MEET THE MANUFACTURER SHOW LONDON

Earlier this year, in May, Amanda and Eifion were invited to speak at the Meet the Manufacturer Show in London

Meet the Manufacturer is the only trade show where you can find everything you need to develop a completely British-made product. With over 180 exhibitors and free admission to informative seminars and workshops, it’s THE show to attend if you manufacture in the UK.

Brought to you by Make it British, the campaign for UK manufacturing, this unique trade show is the only sourcing event specifically for UK manufacturers of clothing, textiles, fashion accessories, homewares and leathergoods.

Twenty years working as a designer and buyer for brands such as Burberry and M&S and multiple product sourcing trips overseas prompted Kate Hills to set up the Make it British website to help promote UK manufacturing and British-made brands.

Now in its fifth year, the website has gone from strength to strength, and Kate has appeared regularly on television and radio espousing her firm belief that manufacturing in the UK is thriving, cost-effective and sustainable.

The seminar’s at Meet the Manufacturer are an unmissable part of the event. The theme of this year’s talks was ‘partnerships, production and provenance’ in UK manufacturing. Visitors could hear from an exciting line-up of speakers in manufacturing who provided inspiration, advice and real-life experiences together with the knowledge and tools required to successfully manufacture, promote and sell a brand that is made in the UK.

We were asked to be on a panel discussing British wool, from fleece to finished product chaired by Bridgette Kelly from British Wool Marketing Board and alongside Lorna Haigh, from Alternative Flooring, and Alan Thornber, from the wool spinners Laxtons. It was a really interesting discussion and I hope the visitors to the show enjoyed it.