Gain practical retail ideas, discover new commercial opportunities and hear directly from leading furniture industry exhibitors.
The Autumn Furniture Show is about more than discovering the latest furniture, beds, accessories and retail-ready collections. It is also an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from industry experts and take useful insights back to your business.
Taking place at the Telford International Centre on 7 and 8 October 2026, this year’s show will include a focused seminar series designed specifically for furniture retailers and trade buyers.
The seminars will take place on Wednesday 7 October and will be delivered by exhibitors with first-hand experience of the subjects they are discussing. Each session has been kept short and focused, making it easy to fit valuable learning into a busy day of sourcing products, meeting suppliers and exploring the show.
Whether you want to make your showroom more engaging, create better content for social media or discover new stock opportunities, the seminar series will provide practical ideas that can support your retail business.
Bringing Your Retail Detail to Life with Smart Art Direct
Time: 11.30am–11.45am
Location: Smart Art Direct, Hall 2, Stand 46
The first seminar of the day will be presented by Smart Art Direct and will explore how carefully selected accessories can bring retail displays to life.
For furniture retailers, creating an inspiring showroom environment can make a significant difference to the way customers experience products. Furniture rarely exists in isolation within the home, so presenting it alongside complementary accessories can help customers picture how a complete room might look.
Statement wall art can introduce colour, personality and a stronger visual focal point to a display. It can also help retailers refresh existing room sets without making major changes to their core furniture collections.
During the seminar, Smart Art Direct will demonstrate how accessories, particularly statement wall art, can rejuvenate in-store displays and create a more engaging environment for customers.
The session will also explore how strong showroom displays can support a retailer’s social media activity. Well-styled displays provide an ideal backdrop for shop walk-throughs, short-form video, reels and live content. This gives retailers more opportunities to showcase their products, share inspiration and encourage customers to visit their stores.
Everyone attending the seminar and visiting the Smart Art Direct stand will also receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win a statement piece of wall art worth £150 at trade price.
Meet the New HTL Team and Stock Programme
Time: 2.30pm–2.45pm
Location: HTL, Hall 1, Stand 12
The second seminar provides an opportunity to meet the new HTL team and discover more about the company’s Stock Programme.
Available exclusively to Minerva members, the Stock Programme has been developed to support retailers with access to commercially relevant furniture and dependable stock options.
For independent furniture retailers, the ability to source the right products at the right time can be vital. A strong stock programme can help businesses respond to customer demand, introduce new choices to the showroom and plan their product ranges with greater confidence.
This informal session gives Minerva members the chance to hear directly from the HTL team, understand what is new and discuss how the programme could support their business.
It is also an opportunity to build relationships with the people behind the products. Face-to-face conversations allow retailers to ask specific questions, explore commercial opportunities and gain a clearer understanding of the support available to them.
More Than a Furniture Trade Show
The Autumn Furniture Show brings together furniture and bed suppliers, independent retailers, major retailers and senior buyers from across the UK and beyond.
Across two focused days, visitors can explore new furniture collections, compare products, meet existing suppliers and discover new commercial partnerships. The seminar series adds another valuable dimension to the show by providing practical ideas that retailers can use beyond the event itself.
Both sessions on Wednesday 7 October are conveniently located on exhibitors’ stands. There is no need to leave the main show or commit a large part of the day. Visitors can simply plan the sessions around their meetings, product sourcing and conversations with exhibitors.
The programme has been designed to address real retail opportunities, from improving visual merchandising and social media content to strengthening stock availability and supplier relationships.
Plan Your Visit to the Autumn Furniture Show 2026
The Autumn Furniture Show 2026 takes place on Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 October at the Telford International Centre.
Visitors are encouraged to add the seminar times to their show itinerary:
• 11.30am: Bringing Your Retail Detail to Life with Smart Art Direct, Hall 2, Stand 46
• 2.30pm: Meet the New HTL Team and Stock Programme, Hall 1, Stand 12
Each session lasts just 15 minutes, giving you concise, relevant information without taking valuable time away from the rest of the show.
Register for the Autumn Furniture Show 2026 and join furniture industry professionals for two days of sourcing, conversations and commercial opportunities.
Source new products. Select the right collections. Succeed in the season ahead.