Make it British has announced Elite Labels as the headline sponsor for this year’s Meet the Manufacturer event, which takes place from 24-25 May and brings together British manufacturers with buyers and designers looking to make their products in the UK.

“We’re very proud to be supporting this year’s Meet the Manufacturer as the headline sponsor at a time when British brands are more aware than ever of the value of manufacturing in the UK. We’ve been an exhibitor for the last two years and the aims of Meet the Manufacturer complement Elite Labels perfectly, so we were keen to get more involved for 2017,” said Shafique Hussein, Director at Leicester-based Elite Labels.

Focus on innovation

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Elite Labels for our next event. They supply everyone from the smallest of start-ups to the largest and most prestigious names in retailing, meaning that they will appeal to all our exhibitors and visitors, making them an ideal sponsor for Meet the Manufacturer,” commented Kate Hills, CEO and founder of Make it British.

“Their focus on innovation and expertise is particularly fitting this year with the ever-growing enthusiasm and passion for the ‘made in Britain’ label and we look forward to working closely with them.”

Programme

Around 5,000 visitors are expected to attend the two-day event, which takes place at The Old Truman Brewery, London. This year’s programme includes free drop-in workshops and seminars plus over 150 exhibitors showcasing some of the top knitters, weavers, tanneries, leather-goods makers, CMT units and homeware factories in Britain today.

New for 2017 is a brands hall, where visitors will have access to a selection of creative businesses who will be showcasing their distinct and inspirational labels at Meet the Manufacturer for the first time.

Meet the Manufacturer

Kate Hills is founder and CEO of Make it British. Twenty years of working as a designer and buyer for brands such as Burberry and M&S and multiple product sourcing trips overseas prompted Kate to set up the Make it British website to help promote UK manufacturing and British-made brands.

Kate Hills launched Meet the Manufacturer, a trade show and conference for the UK fashion and textiles industry, in 2014. The event brings together the best of British manufacturers with buyers and designers looking to have their products made in Britain.

www.meetthemanufacturer.co.uk