The Fair will be taking place at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, GL50 4SH

Exhibitor set-up day is on Wednesday 14th October The venue will be open from 8am to 8pm for exhibitors to stock and dress your stands. The venue will be open until 8 pm, but no later, so make sure you arrive in time to do all you have to. Once you get to the Centaur a traffic marshal will give you an exhibitor wristband, a vehicle identification card and direct you to the appropriate unloading area for your stand.

PARKING

As soon as you have unloaded your vehicle you must then proceed immediately to park your vehicle in the designated exhibitor parking area. Please ensure you put your vehicle identification card in your window and leave it there at all times for the duration of the show.

SET-UP

Exhibitor set-up day is on Wednesday 14th October.
The venue will be open from 8am to 8pm for exhibitors to stock and dress your stands. The venue will be open until 8 pm, but no later, so make sure you arrive in time to do all you have to. Once you get to the Centaur a traffic marshal will direct you to the appropriate unloading area for your stand and give you a vehicle identification card.

HOURS OF OPENING TO EXHIBITORS

On the actual sale days, the hall will be open for Exhibitors to restock their stands from 8.00am. Exhibitor wristbands can be picked up at the show on set up day from Matt, Noelle or Ciara or the security staff and must be worn at all times so that you can gain entrance. Each day, the venue will be open to the public at 9.30am and close to the public at 5pm (except for Sunday when it closes at 4pm), but will remain open for exhibitors to re-stock until 6.30pm Thursday – Saturday.

Public opening hours:

Thursday – 9.30am – 5pm

Friday – 9.30am – 5pm

Saturday – 9.30am – 5.00pm

Sunday – 9.30am – 4pm

STORAGE

There will be four storage rooms within the Centaur which you can use, for storing extra stock overnight and during the show. Use of these is at your own risk.

TO NOTE: Also there is free tea and coffee for Exhibitors throughout the show in a special exhibitor only room.

BREAKDOWN

Please remember that the sale is advertised as running from 9.30am to 4pm on Sunday 18th Oct. Stands should not be broken down and boxes wheeled back and forth until then. To do so is a breach of the Health and Safety regulations pertaining to public events and makes us liable to prosecution in the event of any accident taking place. Vans will not be allowed down to the loading areas until after the last customer has left. You have until 10pm to break down and load up.

If you have any questions about your stand size or positioning, please reference the floorplan below or look to your invoice for your stand number and size. Otherwise, please contact noelle@ukgrandsales.co.uk if you have any other more specific queries.

Floorplan

OUR SHELL SCHEME

The stands are a wooden shell scheme that is covered in a grey Velcro-compatible tweed fibre which can also be nailed or screwed into (nb – if you do screw or nail into them please make sure that any screws or nails are removed at the end of the show). The shell scheme is measured by the outside widths. The inside width is 5cm less than your stand size – ie. 2×1 stand would be 1.95m x 95cm. If you require a support beam across the stand for attaching lighting track please specifically request this through noelle@ukgrandsales.co.uk, though usually lighting is fitted to the fascia so you don’t need to order this kind of extra.

DIMENSIONS

If your stand is in the Istabraq or on the balcony at the Cheltenham Christmas Gift & Fashion Fair, the shell scheme panels are all 2.4m high. If your stand is in the main hall, all panels are 2.4m high, except stand numbers 22-28, 16-21 and 1-5 where they are 7 ft

NAME BOARDS

We will supply a name board to go on the fascia above your stand. It will be the business name we normally know you by, the one you have added to your description of goods form. However, if the name you are using at the fair is different to your usual operating name or changes, can you please make sure to inform Noelle (noelle@ukgrandsales.co.uk) or ciara@ukgrandsales.co.uk (depending on who you have been in comms with) so that it appears as you require on the fascia board.

TABLES AND CHAIRS

Tables and chairs should be booked in advance by using the order form on the UK Grand Sales website. The hire charge is £5 plus vat (£6) per table.
Please order via the button below that will take you to a checkout where you can choose what you require and pay directly through the website.

LIGHTING AND ELECTRICAL SUPPLY

There is lighting in the venue but you may wish to use spotlights or fluorescents on your stand.

1. If you have your own spotlights and wish to bring them and have them fitted by our contractors please ensure that:

• You have ordered the relevant plug socket outlet for your fitting from our electrical contractors, PWS Electrics Ltd (you can order your electrics via PWS by clicking below)
• Your fittings are in full working order and have been tested by a competent person
• The leads are of sufficient length to reach a power point
• All fittings have 3-pin fused plugs

2. To have your stand connected up to the mains and fitted with an electricity socket and/or to hire light fittings click the button below. If you have any queries please contact Robert Walker on: 07973 729238 or email pwselectricsltd@hotmail.com

WIFI

There is free wifi in the venue. Ask Ciara, Matt or Noelle for the passwords when you arrive – do check it is working with your payment system before Thursday morning! Some of the venues provide back-up WIFI so if you face any problems with an ‘open’ WIFI network, you can come to us to ask for a closed WIFI network pass code.

