Top Drawer is the UK’s leading design-led trade show for gift and interior products, with over 30 years of experience. It's a great place to display your products, boost your brand, and generate leads. You can sell your work and connect with major and independent retailers from the UK and worldwide.
UAL’s Careers and Employability team, along with Clarion Events, offers UAL students and graduates a discount to showcase their work at Top Drawer in a UAL-branded area. The selected exhibitors will get training and support to prepare for the event.
Top Drawer is carefully curated for buyers and includes Top Drawer On Demand, a digital platform connecting brands with buyers.
Products can include:
- gifts
- interior accessories
- soft furnishings
- lighting
- glass, ceramics, jewellery
- craft
- fashion accessories
- stationery
- greetings cards
- frames and prints.
Who can apply?
- You must be a University of the Arts London student or Alumni from an undergraduate, postgraduate or research degree course.
- You cannot have had your own stand at Pulse or Top Drawer or have been part of the UAL Stand in the past.
- You cannot have been trading for more than 3 years.
- You must be present for the duration of the show, including set up and break down.
Costs
The cost to participate in this opportunity if selected:
- £65 (UAL students)
- £160 (UAL graduates / alumni)
Costs cover:
- space to exhibit your work
- stand design and build
- individual promotional material
- promotion and marketing
- training events and support
- public liability insurance.
Apply for Top Drawer September 2025 and January 2026
Apply online by 10.00am, Monday 16 June 2025 with your product images and company details.
Schedule
- 16 June: Deadline for submissions (10.00am)
- 19 June: Submission outcome
- 26 June: Introduction session for selected exhibitors (5.00-6.00pm)
- 3, 10, 17 July: Optional professional development sessions (7.30pm – 9.30pm)
- 13 September: Installation of work – exhibitors should be present at Olympia London for set up (11.00am-3.00pm)
- 14-16 September: Top Drawer open – exhibitors must be present each day for the full duration of the show (9.00am-5.30pm)
- 16 September: Show take down - exhibitors must be present for this (5.30pm-6.30pm).
- 1 October: Introduction session for selected exhibitors (5.00-6.00pm)
- 9, 16, 23 October: Optional professional development sessions (7.30pm – 9.30pm)
- 10 January: Installation of work – exhibitors should be present at Olympia London for set up (11.00am-3.00pm)
- 11-13 January: Top Drawer open – exhibitors must be present each day for the full duration of the show (9.00am-5.30pm)
- 13 January: Show take down - exhibitors must be present for this (5.30pm-6.30pm).
Top Drawer September 2025
Top Drawer January 2026
Past exhibitors
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Image courtesy UAL
Meet the designers from Top Drawer Spring 2024
Discover the forefront of design at UAL's showcase in Top Drawer, spotlighting emerging talents. As a premier UK trade event boasting over 30 years of industry experience, it's strategically timed to coincide with peak buying seasons, guaranteeing optimal exposure.
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Image courtesy UAL
Meet the designers from Top Drawer September 2023
Explore the future of design at UAL’s stand in Top Drawer, featuring promising designers.
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Emmi Hyyppä, Image courtesy UAL
Meet the designers from Top Drawer January 2023
UAL’s stand at Top Drawer showcases up-and-coming designers and gives them an opportunity to meet with buyers face-to-face. Meet this season's cohort!
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Emmi Hyyppä, Image courtesy UAL
Meet the designers from Top Drawer September 2022
Top Drawer is the UK’s leading design-led trade show which united brands and buyers over 3 days of exhibitions, seminars, talks and product demonstrations.
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Image courtesy UAL
Top Drawer 2022: Design trade show
Careers and Employability organise a stand each year at Top Drawer to showcase emerging creative graduate businesses from University of the Arts London.