Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) licensees will be out in force at this year’s Spring Fair from 7-11 February at Birmingham’s NEC. Nine companies, in categories that range from candles and ceramics to calendars and cookware, will be displaying RHS products at the home and gift industry’s biggest UK show. Their presence underlines not only the strength of the RHS brand but the continuing expansion of the RHS Licensing programme.Burgon and Ball (6H220), a multi-award winning manufacturer of agricultural and garden tools, and Ulster Weavers (9C28-D29), a kitchen textiles company specialising in homeware, giftware and tableware, will be jointly promoting new ranges of RHS products. Their ranges use shared artwork featuring illustrations of chrysanthemums, passion flowers and roses. Both companies will also feature established RHS products on their stands, including the extended Burgon & Ball Gifts for Gardeners range. The new products were launched at Glee 2015, where they were received with great acclaim.
Carousel Calendars (3R31), the UK's largest general calendar publisher and distributor, has combined selections from the RHS Lindley Library, the world’s finest collection of botanic art, and some gorgeous RHS horticultural photography to great effect. The company will showcase both in its range of 2017 RHS calendars and pocket diaries.
Noteworthy among the cookware and ceramics companies at the show are two RHS licensees. Churchill China(9D30-E31), which has a long history of providing ceramics to hospitality and retail markets, will launch a new range of RHS vintage garden mugs in gift boxes. Another market leader in high-quality tableware, cookware, giftware and tabletop accessories, Portmeirion Group (9E30-F31), will promote its established, and very successful RHS ranges.
Wax Lyrical, the UK’s largest privately owned home-fragrancing company and a major licensing partner of RHS for many years, will be launching new products on stand 4D40-E41.
Meldhome (6G50-H51), which designs and produces stylish and functional homeware, will display an RHS gifting selection that is available to all retailers. Another RHS licensee in the gifting area is Kimm and Miller (6P45), a company that designs, manufactures and supplies unique, high-quality gift products.
Padblocks (4A20), which offers decorative stationery both for retail and custom-made for museums, galleries and stately homes, is promoting an extension of its RHS line that uses the RHS White Rose design on such products as a wire-bound notebook, a recipe scrap book and an attractive new chalkboard.
Now in its third decade, the RHS Licensing programme boasts more than 50 licensees in the gardening, gifting and homeware categories.RHS Licensing is growing in 2016 to include educational toys, apparel and accessories, and an expanded garden category. This is supported by a new RHS Licensing Style Guide based on 500 wonderful images specially selected from more than 25,000 housed in the RHS Lindley Library.
Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says: “We’re delighted to be able to announce the appearance of so many valued partners at such an important home and gift industry show. It’s a credit to the strength of the RHS brand and the quality of our licensees that so many exciting new product ranges are being developed and existing ranges extended or enhanced.”