The Harrogate Christmas and Gift Trade Show is one of my most favoured to attend in the UK. For a florist business looking for new products, packaging and giftware, it has everything you would need to look at for Christmas, Spring, Autumn (including Halloween) and all year round.

My recent visit was not disappointing. Renowned for its creativity and innovation, this year's event was a treasure trove for florists looking to expand their offerings and perhaps elevate their packaging or even change the look and feel of their business and take it in a different direction.
One of the highlights was the sheer variety of Christmas décor, Halloween décor and Spring décor.

SpringÂ
Spring was everywhere, with exhibitors showcasing Spring trends and ideas for florists to incorporate into fresh florals and planting, with fantastic, oversized items displayed which would be suitable for Event and Corporate installations, window displays and in store merchandising.
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Delicate pastels paired with whimsical designs, evoked a fresh Spring start to a new year, such as bunny rabbits with floppy ears and hats alongside, felt baskets of make-believe eggs. Oversized carrots, textured blooms with faux Spring bulbs in containers caught my attention on several exhibitors stands, because it's not always about finding something new but finding inspiration from how items are displayed and in what context.
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Colour is everything.... for those of you who have read my editorials before, will know that I love colour.
Colour and the use of colour, is very important to me and it can define an arrangement, a gift, an occasion and a sentiment.
Several installations caught my eye, particularly those that featured hanging florals and cascading foliage's. These designs highlighted the trend of elevating arrangements to create an immersive environment for weddings, events and shop displays.
All Year Round
One of the aspects of the show was the focus on adding gifts to flowers, (or as I refer to, as a 'finishing touch' or 'gift set' - if more than one type of gift is put together with another).
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Exhibitors were showcasing florals with artisan candles, chocolates or personalised keepsakes. The accent was certainly on artisan ... which gives the sense that it had been 'hand made with love'. In other words, that a real person had made the product, probably in the British Isles and that it had not been made in a factory, on a production line, halfway across the world.
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I noted that scented diffusers are still one to keep watching, a popular gift with millions of customers and why should florists miss out on this gift purchase (or indeed self-purchase) when we are all in the gifting sector.
This cross-industry collaboration is an opportunity for florists to offer products and services to a broader customer base, offering both creativity and convenience.
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Sustainability was emphasised with the use of bamboo pots, recycled glass, biodegradable packaging, cotton ribbons, twine, jute bags and an abundance of Kraft paper bags, wraps and other packaging items.
This of course resonates with a floral industry that is trying to become more eco conscious as each year goes by and savvy customers who are wanting to help by making a difference by choosing eco-friendly products and supporting florists who are seen to be trying to make a difference.
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Dried flowers and preserved foliage's were another sector that were clearly evident, showcasing that the trend for dried is still out there, offering natural, muted and vibrant shades of colour.
Autumn & Halloween
Wow! Autumn was a definite big hit with exhibitors choosing to promote autumnal looks, from florals to foliage's from toad stools to pumpkins.
Some had designed fabulous sets to showcase what could be achieved with their product offerings for merchandising and window display. I also felt that some of the designs would be good for private home installations and corporate events.
Finding inspiration is invaluable in our industry and this trade show has tonnes of it.
was surprised to see that a lot of vases, containers, planters and accessories were made from tin. Tin can be reused and repurposed and be quickly manufactured. It is not expensive and can be relatively light in weight to ship.
These must be some of the factors that has enabled tin to be brought back into the limelight.
Halloween was featured on an even bigger scale this year, than last year's show. So many spooky accessories, skeletons etc to be seen and some life-sized witches were hanging around with chilling sound effects.
Halloween as an occasion in the UK that is growing year on year and it just makes sense that as an industry, that feeds on occasions, we should be involved
Christmas
There were halls filled with trees, lights and decorations. There were oversized Father Christmas's, snowmen, nutcrackers and elves. All could be a bit over whelming, but for those who have an event business, they could be perfect!
There were several different trends for Winter and Christmas that seemed to cater for all ranging from natural, organic looks to bright, sparkly candy cane and gingerbread houses.
Reindeers and stags are still huge and of course candles, but one of the standout trends I noticed, were oversized bows. Rich coloured velvet bows were on display, ranging from small to metre wide. They certainly stood out and I could imagine that a florist could incorporate them in so many festive installations.
Overall, I thought the Harrogate Christmas bad Gift Show 2025 re affirmed =that the floral industry continues to thrive by embracing change and innovation. Florists who prioritise sustainability, experiment with textures and themes and diversify their product offerings, will stand out in a competitive, tough market.
This trade show is free to enter, just register in advance to receive your entry badge. I would fully recommend you visiting .....and Harrogate is a beautiful town.
With over 35 years’ experience, Karen Barnes is one of the UK’s leading consultants to the floral industry and an expert in product development, future trends & colours, and floral photography design & planning. She’s an interior floral designer, high profile wedding and event floral planner, and prominent international competition judge.​​In a distinguished career, Karen has been awarded gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, selected to judge two Floral Design World Cups and been voted one of the top ten florists in the UK by The Independent on Sunday Newspaper.​​Her style and influences come from new and popular flower varieties, fashion, art, travel and emerging trends on a global scale.​Karen Barnes NDSF, IoPF, AIFD, CFD, CAFA, UKFJG