Design Frontier: Top Drawer Showcase Open Call 2024

Deadline: 5pm on 23^rd October 2024

As the UK’s leading Design-led event, Top Drawer connects handpicked brands with the very best retailers in the Gift and Home industry by organising two trade fairs each year, allowing businesses to showcase products during the key Spring and Autumn buying datelines.

Regularly exhibitors including successful brands such as Donna Wilson, Margo Selby, Emma Bridgewater and Niwaski. Top Drawer also promotes its exhibitors to its 82k Social Media followers, 800k email subscribers and 100 press contacts.

 Design Frontier is a brand promoting and representing the best of design and craft from Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, established by Creative Kernow in 2018 to present 10 design and craft businesses at London Design Fair, it went on to enable a design open studios event in Penryn area.

The upcoming showcase at Top Drawer Spring 2025, is aimed at designers and makers who are ready for a platform like Top Drawer, but needs additional support to make the most of the showcase. Therefore, this opportunity is not open to businesses that have shown at Top Drawer independently in the last 5 years.

Our stand at Top Drawer Spring 2025 is on the main central avenue in the Gift section but neighbouring the Play and Wellbeing sections. The space is 2m x 6m with, which will be shared between all exhibiting businesses, with a designated area (up to 2 square meters) for the Cornwall Shop Small Curation of smaller scale work.

We welcome designers and makers working in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly working in all mediums to apply, please bear in mind our showcase is in the Gift section of the show, neighbouring Play and Wellbeing sections. You may want to refer to Top Drawer website (above) to make sure it is the right platform for your work.

This showcase is aimed at designers and makers who are ready for a platform like Top Drawer, but need additional support to make the most of the showcase. Therefore, this opportunity is not open to businesses that have shown at Top Drawer in the last 5 years.

We are looking for:

• Up to 8 Lead Exhibitors, who will share the curated main stand (2 x 6m) – contribution required £750 (no VAT)
• Up to 8 less established micro makers of smaller scale work, who will be in the Cornwall Shop Small Curation area (up to 2 square meter) of the shared stand – contribution required £150 (no VAT)

The showcase will be presented under the Design Frontier banner and we hope to select up to 8 lead design and craft businesses depending on the medium and scale of the work. Alongside this, Design Frontier will host the Cornwall Shop Small Curation of smaller scale work providing an opportunity for up to 8 less established micro makers.

The Opportunities Offer:

• Showcase of work / products at Top Drawer Spring 2025 on a curated shared main avenue stand (2 x 6m). The Cornwall Shop Small Curation will be a dedicated shared area (up to 2 square meter) within this space.
• Market and promote the showcase through all our, and our partner, networks;
• Support for you to make the most of the show;
• Curate, install / deinstall the show;
• Invigilation and support in sales, make connections with galleries and stockists;
• For lead exhibitors: 1-year Creative Kernow Associates membership included in your contribution to the showcase, which provides continued support;
• For Cornwall Shop Small Curation exhibitors: 1 year inclusion in the CSS online directory.

Exhibitors will be selected based on:

• Suitability of your work to the opportunity;
• The impact this opportunity may have on you and your business;
• The coherence of the showcase.

The selection panel are:

• Sarah Curley, Cornwall Shop Small
• Tonia Lu, Creative Kernow Associates

A contribution from selected lead exhibitors of £750 (no VAT) is required within 14 days of selection.

A contribution from selected Cornwall Shop Small Curation businesses of £150 (no VAT) is required within 14 days of selection.

Top Drawer is a wholesale platform. Although not all work / products submitted for this showcase needs to be for wholesale, businesses will be required to have wholesale products available.

Selected businesses will be responsible for transportation of their work to London or share the logistic costs with others.

Although a Creative Kernow Associates / Cornwall Shop Small representative will be at the show at all times, lead exhibitors are required to present at the show so you can manage your own sales and build relationships with customers. At show attendance for businesses that are represented in the Cornwall Shop Small Curation is not essential but it is encouraged.

We won’t be taking any commissions on sales for this showcase.

Timeline

• 23^rd October: Application Deadline
• 29^th October: Selection Outcome
• 12^th November: Contribution Payment Deadline
• 4^th November – 16^th December: Studio visits, support sessions and selection of work/products.
• 6^th – 11^th January: Logistic management and installation
• 12^th – 14^th January : Top Drawer Open
• 14^th – 15^th January: Take down and return of the work / product
• Late January: Debrief session

Application online via the button below.

Application deadline: 5pm on Wednesday 23rd October

If you have any difficulties completing the application or have any questions, please contact us at associates@creativekernow.org.uk.