Autumn Fair has announced the highly anticipated return of Pitch Live for 2025. This dynamic event gives exhibitors the chance to take centre stage, presenting their most innovative and exciting products directly to a panel of expert buyers and a live retail audience.
Pitch Live is a unique platform where creativity meets opportunity, created as part of Autumn Fair’s commitment to fostering innovation, supporting emerging brands, and driving retail success. Exhibitors can pitch their latest product innovations in a Dragons’ Den-style format, gaining invaluable feedback, increasing brand visibility, and potentially securing new listings with top retailers. The competition spans four key sectors - Taste, Kids, Fashion, and Gift - each with its own dedicated pitching session during the show:
- Taste Product Pitch: Sunday 7 September at 15:30
- Kids Product Pitch: Monday 8 September at 15:30
- Fashion Product Pitch: Tuesday 9 September at 15:30
- Gift Product Pitch: Wednesday 10 September at 10:45
Finalists are shortlisted from sector entries and invited to pitch live on the newly created Retail Corner stage, engaging directly with an esteemed panel of judges including Judy Bendall, Head of Retail, Blenheim Palace; Shirley Tijou, Director, Andersons at Number 8; Peter Allinson, Owner, Whirligig Toys; Deborah Jakobsen, Managing Director, Roo & Little Boo; Priya Aurora-Crowe, Owner, Lark London; and an eager audience of retail professionals.
Business-Boosting Prizes and Support
The winner of Pitch Live will receive a coveted 2m² space off their stand at Autumn Fair 2026, plus two one-hour consultancy sessions with Sharon Good, CEO of Good Results PR, offering expert mentoring, press relations, and strategic advice to accelerate their business growth.
Previous winners have experienced remarkable success. Sally Deer of Ducky Zebra shared, “Winning Pitch Live is a huge achievement and I’m really happy. I have opened up new accounts and I have also got several new genuine connections and leads so I am absolutely buzzing! These accounts range from children’s retailers who are experienced at buying childrenswear, but also very successful gifting shops, who have never tried baby clothes but saw our range and love it so much they decided to introduce it as a product type, which is exciting.”
Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director of Autumn Fair says, “For exhibitors, Pitch Live is more than a competition, it’s a powerful springboard to raise brand awareness, build valuable industry connections, and receive expert guidance. For buyers, it’s the leading destination to discover the newest, most innovative products across Autumn Fair’s diverse sectors, all in one place. We can’t wait to welcome our entrants to the stage and support their retail journey.”
How to Enter
Exhibitors interested in pitching must complete the entry form via their exhibitor zone portal by the deadline of 1 August 2025. Don’t miss this unparalleled opportunity to put your product and story in the spotlight at Autumn Fair 2025.
Autumn Fair 2025 runs from 7–10 September at NEC Birmingham, showcasing leading brands across Home, Gift, and Fashion sectors. Whether restocking for Q4, discovering new ranges, or forging new supplier relationships, Autumn Fair remains the essential event for the retail trade calendar - bringing together over 800 leading brands and 12,000+ retail buyers for four days of high-impact product discovery ahead of the busiest season in retail
For more information about Pitch Live and Autumn Fair 2025, please visit:
https://www.autumnfair.com/pitch-live
