Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Glee Partner with Accio Work to Launch AI-Powered Event Assistant for Buyers and Exhibitors

07 Sep 2026

Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Glee have announced a new partnership with Accio Work, Alibaba.com’s agentic business platform for SMEs and solo founders, which will become the shows' Official Agentic AI Partner, introducing an intelligent AI-powered event assistant designed to help buyers and exhibitors get more value from their time at the UK's leading retail trade shows.

Launching at Autumn Fair and Glee this September, the new technology has been created to make navigating large-scale retail events quicker, easier and more personalised. Free to use for all visitors and exhibitors, the AI-powered assistant will help buyers discover relevant brands and products, create personalised exhibitor shortlists, plan the most efficient route around the show and build tailored agendas before they even arrive. The partnership forms part of a wider rollout of Accio Work's AI-powered Exhibition Agent across major European trade shows.

To ensure every visitor can make the most of the new technology, large interactive touchscreens will be positioned at each entrance to Autumn Fair, Glee, and Spring Fair in 2027, where visitors can explore the platform, download the app and receive support throughout the event.

Unlike a traditional event app, Accio Work uses AI to understand what buyers are looking for and makes intelligent recommendations based on their business needs. Visitors can simply ask questions in natural language, such as “Show me sustainable garden brands under £30 wholesale” or “I'm looking for new children's gift brands exhibiting at Autumn Fair,” and receive tailored recommendations drawn directly from the official exhibitor directory.

One of the platform's most exciting features allows buyers to upload photos of their shop, display or shop window and ask the AI event assistant to recommend exhibitors and products that best suit their retail style, customer demographic or visual merchandising approach.

Because the technology works using information already available within Autumn Fair, Glee, and Spring Fair's exhibitor listings and online resources, exhibitors do not need to upload any additional content or create new profiles.

The partnership offers an additional opportunity to increase visibility for exhibitors. As buyers search for products and suppliers through the AI assistant, exhibitors whose products match those requirements will be recommended, helping connect brands with highly relevant buyers already attending the show.

For visitors, the platform can generate personalised walking routes around the exhibition, grouping recommended exhibitors together to help buyers maximise their time on the show floor. Visitors can also browse the event agenda, save must-attend seminars and create personalised itineraries, making it easier than ever to navigate the UK's largest retail buying events. These capabilities are designed to turn exhibitor information and floorplans into personalised sourcing and planning tools.

Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director at Spring & Autumn Fair said,

“Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Glee are all about helping retailers discover the right products, make valuable connections and maximise every visit. As our shows continue to grow, we wanted to introduce technology that genuinely improves the buying experience rather than adding complexity. Partnering with Accio Work allows us to offer buyers a simple, intuitive planning tool that helps them discover brands they may otherwise have missed, build personalised buying journeys and spend more time having meaningful conversations on the show floor. It's another way we're investing in making our events smarter, more efficient and even more valuable for both buyers and exhibitors.”

Michalle Lau, Managing Director France, from Accio Work said,

“Trade shows remain one of the most important places for buyers and suppliers to connect, but navigating thousands of products and hundreds of exhibitors can be overwhelming. By partnering with Spring Fair, Autumn Fair, and Glee, we're making AI practical and accessible, helping visitors discover the right brands faster, plan their visit more effectively and ultimately create better business opportunities for everyone attending.”

The AI assistant is completely free for buyers and exhibitors to use and has been designed to be accessible for everyone, regardless of their experience with AI technology. Visitors can simply download the app from their usual app store before the event, or from the touchscreens at the show.

By combining intelligent product discovery with personalised planning, Spring Fair, Autumn Fair and Glee’s partnership with Accio Work marks another step in the evolution of retail buying events, helping visitors spend less time searching and more time discovering the products, brands and ideas that will shape the future of their businesses.

Autumn Fair takes place 6–9 September 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.

Glee takes place 8-10 September 2026 at the NEC Birmingham.

Spring Fair takes place 7-10 February 2027 at the NEC Birmingham.

Source: Spring Fair