Future Star Award Winner

At the heart of everything we do is a mission to make the Gift Industry more accessible—for buyers, for exhibitors, and especially for newcomers.

The Gift Fair was created to be an inclusive, welcoming space where everyone feels supported. In the tech world, they call these kinds of spaces “incubators”—places where young companies can grow and thrive. That’s exactly what we’re trying to be for the gift industry. We know how tough it can be for start-ups to get their foot in the door, and we want to help change that.

That’s why we created the Future Star Award.

Trade shows are one of the best ways to get in front of buyers—but let’s be honest, they can be expensive. We know because we’ve been there ourselves—at Spring Fair, Top Drawer, Atlanta, NYNOW... And for a new designer trying to get noticed for the first time, those costs can be a real barrier.

So, we wanted to do something about it.

The Future Star Award gives early-stage brands a chance to exhibit for free at an upcoming edition of The Gift Fair. It’s open to businesses under five years old, and it’s our way of helping fresh talent shine.

We see the gift industry as fast-moving and trend-driven—much like fashion. Creativity, innovation, and originality are key, and those are exactly the qualities we look for in our Future Star winner. We also consider the potential the brand has to really grow and make waves in the industry.

Our judge is Meera Santoro, Co-Founder & Creative Director of Santoro. Meera brings incredible insight and experience—not just in design, but in global philanthropy too. She’s a UK ambassador for the re-establishment of the KwaZulu-Natal Children’s Hospital in Durban, sits on the committee for Caudwell Children’s charity, and is involved with E2E Exchange, The Women’s Chapter, and The British Fashion Council Trust.

We got a bit excited for our first-ever award and ended up choosing two winners! In this blog, we’re shining a spotlight on one of them: Little Roglets.