Spring Fair has announced its latest speakers for 2027, with The Works, Hamleys, Cath Kidston, Aardman, Google, FlightStory and the Natural History Museum joining the programme at the NEC Birmingham from 7 to 10 February 2027. All talks and sessions are included free of charge as part of a visit to the show.
They join previously announced speakers including Debenhams CEO Dan Finley, Blue Diamond’s Alan Roper, Small Business Commissioner Emma Jones CBE, British Retail Consortium Chief Executive Helen Dickinson and retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis.
The case for physical retail
Gavin Peck, Chief Executive Officer of The Works Stores Ltd, will explain why the retailer is backing physical stores, screen-free products and the thrill of discovery in Bricks & Mortar? It Works – Why The Works is Putting Stores Before Screens, discussing the thinking behind the strategy, what customers are responding to and why he believes the high street still has a compelling future.
Keane Herman, UK Business Lead at Hamleys, will look at how live shows, hands-on activities and character meet-and-greets bring theatre and discovery into its stores, and what other retailers can learn from its approach, in A Little Hamleys Magic: How Hamleys Turns Play, Theatre and Discovery into Memorable Retail Experiences. Both sessions take place on Tuesday 9 February on the Heart of Retail stage.
Collaborations, creators and trends
Holly Marler, Creative Director at Cath Kidston, and Ilona Sunderland, Creative Services & Product Development Manager at Aardman, will take visitors behind the scenes of the brands’ collaboration, tracing the collection from first idea to finished designs, in Cath Kidston x Aardman: Behind the Collaboration – How Two Iconic British Brands Bring Character to Fashion. The session takes place on Monday 8 February at 11am on the Style Studio stage.
Natasha Birk, Head of Product & Ecommerce at FlightStory, home of The Diary Of A CEO, will present The Creator Playbook: Lessons for Retailers, looking at how creators develop products, build communities and turn trust into commercial power, on Monday 8 February in the Masterclass Studio.
Deryane Tadd, founder and buyer at The Dressing Room, will deliver her SS27 Trend Report: The Looks, Colours and Details to Know – Fashion’s New Language of Trust, covering the key products, colours, fabrics and silhouettes for Spring/Summer 2027, on Monday 8 February in the Style Studio.
Licensing and AI
Louisa Skevington, Licensing Manager at the Natural History Museum, will explain how the museum turns its scientific heritage and collections into creative partnerships, from immersive hotel experiences and tonies audio stories to fashion collaborations with Lucy & Yak, in Nature Reimagined: How the Natural History Museum Brings Nature into Products, on Tuesday 9 February in the Licensing Studio.
Christine Braithwaite, Digital Skills Trainer at Google, will lead Making Sense of AI with Google, part of the Grow with Google programme, covering the fundamentals of AI and machine learning, real-world applications and the responsible use of generative AI, including its limitations and risks, alongside a live demonstration of prompting techniques. Google will run daily one-hour workshops at 10.30am in the Masterclass Studio, starting on Sunday 7 February.
Fay Tranter, Event Director of Spring Fair, said:
“We believe access to great insight should be part of the Spring Fair experience, not an added extra. We are incredibly proud to bring such a high calibre of speakers to the show, giving retailers the opportunity to hear directly from some of the most influential names and organisations in the industry, completely free of charge. Whether it’s learning from the people behind iconic retail experiences, understanding the next generation of consumer behaviour, exploring the power of creators or discovering how AI can support a business, buyers can take away ideas and inspiration that would be difficult to access elsewhere. It’s about making Spring Fair much more than a buying event – it’s a place to learn, connect and be inspired.”
Fay Tranter, Event Director, Spring Fair
Spring Fair 2027 takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 7 to 10 February 2027, with the full stage programme available on the Spring Fair website. Show details are also available in the 365 Retail Spring Fair event listing.
Terry Clark is the Publisher and Content Director of 365 Retail, with more than a decade of experience covering retail design, technology innovations, store openings and the wider retail industry. He also works closely with leading retailers, suppliers, agencies, events and industry awards across the UK.
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