Melanie Metcalfe, Creative Director at Miranda Templeton, explains their delight with the co-location: “from our perspective, combining the London Bridal Show and White Gallery was the perfect move. It meant that stockists could visit the majority of their suppliers in one visit, cutting down on travel costs, hotel bills and time taken away from work. This led to increased footfall, particularly from international buyers and a positively buoyant mood; one of our most successful shows to date.”

Rosanna, Director at Motee Maids, largely agreed, "the co location seemed great with more people visiting. It must simplify the buying process for buyers who stock brands from both areas making their jobs much easier."

Combining the shows under one roof encouraged attendance from visitors across the globe and led to impressive visitor stats as we hosted over 3000 bridal retailers and press across the three days. Creative Director at Zetterberg, Therese Zetterberg, describes their success at the show, “we hardly had a minute to rest and we loved every second. We got so many orders from interesting bridal boutiques from Europe, UK and Asia”. Overall, the co-location meant retailers had the ease of moving between the two shows throughout the same weekend whilst avoiding taking extra time from their businesses.

Geoff Makin, Director at Wendy Makin, also loved the location and collaboration, explaining, "I thought that combining the two shows into one worked well. Our stockists, and some other exhibitors I spoke to, loved the location. We haven’t done either of these before but it seemed easy to get to, easy to get around with good infrastructure around such as rail, accommodation, food and drink etc."

2018 also saw the launch of a series of live Q&As – “In conversation with…” - hosted by our Group Content Editor Zoe Burke. Leading designers exhibiting at White Gallery and industry experts were able to share their upcoming collections and hints and tips with viewers.

The Fashion Show Theatre was a highlight of White Gallery, with multiple shows throughout the event. Sassi Holford, Savin and Alan Hannah hosted private shows to selected members of the press and bridal retailers. Our Designer Preview show included big bridal brands like Anny Lin, Brian Chen, Catriona Garforth, Charlotte Balbier, Eliza Jane Howell, Hazaar of London and Ivory & Co. Visitors eager to see the latest collections and emerging bridal trends flooded the theatre, completely filling the room for every show. Retailers were truly given the ultimate buying experience as they prepare for the new bridal fashion season.

Finally, networking opportunities were rife, notably the Sunday party where bubbles flowed at the Champagne bar, creating a perfect place for industry mingling. Secondly, the RBA awards on the Monday evening. Food, bubbles, a photo booth and more, created an amazing atmosphere.

We are thoroughly looking forward to seeing you all at our 2019 White Gallery, confirmed for 24th-26th March.