The change is immediate and takes effect for the 2024 edition of Glee, which will now take place from the 10-12th of September, marking the show’s 50th anniversary.
Boyd Douglas-Davies, the show’s new Strategic Advisor, explained, “The full calendar was reviewed but September consistently embodied the ‘sweet spot’ for retailers and suppliers, with over 55% of Steering Group participants ranking September as the best month to hold Glee. By comparison, the second most popular choice, June, only had 15%. It wasn’t as simple as ‘June is wrong’ because we know it offered value for many, but the overall effectiveness of Glee as an event for business growth changed as we moved into a new chapter post-Covid, with buying cycles, lead-times and seasonality all impacting how our industry ‘shops’.
One issue that many retailers voiced to us was about a lack of price lists available in June and, with a need for comprehensive data to support orders for the year ahead, the buying cycle was becoming unnecessarily extended. The September timing allows for the industry as a whole to be ready, including those that export, with the show perfectly positioned at the natural close of one season, and with a new one on the horizon. This will lead to a more streamlined process, with Glee marking the transition between seasons, with ordering finalisation, planning and preparation coming immediately after the event.
From a logistics perspective, a September event also offers multiple benefits. Stores are quieter, with teams enjoying a brief reprieve before the festive season commences. It is also term time for most schools, meaning no more crossover with the summer holiday season. This, in turn, allows retailers to bring bigger teams to Glee to be inspired and source new products and supply partners from the hundreds of exhibitors, innovators and new products that find their home at Glee every year.”