The GCA have continued to meet regularly with the Hyve team as they plan for this show, relaying members’ feedback and discussing ways to ensure buyers and exhibitors are attended to.
Hyve have confirmed that parking at the NEC will continue to be free for everyone visiting Spring Fair and cloakroom charges will be £1 (subsidised by Hyve).
There were requests for more seating in the greeting card area for those visiting the show, and free tea and coffee for buyers. Hyve have confirmed that there will be 2 seating areas in the card hall, both with GCA #Cardmitment signage. One area will be a buyers lounge, where there will be free tea and coffee, the second will be open seating and include promotion of card sending.
Give a Card, Deliver a Smile
This second seating area will include a postbox and a giant heart to promote card sending, against a backdrop of #Cardmitment signage.
The giant heart can be used for Instagram photos – with everyone at the show encouraged to hold up some cards and take a photos.
![](https://www.gca.cards/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2.5-Send-a-Card-to-an-Exhibitor-Resized-.png)
![](https://www.gca.cards/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3.-Social-Media-signage-1.png)
The postbox will be used to send cards to anyone exhibiting at the show! And as long as the exhibiting company name (and ideally stand number) is on the envelope the Hyve team will deliver the cards!
These cards can be sent to say how much you loved a stand, share a Valentines Day joke, express your love for their products, share your details, reach out to those you haven’t yet managed to meet or just to connect in a fun way with friends and suppliers exhibiting at the show. The Hyve team will empty the post box regularly and hand deliver the cards to the exhibitors.
To ensure that cards are available for all visitors to the show to send, we are inviting GCA members exhibiting to contribute a selection of between 20-50 cards. These cards will be prominently displayed on a special table, and there will be signage highlighting to attendees and buyers the opportunity to write a card of kindness to be delivered to an exhibitor.
Our dedicated Spring Fair staff will personally deliver these heartfelt messages to exhibitors on-site.
This initiative not only offers you the chance to get your cards into the hands of potential buyers beyond your own stand but also guarantees significant social media exposure throughout the event.
Let’s transform Spring Fair into a place where cards connect hearts, and smiles flourish all around!
Charlie Herbert, Hyve
How to get involved
Please bring between 20-50 cards and deliver to the Hyve team when you set up, they will do the rest!
The cards can be blank, general Valentines Day cards or similar. Deliver them to the Hall Manager’s office by Sunday 4th February “for the attention of Alice McGrail, Cardmitment”
And then don’t forget to write some cards yourself and post into the on-site post-box!