A trade show is where you see a brand's heart. At Harrogate International Nursery Fair 2026 three stands stayed with me: Will & Finch, a changing bag designed by a stay-at-home dad; EcoKinly, the Irish reusable nappy brand that asks parents to start with just one; and Newlife, the charity turning brands' dead stock into equipment for disabled children.

Kind + Jugend runs in Cologne from 15th to 17th September. I am going for one day, an early flight out and a late flight home, and how I plan to spend that single day is the whole point of this week's piece.

Autumn Fair 2026 runs 6th to 9th September at the NEC. The entire Counter Talks programme is free, the one-to-one mentoring is free, and there is a Pitch Live session dedicated to kids, toy, play and clothing on the Tuesday morning. For the price of a train fare, it is the cheapest business development in the calendar.