We wanted this event to be much more than a celebration party but something much deeper that marks a defining moment in our team’s journey for all the right reasons as we celebrate 30 years of creativity, innovation and purpose-driven branding. We have always tried to push the boundaries and dare to be different and believe we have achieved what we set out to do in bounds. The feedback of all attendees to both the expo and the gala dinner has been nothing short of sensational. Wild Thang is no overnight success, and we are very proud of our small beginnings, being originally funded by the Princes Trust, now of course called the Kings Trust and will be forever grateful for that support, so it was wonderful to welcome an extra special guest in the expo, Walter Yates, who was our original mentor 30 years ago to share this milestone moment was a personal highlight. No guest left the expo without an exclusive Lower-Eco Impact 30th goody bag and we even went that extra mile by carbon offsetting every visitor’s travel miles. 

We can’t thank everyone who supported and attended enough; reaching our 30th anniversary is not just about looking back with pride. It is about setting the standard for what the future of responsible branding should look like, having our team on hand to offer expert advice on ethical sourcing, innovation, and industry insight, while showcasing how creativity, cutting-edge technology, and ethical thinking can combine to create a measurable positive impact. This was not a traditional trade expo; we even had a live DJ throughout the day. It was an immersive experience focused on helping brands mitigate supply chain risk, strengthen ESG performance and unlock more sustainable, Lower-Eco Impact product solutions without compromising on quality, creativity or commercial success. Taking place during B Corp Month made it feel all the more special. As a proud Certified B Corp, ESG is not a trend for us; it is now embedded in our DNA, which is exactly why we also wanted to partner with 2 special charities.

This was about building partnerships, strengthening communities and driving collective progress across our industry. Our daytime expo showcased an exceptional group of speakers who we can’t thank enough for participating, along with collaborators and partners from across business, sustainability, technology, and industry leadership. Throughout the day, insights were shared by respected voices including Dr Garth Dallas and Claire Dallas (Good Small Business Awards & Dallas Consulting), Andrew Borland (Novel, VEC & Liverpool University), Martin Borley (Stahls’ EMEA), Paul Cherpeau (Liverpool Chamber of Commerce), Phil Goodman (BPMA), Gary Layzell (Stanley Stella), David Connor and Stephen Sykes (2030hub), Greg Macoy (Hunter & Campbell), Karl Clawley (Momentum Group), Leon Carroll (King’s Trust), Jo Henney (Nugent) and Paul Winter (Clatterbridge Cancer Charity). We even created an opportunity to launch our brand-new high-quality Stanley Stella team uniform, all made from more sustainable & Lower-Eco impact materials.

The entertainment continued with a special performance by the talented Olivia Mae Music, exceptional food and being surrounded by the very best company played an important part in our celebration. We also had surprise celebration awards for Employee of the Decade, which went to our head of accounts, Leigh McLaughlin, and to acknowledge the importance of our supply chain, Laltex were voted Supplier of the Year by our team. Then it was time to hit the dance floor to the sounds of a very talented saxophone player from Apres Music. Of course, events of this scale do not organise themselves, it takes a team, MSP who delivered full AV, light and sound solutions delivered with pinpoint excellence to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible, Kate Swerdlow for photographing the gala dinner so spectacularly and The Guide Liverpool, our partner who captured video footage of our expo and gala dinner.

Andrew Dwerryhouse, Wild Thang MD, commented, “For our milestone 30th birthday, we really wanted to do something that was different and be much more than a party. This was an immensely proud moment, but we hope all attendees left feeling inspired and empowered to do things better. We wanted it to be a celebration of our family business, everyone who has played an integral role in our journey, including fellow family member Directors, Chris Dwerryhouse, John Howarth & Sarah Howarth, along with the rest of the team, Wild Thang partners, collaborators, suppliers and friends, all of whom we see as family. To showcase how business can be done & needs to be done differently which we have shown by placing ESG central to Wild Thang’s culture, just like achieving B Corp this is another special milestone moment that very few companies get to achieve, we have never been more excited about the future even with global challenges we hope to push through the £10 Million barrier this year and aim for £20 million over the next 3 years.”