Case Study: How Stabo Took Their First Steps into the US Market with The Gift Fair USA

How Stabo Took Their First Steps into the US Market with The Gift Fair USA

About the Exhibitor

Stabo is a family-owned British brand creating handcrafted lifestyle products, from leather goods to apparel and homeware.

Objectives at The Gift Fair USA 2026

Having previously participated in two editions of The Gift Fair UK, Stabo joined The Gift Fair USA 2026 — a leading digital trade show platform for gift and lifestyle brands — with a clear goal: to take their first step into the US market.

Their primary objective was straightforward: generate new leads and begin building a customer base in the US.

As this was their first approach to the market, the focus was not only on immediate results, but also on learning how to position and sell effectively to a new audience.

How The Gift Fair USA Supported Their US Market Entry

To support their expansion into the US, The Gift Fair USA provided Stabo with a combination of digital trade show tools, marketing exposure, and targeted guidance.

Ahead of the show, the organisers hosted a dedicated webinar — “Building Buzz For Your Business” — led by Sarah Shaw, designed to help small and medium-sized brands approach the US market and refine their sales strategy.

This provided practical insights on:

• How to position their brand for US buyers

• How to communicate their product story effectively

• How to maximise engagement during the virtual trade show

In parallel, Stabo was included in pre-show marketing campaigns across The Gift Fair USA channels — including newsletters, LinkedIn, and social media — helping drive awareness and traffic directly to their digital booth.

The Results

For Stabo, The Gift Fair USA represented an exciting yet often daunting first step into the US market. The show successfully drove traffic and exposure to their booth, generating initial interest from buyers — a meaningful outcome for a first market entry.

Crucially, this was achieved without the significant cost and logistical burden typically associated with attending an international trade show in person, such as travel, accommodation, and physical stand builds. These barriers often prevent small businesses from even considering expansion into new markets. The Gift Fair USA instead provided access to new buyers, new opportunities, and a large, previously hard-to-reach market.

Like many small businesses, Stabo had limited time and resources ahead of the show. Because their booth could be created quickly and seamlessly on the XpoFairs platform, they were able to focus their efforts on pre-show preparation — particularly visibility and market engagement — rather than visas, shipping, and logistics.

Conversations were initiated and leads generated, marking the beginning of relationships with US buyers — and we are excited to see how these develop over time.

This highlights an important dynamic of digital trade shows: while the platform and marketing support can effectively drive visibility and buyer traffic, converting that interest into commercial outcomes depends on preparation, positioning, and follow-up from the exhibitor.

What sets The Gift Fair USA apart is its ability to remove operational complexity — eliminating the hassle of shipping, booth builds, and on-site logistics — allowing exhibitors to focus their time and energy on what really matters: promotion, engagement, and sales.