Let’s Go Europe!
Now for something a little bit different.
When I’m not wearing my corporate, agency or brand consultant hat, you’ll often find me diving into a more hands-on creative world - where design is celebrated in all its forms, from homewares and crafts to print and textiles. Connecting with the international stage through events like Frankfurt’s annual design expos, Ambiente and Creativeworld, offers direct access to a global network of makers, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
It’s here that Pantone colours and creative trends are set for the year - and the atmosphere is always electric. For me, it’s the ultimate way to refill the creative well and bring fresh inspiration home to my clients.
2025 Ambiente + Creativeworld
Choosing not to exhibit this year, I returned purely as a freelancer - seeking new connections, fresh opportunities and creative immersion. There really are no trade shows quite like those hosted at Frankfurt Messe.
It’s a designer’s dream: The buzz of international trade, the unveiling of new product trends, and the anticipation around upcoming forecasts - Pantone colours, interior décor, materials and finishes, paper craft, homewares, lifestyle products, and more.
Ambiente + Creativeworld bring together a vibrant mix of creatives and like-minded entrepreneurs, making it an inspirational experience like no other.
2023 Creativeworld + 2020 Paperworld
In 2020, I attended Paperworld at Frankfurt Messe to showcase a fresh suite of stationery and craft collections to the European market. The response was so encouraging that I returned to exhibit again at Creativeworld in 2023.
Together with my production partner, we’ve launched 15 collections under the Raywin Creative label, applying my thematic designs across a diverse range of stationery and craft products.
About Creativeworld Frankfurt
Creativeworld is the ideal B2B meeting place and a source of inspiration for the professional creative community year after year. The next edition of the international trade fair for the hobby, craft and artists’ supplies sector will take place from 6 to 9 February 2026 in Frankfurt am Main.
Creativeworld is the annual hotspot for the international DIY sector: the industry's top buyers come to Frankfurt to find out everything about the coming season – from inspiring worlds of colour and new materials to innovative creative techniques. As a trend and business platform, the trade fair is the first place to go in the business year. For wholesalers, retailers and specialist retailers, for DIY stores, garden centres and online shops, it is the ideal time to place orders. With its varied programme of events, Creativeworld provides new ideas, inspiration and know-how.
About Ambiente Frankfurt
As the leading and most international consumer goods trade fair, Ambiente tracks every change on the market. The Dining, Living and Giving areas meet the needs of retailers as well as commercial end users. Ambiente offers a unique breadth of supplies, equipment, concepts and solutions. The fair showcases a great diversity of products for different living spaces and style directions. It opens up many possibilities by defining and homing in on tomorrow’s major themes: Sustainability, Lifestyle and Design, New Work, Future Retail and Digital Expansion of Trade.
Cultural Highlights
One of the most enriching aspects of attending Frankfurt’s annual design expos is the chance to fully immerse myself in German art and culture while visiting the event. Given the long haul from New Zealand to Europe, I always try to include a small detour - either en route to the fair or once the work is done.
These creative stopovers have taken me to Amsterdam, where I disappeared like Alice down the rabbit hole into underground street art galleries; to Rome, where I basked in the glory of ancient architecture and timeless history; and to Barcelona, for a full sensory dive into colour, Gaudí dreamscapes, music and dance.
Most recently, I explored a few of Frankfurt’s leading city galleries where I was lucky enough to stumble upon works by contemporary artist Hans Haacke and Renaissance master Rembrandt in The Golden Era. Reconnecting with revolutionary icons like Picasso, Monet, and Bacon offers more than inspiration - it creates a bridge between past and present, anchoring today’s trends in the enduring legacy of artistic expression.