Our exhibitors are a key part of what makes our events special, and we actively promote both the Fairs and the brilliant businesses taking part. We ask exhibitors to work collaboratively with us to help maximise visibility and footfall in the lead-up to each event.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• All exhibitors are encouraged to promote their presence at the Fair across their social media channels.
• The more you share in advance, the more awareness and interest you are likely to generate ahead of the event.
• Please tag our official event account @ukgrandsales in posts, stories and reels where relevant.
• We encourage you to invite your audience to attend the Fair and let them know they can shop with you in person.
• Where content is shared with us in advance, we will endeavour to reshare or feature exhibitors across our own channels.

EXHIBITOR CONTENTS AND FEATURES

• We regularly feature exhibitors in email campaigns, social posts and exhibitor spotlights.
• We welcome content submissions including:
  • Short videos (behind the scenes, product highlights, talking to camera)
  • Product or collection imagery
  • A short business bio or brand story

• Content should be sent to ciara@ukgrandsales.co.uk by the requested deadlines to be considered for inclusion in promotional activity.
• Please let us know if you require additional flyers.

MARKETING ASSETS

• ·Exhibitors will be provided with digital marketing assets including:
  • Event logos
  • Free ticket coupon codes (limited to 25 per exhibitor)
  • Promotional graphics
• These can be used across newsletters, websites, email signatures and social media channels.

WORKING TOGETHER

• A collaborative marketing approach benefits everyone.
• While we promote the event widely, exhibitor-led promotion plays an important role in driving engaged, ready-to-shop visitors.
• We encourage all exhibitors to take an active role in spreading the word.

All exhibitors are responsible for ensuring they comply with relevant UK health, safety and trading regulations while exhibiting at our events.

Please ensure you have considered the following:

• You hold valid Public Liability Insurance (documentation may be requested) so please bring this with you and have it on site.
• Your stand, products and activities do not pose a risk to visitors, neighbouring exhibitors or venue staff.
• All displays, furniture and stock remain within your booked stand space and do not obstruct aisles, fire exits or access routes.
• Electrical equipment is safe, in good working order and PAT tested where applicable.
• No trailing cables, trip hazards or unstable displays are present.

PRODUCT-SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS

• Candles / wax melts: Must comply with UK safety regulations. No naked flames may be lit on stands unless expressly agreed in advance.
• Food & drink: You must be registered with your local authority, comply with food hygiene regulations and clearly display allergen information.
• Cosmetics / skincare / wellness: Products must meet UK regulations. Appropriate insurance must be held and ingredient/allergen information made available.
• Sharp items or tools: Must be displayed and handled safely, with particular care taken around children.

FIRE SAFETY AND VENUE RULES

• Fire exits and emergency routes must be kept clear at all times.
• Flammable materials must be kept to a minimum.
• Exhibitors must follow all venue fire and safety procedures.

COMPLIANCE

• Please fill in a risk assessment as provided on our website and submit this as part of your necessary documentation for taking part.

If you haven’t filled this in yet you can click here

• The organisers reserve the right to request changes or removal of any unsafe items.
• Failure to comply with health and safety requirements may result in removal from the event.

A full Health & Safety guide is available to download here

There will be two security guards on duty on the Exhibitor build day and also two guards on duty overnight both that night and each night throughout the show. During the Fair days there will be two security guards on duty during sale hours.

TIPS ON HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITOR

Some of these may seem harsh, but you’ve paid your money, you are there for three days so you need to make the most of every minute.

1. Don’t sit down. You’ve spent the start of the week sorting stock, carrying it to your vehicle and then into the venue, before setting up your stand so you’re tired. But this is your chance to capitalise on your decision to exhibit. Best not to have a chair on your stand unless you’re selling shoes
2. Put your phone away. There’s nothing more off-putting to a potential customer than an exhibitor who’s busy scrolling or having a conversation with someone not at the event. You have orders coming in online from other customers….your best friend has a problem she needs to discuss…..HMRC has finally decided to call you back. Sorry. They will all have to wait. Or ask someone else to look after your stand for a minute while you step away to take the call.
   
3. Make sure you invest in a good system for taking credit cards. This is where talking to other exhibitors is useful. You need a system that will work in a building with wifi and, if you do or are planning to do outdoor shows, in the middle of a field without a wifi mast.
   
