With Harrogate postponed until 18^th – 20^th October, Nursery Online and Harrogate International Nursery Fair are looking to unite the industry, working hand-in-hand with brands, distributors, PRs and other trade media.  Together, they are launching an interim digital Harrogate Preview Show on 22^nd – 23^rd June, bringing all the latest news and launches to their captive audience. 

Many buyers, distributors and independents have left with the choice of putting their new brand investment on hold, or looking harder for new and innovative products and ways to bring customers to their online stores. 

With many offering home deliveries and other flexible buying opportunities for customers, retailers are working tirelessly to ensure footfall in-store when the world gets back to a new normal.  Despite lockdown, people are still having babies, and with the projected baby boom early next year, retailers will want to be prepared to get ahead.

With over 6,000 subscribers to Nursery Online, and Harrogate’s show database of visitors standing at around 2,000, this is the perfect opportunity for brands to come together in one easy-to-access place for retailers. 

How will it work, and what is at the virtual show?

The Nursery Fair Digital Showroom will run on Nursery Online in its own dedicated section.  The show will be broken down into five areas:

1. Demo zone – live and pre-recorded demos of new products from exhibitors.
2. Showroom – each virtual exhibitor will get their own “stand” page for images, video, product and company information.  This will be categorized into sections.
3. News/trending – contains press releases, brand interviews and news features around the show. 
4. Awards – digital awards to include innovation, best digital marketing campaign, best digital innovation and awards for retailers and independents.  Winners to be announced at a live virtual awards ceremony, hosted on the show platform and across social platforms before an after-show quiz and networking.
5. Talks and workshops -we will offer show visitors and brands the opportunity to attend webinars and live interactive and pre-recorded online workshops to learn more about how they can help their business.

The ‘Live’ part of the show will run on 22nd and 23rd June, but the virtual stands and brand information will remain within a special dedicated show section on the site for 3 months.

Kerry Haynes, Publishing Director of Nursery Online, explains: “It is a tricky time for the industry and we want to use our knowledge and skills to help unite and encourage each other – brands, independents, distributors, buyers, associations and media. This isn’t the time to battle against each other, but to work collectively and supportively to show the world that the UK nursery industry can adapt during crisis and do it well.  Whilst many things remain uncertain, online traffic has increased dramatically and we should all capitalise on the opportunity.”

Adrian Sneyd, Harrogate International Nursery Fair show organiser, explains: “With the announcement earlier this week that Harrogate will now take place in October, it is important we work together in the interim to ensure our industry survives and thrives.  It is a challenging time for many, but we want to show that by working together we can be stronger and better.   The Harrogate Digital Preview Show is a fantastic opportunity for us all to ensure we are championing brands, the retailers, media, and the parenting and nursery sector in the UK.”

Exhibition ‘space’ at Harrogate Virtual Trade Show will be open to Harrogate Nursery Fair Exhibitors giving ‘virtual’ show visitors the chance to see, ‘experience’ and order new products before they are presented in person at the show in October.

We have prepared a document of questions and answers, which you can download here.

If you have any questions about the virtual event, would like a demo of the exhibition area, or would like to discuss your stand at the show in October, please don’t hesitate to contact:

Kerry (kerry@nursery-online.com or 07715 329191) or Adrian Sneyd (Adrian@nurseryfair.com).