How Our First Trade Show Helped Wild Lines Grow
In 2022, Rob and I packed the car, crossed the country and headed to London for our very first wholesale trade show: Progressive Greetings Live (PG Live).
At the time, Wild Lines was still a young business. Most of our sales came through our website and Etsy shop, but I had a much bigger ambition - to see our wildlife-inspired cards and gifts on the shelves of independent retailers across the UK.
Looking back, that first trade show marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
Taking Wild Lines beyond our online shop
Running a small creative business involves wearing a lot of hats.
One day I'm drawing wildlife illustrations, the next I'm packing orders or replying to customer emails. Alongside all of that, I was also introducing Wild Lines to independent gift shops, stationery shops and zoo gift shops, hoping they would enjoy offering their customers something a little different.
Until then, most of those conversations had happened over email.
PG Live gave us the opportunity to meet buyers in person for the first time.
Building our first exhibition stand
Planning our stand was almost as exciting as the event itself.
Every detail was carefully thought through months in advance. After hours of painting display panels and attaching industrial-strength Velcro, we left the venue hoping everything would still be standing the following morning.
Thankfully, it was.
Watching that first shelf stay firmly attached was surprisingly satisfying - and a huge relief!
Once the cards were arranged and the doors opened, all that preparation felt worthwhile.
Meeting our first wholesale customers
One of the best parts of exhibiting was meeting shop owners face to face.
During the show we welcomed buyers from several wonderful independent retailers, including Farrago, French Grey, En Route and Maybugs, all of whom chose to stock Wild Lines shortly afterwards.
It was an exciting milestone for a business that had previously existed almost entirely online.
Looking back
That first trade show taught us that people genuinely connected with our mission: creating eco-friendly wildlife cards and gifts featuring both beloved and lesser-known species.
Since then, Wild Lines has continued to grow its wholesale offering, working with gift shops, visitor attractions and zoo gift shops across the UK.
While our exhibition stand has evolved over the years, the reason we attend trade shows remains exactly the same: meeting wonderful independent retailers who share our passion for wildlife, sustainability and beautifully designed products.
We're incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported Wild Lines along the way.
Interested in stocking Wild Lines?
If you manage an independent gift shop, museum, wildlife attraction or zoo gift shop and would like to stock our products, we'd love to hear from you.
Visit our Trade page to learn more about becoming a Wild Lines stockist.