Kent duo launches regional retail event to help small businesses ride out the recession

Two female entrepreneurs from Kent will give high street status to small retailers at a two-day shopping extravaganza next month.

The Shopping Experience will give a much-needed boost to recession-struck retailers on 16-17th May, with over 10,000 members of the public expected to visit this family-friendly consumer event at Kent Showground, near Maidstone.

The Shopping Experience is set to be the ultimate alternative shopping-centre destination for savvy shoppers in May. A selection of around 200 businesses will gather for a two-day retail extravaganza presenting visitors with the most extensive and wide ranging mix of products and services.

It will be a fun weekend recreational experience for all the family and all age groups to enjoy and support small business and retailers that you can’t always find on your local high street.

Visitors will pay a wallet-friendly £2 to attend, with free entry to under 16s and OAPs, and enjoy a host of entertainment on a purpose-built stage, whilst enjoying gourmet food and refreshments in the Food Hall. Local school children will perform along with professional entertainers, and expert advisers and demonstrators will be on hand in the stage area.

Exhibitors taking space at the event will benefit from a strong promotions and marketing package that is being rolled out for the Shopping Experience, including advertisements and competitions to attract consumers via online, radio and print media activity and sponsorship.

Many smaller businesses cannot afford high street premises, but the Shopping Experience will give them the opportunity to create their own shop front for thousands of potential customers over one weekend, amongst other like-minded traders.

The weekend event is the brainchild of Kent-based business partners Tracey Barker-Reeves and Tina Green. “All retailers and other exhibitors need to do is turn up and sell, and maximise the opportunity to create as much awareness about their product as possible,” says Tracey Barker-Reeves, co-founder of the Shopping Experience.

Following a series of successful events at The Kent Showground, both women are confident that this is the way forward for small businesses to beat the recession and present their products and services within a recreational environment to rival Bluewater for one weekend.

Both Tracey and Tina have extensive experience organising and managing business and consumer events of all sizes, much of which has been gained working side-by-side in the professional wedding show sector.

Their Wedding Experience is now recognised as the leading series of wedding shows in Kent and responsible for largest regional wedding show in the south of England.

To Tina, the Shopping Experience is the natural path of growth in order to expand the successful model to suppliers beyond the wedding industry.

“Based upon our success with these events, we are confident that this is the way forward for small businesses to beat the recession and present their products and services within a shopping environment,”

“For wedding specialists, our events have proved to be invaluable in allowing them to meet their target audience in a friendly, relaxed and entertaining environment.”

In fact, since the economy showed signs of decline, exhibitor numbers have increased for every show; a clear indication that the events are given high priority within marketing budgets. “New exhibitors are largely recommendations from current exhibitors, who are reporting excellent bookings despite the economic climate,” adds Tina.

Tracey, who is from a family of self-employed entrepreneurs, is a strong believer in the importance of going the extra mile in order to make a successful business.

“Our prime motivation is to bring the successful, cost-effective model we have developed within the wedding industry to a broad range of like-minded retailers,” she commented. “In this way, we hope to create opportunities for small business during the difficult economic environment and increase their chances of survival.”

To find out about affordable exhibitor opportunities at the Shopping Experience, visit www.shopping-experience.co.uk, email: tina@shopping-experience.co.uk or tracey@shopping-experience.co.uk or call 01795 844 449 / 020 8300 9546.