A strong day at Sterling’s anniversary trade show

Wenlock Spring joined Sterling during its 60th anniversary year for a trade show full of useful conversations, strong interest across the range and a competition that brought plenty of visitors to the stand.

Trade shows work best when they create space for proper conversation, and that was very much the case at Sterling’s recent show during its 60th anniversary year. For Wenlock Spring, it was a valuable day to meet people across the sector, catch up with familiar faces and talk through what businesses are looking for from their water offering.

The stand stayed busy throughout the event, with interest from visitors keen to explore how Wenlock Spring can support different settings and service styles. From bottled water to cans, the day opened up plenty of practical discussions about format, presentation and what works best in real trading environments.

That is often where trade shows are most useful. They give people a chance to ask questions properly and compare options in a way that is harder to do from a catalogue or price list alone.

It was also a good opportunity to show the breadth of the range and speak with businesses looking to build or refine their drinks category. Those conversations covered more than product alone. They touched on service, reliability and the importance of having formats that suit different parts of the market, from hospitality through to wider foodservice and wholesale settings.

Alongside those discussions, the competition on the stand brought a lively extra element to the day. Visitors were invited to guess how many bottle caps were inside an 18.9 litre bottle, and it quickly became a talking point. It gave people a reason to stop, take a closer look and start a conversation with the team, which is exactly what a good show competition should do.

The winner was Paul from Strachans, who came closest with his guess and took home a fitting prize for the occasion: 60 cases of Wenlock Spring cans, marking Sterling’s 60th anniversary year. It was a nice moment in the day and one that added to the warm, friendly feel around the stand.

For Wenlock Spring, the event was a reminder of why these face-to-face days still matter. They bring together customers, suppliers and industry contacts in a way that feels direct and useful. There is real value in having time to talk, listen and understand what people need.

Set against Sterling’s anniversary year, the show felt like a good moment to celebrate long-standing relationships while also making new connections for the future.