4. Don’t eat on your stand. I know, I know. You’ve been busy all morning and you’re hungry but customers are milling around. Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your stand for a couple of minutes while you have a quick bite.
   
5. Do offer customers an incentive to shop with you – if not now here, then in the future. Give them a card with an online discount valid for, say, a month after the event. Make sure you have a promo code you can track so you can see how successful that promo – and the event – were.
   
6. Do have a competition on your stand, offering an outfit or a product or service to one lucky customer at that particular show – if they subscribe to your mailing list. At the end of the show, pick the winning name or, better still, ask the organiser to pick it but make sure you video it and take a picture of it. Put the video up on your social media. Ask the winner if it’s OK to pass their details to their local media who will probably love a happy story with a good visual. And write to all those who didn’t win, telling them who did (to prove it was a pukka competition) and offering them a discount for a limited period of time.
   
7. Be patient. Bear in mind that an event isn’t just successful because you sold a lot of stock during it – or unsuccessful because you haven’t. It’s also there to showcase your collection, to put yourself in front of new customers, to grow your mailing list with the right customers for the longer term. Weigh up a show three months after the event – only then will you know whether it worked for you (if you have an online presence). Hence the importance of numbers 5 and 6.
   
8. Start your own social media campaign at least a couple of weeks before the show, telling your followers and your customers where you are going to be. Lots of organisers offer complimentary tickets to exhibitors’ followers so make sure you contact your customers/followers with the promo code.
   
9. Talk to other exhibitors. If you’re new to the business and they are old hands, you can learn useful things from them. (See 3 above about credit card systems.) Or perhaps they know a retailer who might be interested in stocking you. Or they might like to add your collection to their offering. Or they can give you guidance on which other events are good ones. Who knows what might happen?
   
10. Don’t judge customers. They may not look like your typical customer. But you’re at an event with a cross section of people brought in by the organisers’ marketing and complimentary tickets from your fellow exhibitors so prepare to be surprised. When I first started out, we ran a country fair at Ripley Castle near Harrogate with Homes & Garden magazine and late on the last day a very un-us couple turned up, very bling and not at all Homes & Gardeny. They spent £7,500 on one stand and asked the exhibitor to bring some stock to their house to see if it worked in situ on her way home that evening. They spent another £5,000 then. So you can never tell!
    
11. Stay until the end! There are always some customers in the last 10 minutes of a show who just couldn’t make up their mind so don’t be packing up with your back to them when they return to your stand. You’ve spent three days standing there and days beforehand stocking up and travelling so don’t lose out on what could be a great sale for the sake of a few minutes.
    
12. Make sure you stand out! Customers are drawn to great-looking stands – they will spend more on similar product if one stand looks better than the other. Bright colours, great branding, products laid out in an aesthetic way will all help to grab their attention. We would suggest bringing as much to decorate your stand as possible – from wallpaper to decorate your stand in your brand colours, to shelving units, to branded posters with beautiful imagery of your products on them, it all helps!

To ensure a safe, enjoyable and successful event for everyone, we ask all exhibitors to adhere to the following:

• Remain within your allocated stand space at all times. Exhibitors must not trade, display products, queue customers or place furniture outside their booked stand, as this disrupts customer flow and can create health and safety issues.
  
• Keep aisles clear and accessible. No stock, rails, tables, signage or customers should spill into walkways or emergency routes.
  
• Be mindful of customer experience. Our events are busy; clear aisles and visible stands help maintain a positive shopping experience for all.
  
• Follow organiser and venue instructions. Any reasonable requests from the organisers or venue team must be acted upon promptly, particularly where safety or crowd management is concerned.
  
• Respect neighbouring exhibitors. Noise levels, product placement and customer engagement should not interfere with surrounding stands.
  
• Maintain a professional and welcoming presence. Exhibitors and staff should be courteous, helpful and representative of the high standard of our events.
  
• Manage queues responsibly. If your stand becomes busy, queues must be managed within your stand footprint wherever possible.
  
• Comply with event timings. Exhibitors must adhere to agreed build-up, trading and breakdown times.
  
• Leave your stand area as found. Rubbish must be disposed of correctly and no stock or fittings left behind.
  
• Work collaboratively with us. Exhibitors and organisers share responsibility for the smooth running of the event.

Please check online for nearby accommodation options and availability. We would recommend doing this
in plenty of time so you ensure you are able to stay close by and at the most reasonable rate possible. A
few options below:

The Portland Guesthouse
Crescent Place by Mansley
Holiday Inn Express Cheltenham
Cotswold Grange
Queens Hotel

Please click here for our full terms and conditions.

By agreeing to take part in a UK Grand Sales event and paying an initial deposit, you have agreed the terms outlined in our contract agreement