Taking place at The Old Truman Brewery in East London on 23 and 24 May 2018, "Make it British Live!" is an annual business
to business show, with over 200
exhibitors. Exhibitors range from garment manufacturers to sample makers, textile mills to trimmings, fabric printers to machinery providers.
If you are
looking to manufacture a product in the UK, you will find all of the suppliers
here that you need. If you want to discover new and exciting
British-made brands with ready-made collections, you can find everything from handbags to gifts, as well as menswear, womenswear, and childrenwear labels. It is the only place to find totally British suppliers all under one roof!
About "Make it British
Live!"
"Make it British Live!" began in 2014 and it was originally called "Meet the
Manufacturer". It is the brainchild of Kate
Hills, a former fashion buyer, who founded a website called "Make it
British" in 2011, as a platform for promoting UK
manufacturers and British-made brands.
Very quickly "Make it
British" began receiving lots of enquiries from businesses looking to connect
with UK fashion and textile manufacturers. At the same time, manufacturers that
Kate Hills spoke to, were still predominantly relying on word of mouth to find new
customers. Kate realised that the industry needed an event to bring them all
together, and hence the "Meet the Manufacturer" was born.
The first event took
place in a small warehouse of 11,000 sqft at The Old Truman Brewery in East
London. Fifty six exhibitors from across the industry took stands at the first show,
and a two day conference programme for 250 delegates ran alongside.
Less than 5 months in
the planning, and not having held an event before, Kate was unsure how many
people would actually turn up. However, the conference proved to be a sell-out and there were queues around the block as over 2000 visitors
waited to get into the trade show!
Now in its fifth year, the
event is held in a five-hall space of 55,000 sqft at The Old Truman Brewery,
over the road from the where the first event took place. More than 5,000 visitors and 200 exhibitors are expected in 2018, showing
the increasing demand for making in the UK and buying British-made products.
As well as buyers, designers and sourcing managers
from designer brands to high street multiples and independent retailers, the
show attracts overseas visitors from 17 different countries, including Germany, Japan, and Scandinavia, who all come to the event looking for authentic
British-made products.
"Make it British Live!" - The new name
In 2018 a decision was made to rename the show to "Make it British Live!" to reflect more accurately the broad range of different businesses that exhibit at the event. The organisers pride themselves on being the only 100% British sourcing event, and
believe that the new name is a stronger reflection of their core values.
This annual conference and trade show is already
proving a magnet for thousands of designers, manufacturers, retailers and
academics since its launch five years ago and they are confident that the rebrand
will be the fanfare to attract even more progressive businesses looking to
source locally and reshore their production back to the UK.
Location & Opening
Times
The Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London, E1 6QL
Wednesday 23 May 9am -
6pm
Thursday 24 May 9am - 4pm
Link: Make it British Live!