Home, gift and fashion trade show Spring Fair, set to take place at the NEC Birmingham from 7-10 February 2027, has confirmed the first wave of speakers for the ‘Heart of Retail Stage’, set to include Debenhams CEO Dan Finley.
Finley will take to the stage on Monday 8 February in Hall 5 to share the story behind the reinvention of one of Britain's most recognisable retail brands.
In ‘The Next Chapter of Debenhams’, Finley will explore the retailer's transformation into a digital marketplace and the role of AI and technology in shaping its future.
Alan Roper, CEO of Blue Diamond Garden Centres, will then share the story behind the group's remarkable growth and his perspective on leadership, physical retail and “building the teams that will drive its next chapter”.
Roper will also explore what it takes to grow a major retail business while maintaining a strong customer proposition and a clear sense of purpose.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, will round off Monday’s stage talks with her ‘Retail is the Heartbeat of the Economy’ session.
Dickinson will explore how the sector is changing, the opportunities it creates for high streets and the wider UK economy, and what retailers need to succeed against a backdrop of shifting consumer habits and continued economic pressure.
Then, on Tuesday 9 February, Emma Jones, Small Business Commissioner, will turn the spotlight firmly onto the UK's independent businesses.
In ‘Independent at Heart’, Jones will draw on her experience of building and championing small businesses, while also exploring what small retailers and brands need to thrive today.
From fair payment and cash flow to confidence and growth, the session will examine how businesses can build resilience and what needs to change to create an environment in which SMEs can succeed.
For the closing conversation on Wednesday 10 February, retail entrepreneur and owner of Boux Avenue, Ryman and Robert Dyas, Theo Paphitis, will deliver a personal ‘Love Letter to Retail’.
After decades spent championing the high street and building some of Britain's best-known retail businesses, as well as being the founder of Small Business Sunday, Paphitis will reflect on the leadership lessons and entrepreneurial mindset behind his career, offering an honest perspective on the challenges facing the industry and why he remains such a passionate believer in its future.
Fay Tranter, Event Director at Spring Fair, said: “The conversations happening in retail right now are bigger than products and trends. They are about leadership, growth, people, technology, community and the future of our industry.
“We wanted the 2027 content programme to reflect that, bringing together voices who can challenge thinking, share what they have learned and give retailers something genuinely useful to take away.
“The Heart of Retail Stage is particularly exciting because it creates space for honest conversations with people who have lived through change and are shaping what comes next.”
Spring Fair has also revealed the 10 topics that will run across its wider content programme, creating a framework for exploring the issues most relevant to retailers and the wider industry.
They include ‘Leading With Heart’, putting the focus on the people shaping retail, ‘What’s Next’, looking ahead to AI, automation and the next decade of retail, and ‘Better Together’, exploring brand storytelling, loyalty, creators, culture and partnerships.
Tranter added: “Alongside our 10 topics and four stages, we’re creating a programme that we hope will give every visitor a reason to stop, listen, question and leave with a new idea.”
Further speakers and programme details for Spring Fair 2027 will be announced in the coming months.
