Gift of the Year Awards | Love Coco and Talking Tables put ‘purpose-led business’ in the spotlight

Gift of the Year Awards | Love Coco and Talking Tables put ‘purpose-led business’ in the spotlight

Better business was the belle of the industry ball when the Gift of the Year Awards celebrated the founder of the UK B Corp, Talking Tables with this year’s Honorary Achievement award for a dedication to purpose as well as profit.

Clare Harris received a standing ovation as she took the stage to accept an award that not only championed her success within the UK gifting industry, having most recently seen the team receive the King’s Award ahead of the Coronation of King Charles III, but her role in ‘bringing people together’ through various community and industry initiatives.

Talking Tables achieved its B Corp accreditation in September last year with a score of 87.5, a strong indication of the company’s commitment to people, planet, and purpose over profit that is reflected not only in the partyware and gift lines the team rolls out, but in the role it plays within its local community.

Initiatives spearheaded by Clare include community reach out days in which members of the team are encouraged to spend the day volunteering with a local charity. Talking Tables has also in recent months kickstarted an industry meet-up in partnership with The Giftware Association, called Talking Together in which industry peers gather at the Talking Tables HQ in London to discuss topics around the idea of ‘better business practices.’

Clare’s moment in the spotlight arrived as part of the evening’s proceedings as the Gift of the Year Awards celebrated its 21st anniversary with a lavish event hosted by Max Media and the Giftware Association at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Products of Change has the honour of sponsoring and presenting the evening’s award for Ethical and Sustainable Gift of the Year, a category that has this year showcased true sustainable development within the UK gifting industry. A tremendously high-calibre shortlist of finalists made the judging process a difficult one as the panel deliberated over the likes of Honest Bottle, Trashy School Bag, Elite, The Silicone Straw Company, and Go La La and the various sustainable credentials they each brought to the competition this year.

Love Coco collects the award for Sustainable of Ethical Gift of the Year.

On the night, however, the thoroughly deserved award went to Love Coco for its Love Coco Coconut Bowls 0- a collection of upcycled, hand-crafted coconut bowls that demonstrate a mindful way of capturing the value in food waste.

Sarah Ward, ceo of the Giftware Association, said: “The Gift of the Year Awards are vital for the health and prosperity of the gifting industry not only providing a platform for small and global businesses launching new products but also acting as an opportunity for those who attend to network and connect.

“Last week’s awards were a fantastic celebration of the imagination, innovation, and talent of our industry and I am excited to watch the journey to come for all out finalists and winners.”

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