Cornflower Cultural Retail Roadshow – Reading Town Hall
Wednesday 21 January 2026
10:30 – 11:00 | Arrival, Registration & Coffee
11:00 – 11:15 | Welcome & Introduction, Simon Nutbrown, Cornflower
Learn a little about Cornflower as we celebrate 27 years of serving the cultural retail sector, and understand how bespoke products can have an impact beyond the initial sale.
11:15 – 11:40 | Retailing in a challenging year
Speaker: Judy Bendall, Blenheim Palace
For much of 2025, scaffolding covered Blenheim Palace. How did the retail team deal with the inevitable reduction in visitor numbers and what lessons can be learned for organisations facing external factors affecting their retail.
11:40 – 12:05 | Case Study: Yoshitomo Nara at the Hayward Gallery
Speaker: Katherine Walsh, Southbank Centre, London
The Nara exhibition in 2025 broke all records for the Hayward Gallery at the Southbank Centre. How did Katherine and the team work with a successful living artist like this and scale up the retail rapidly to meet demand.
12:05 – 12:55 | Panel Session: Cultural Retail in 2026 – Opportunities & Challenges
Chair: Hannah Rowden, Cornflower
Panellists: Local museum retail leaders
A 45-minute, in-depth discussion covering what’s working in museum retail, regional challenges and opportunities, followed by a Q&A with the audience
Book your free place today by emailing events@cornflower.co.uk
12:55 – 13:00 | Morning Wrap-Up
13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch & Networking
Afternoon Sessions
14:00 – 14:20 | What Sold in 2025? Bestsellers & Trends
Speaker: Vicky Emmerson, Cornflower
Cornflower works with a wide selection of customers across the UK. What were the bestselling products for our customers in 2025, and what trends can be observed from this as we move into 2026.
14:20 – 14:40 | Working with Cornflower & Planning Ahead to Christmas 2026
Speaker: Carolyn Taylor, Cornflower
A clear, step-by-step overview of the Cornflower development process, plus timelines and opportunities for Christmas 2026.
14:40 – 15:30 | Product Showcase & One-to-One Discussions
Browse Cornflower’s ranges, meet our account managers and product development teams to explore development ideas for your upcoming exhibitions and retail plans.
15:30 | Close of Event
"What a lovely day we had at the Cornflower Roadshow! The Manchester Museum and the Whitworth found the day both informative and enjoyable. It was wonderful to meet new people from the industry and catch up with some of the venues we already know.
We thought the schedule and the speakers were both interesting and inspiring. It was great to hear more about Cornflower.
We really enjoyed seeing the huge amount of product samples that were on display so we could understand the breadth of product Cornflower can develop. We have come away inspired with lots of product development ideas for the year ahead!"
Emma Gittins
Head of Retail and Product Development for the Manchester Museum and the Whitworth
“I was delighted to be invited to the recent Cornflower Roadshow in London. Hearing about the company background and future development plans was insightful.
I was particularly interested to see how our industry colleagues worked in close partnership with Cornflower to develop lucrative merchandise that their customers clearly responded to. Speaking with my peers in the industry, and especially seeing the vast array of product availability, has inspired my team.
We look forward to increasing our collaboration with Cornflower, confident that we will be producing unique, sustainable, profitable, and desirable gifts and merchandise that our customers will cherish.”
Orla Cullen
E-Commerce Manager, Merchandiser, Wholesale Manager at the British Library
Places are limited so book your free place today by emailing events@cornflower.co.uk
“The Cornflower Roadshow was an interesting and informative day and a wonderful opportunity to see and discuss new product ideas, as well as being able to network with people from the Heritage and Cultural sector. I can highly recommend”
Emma Butler
Assistant Buyer at the Science Museum Group
“It was great to meet the Cornflower team in person and spend time with Museum colleagues sharing this year’s Museum retail challenges and successes. A really practical and productive day of Museum retail!”
Alex Nott
St Albans Museums Commercial + Marketing
