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Our first Trade Show
What a busy month October has been for us at TLB HQ! With a photoshoot, Christmas planning, new products launching, supplying lots of new stockists and of course continuing to send plants by post to all our fabulous online customers, we aren’t quite sure how we managed to fit in a trade show as well, but we did!
We were so thrilled to be asked by the organisers of Independent Hotel Show to come on board and help them style some of their areas at the show. This fabulous event, open to the trade, features under one roof some of the worlds leading manufacturers and suppliers of products and services for the hotel industry. For us to be included in that was just an honour! To be working along side some huge names like Simple Human (www.simplehuman.com ) and Dyson (www.dyson.co.uk ) , as well as finding and collaborating (and making friends) with some inspirational businesses like Woodchip and Magnolia (www.woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk ), Valdivian Furniture www.valdivianfurniture.co.uk and Join (www.joinstorelondon.co.uk ) it was 3 long days of hard work and fun- we thought it was only fair we showed you how we got on!
Day 1- The big build!
Our biggest installation so far was creating this stunning hanging green feature. It involved securing around 50 hanging planters, all with trailing indoor house plants, carefully wrapped in hessian, to a rather smart looking wooden rig. It wasn’t until the rig was elevated and the lighting switched on that the installation really took shape. All those sleepless nights stressing over the results were really worth it!
Then on to our stand. A small but perfectly formed little space for us to fill with plants. Our first job was to line the walls with Woodchip and Magnolias, fabulous wallpaper, we went for this gorgeous exposed brick https://www.woodchipandmagnolia.co.uk/collections/brick-and-stone-wallpaper/products/exposed-brick-wallpaper-wm-016?variant=50263857939 the quality of the paper is like nothing else we have seen before, and this makes it super easy to work with, especially if your MD is 6 foot 4! Check them out for some incredible wallpaper designs, all made in the UK too.
Once that was done, some super easy to build shelving and a whole lot of plants and we were poised and ready for the show to open the very next day.
Day 2- it’s show time!
As we arrive after a super early train journey, we are eager for a day of talking all things green to begin. For us this show is a first, and we hope a chance to try and persuade some hoteliers of the fabulous changes that real plants could bring to their indoor spaces. From bedrooms to bathrooms, to reception areas and dining rooms, real plants can really improve their interior look for a small investment.
Historically hotels have either stuck with floral bouquets which are expensive and end up looking pretty sad after just a few days and therefore need replacing every week. Or they have had displays full of faux plants! In a world where we are trying to reduce plastic anywhere we can, plants really are something we should stop buying in plastic. At The Little Botanical our range of long-lasting plants offers the perfect solution, a plant that brings lots of benefits to the air around you and improves productivity, all at the same time as really not requiring lots of maintenance at all!
We had a wonderful day meeting so many amazing business owners and telling them all about our little brand and our mission to inspire more people to make real plants part of their life!
DAY 3- Final day at the show
Here we are again, legs a little tired and voices beginning to run out. With a book full of contacts from our first day, we were ready for day 2 and looking forward to meeting so many more fabulous people.
Our range seemed to really inspire lots of hoteliers to have a think about their current offering, and actually consider real plants instead. For us, that is all we could ask. If we encourage fewer businesses to switch from plastic to real plants then our job is done (but more than a few would be nice too).
With a stand to pack away and an inbox full of enquiries awaiting us, we are all excited for what the future holds for The Little Botanical. We owe a big thanks to https://www.independenthotelshow.co.uk/ for having us along and we hope to be there next year for more of the same!
Not only do The Little Botanical like going to trade shows, we also love going on holiday! Read all about our first trip to Portugal