:40 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Monday 6 February, 14:15-14:45 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Mary Portas
A passionate champion of British retail, Mary Portas is a regular on British TV programs about retail. With a career that spans leading retailers like John Lewis, Harrods, the Burton Group and Harvey Nichols, Mary discusses changes in consumer behaviour as a result of the economy, the digital revolution and how different retail sectors are responding. She has some brilliant insights about how to get it right in retail in the current climate and what mistakes to avoid. Don't miss her.
Monday 6 February, 13:10 at The Fashion and Accessories Catwalk
Charlotte Biggs
Charlotte Biggs runs the brilliant industry showcase Card and Gift Network as well as the popular online directory Picadilly Lane. She's a gold mine of useful insights into blogging, social media and digital marketing. As well as hearing her talk on Thursday you can pick her brains one to one at Spring Fair on Wednesday. Don't miss out.
Building your prospective market with blogging content
Wednesday 8th February, 13:00 - 16:00 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Thursday 9 February, 13:30 - 14:00 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Chris Fox
Greetings Today columnist, Chris Fox, looks after the website design and social media marketing Wishes of Cudsworth. He also runs the Gift Shop Hub blog sharing tips on how to use online marketing to promote your independent shop. See him speak and book a session with him for one to one advice.
How to promote your business online whilst running your shop
Sunday 5 February, 11:15 - 11:45 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Sunday 5 February, 13:00 - 16:00 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Amy Hobson
Amy Hobson is a Partner with social media and digital marketing agency SocialB. She has extensive retail experience and is an expert in SEO, helping businesses drive traffic and sales to their websites.
How to Make your business appear in Google searches
Wednesday 8 February, 12:15 - 12:45 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Daily Meet the Expert slots 13:00 - 16:00 at the Ecommerce Theatre
Jeremy Corner
Progressive Greetings Columnist, Giftware Association Vice-Chairman and Sage Business Expert, Jeremy Corner shares his experiences growing Blue Eyed Sun and Ivy Ellen online both in the UK and abroad.
10 Things to do in your business before using social media
Tuesday 7th February 12:00 - 12:30, Ecommerce Theatre
Social Media Tips for Retailers
Tuesday 7th February 13:00 - 16:00, Ecommerce Theatre
Retailers Roundtable: Sharing Ecommerce challenges and successes
Wednesday 8th February, 11:00 - 11:50 at the Ecommerce Theatre
7 Key Insights into growing international customer relationships
Wednesday 8 February, 14:00 - 14:30, DIT Export Theatre
I hope that you gains lots of interesting insights from these talks and return to your business with fresh inspiration. Do drop by to say hi to me on the Blue Eyed Sun stand in Hall 3 - 3X31 to let me know what you thought of this year's Spring Fair speakers.