The outing is part of a push to open up the increasingly lucrative market for greetings cards and represents the first exhibition of Antalis' Complete Greetings Card Collection range of card and wrapping papers launched last month.

The company will take a 3x3m stand at the event on 14-15 May at the Business Design Centre in north London. It plans to send five people supported by backsellers who will have a variety of mini cards and stock samples to distribute.

Antalis marketing manager Natalie Thomas who is charge of marketing the range said: "We have won a couple of orders so far but this will be our big launch. It’s a great opportunity for research for us to see who is out there.

"Visitors will be able to touch and feel our papers and know what we are all about and we will be able to make connections to the right people. There are some big players in the market that we would like to get hold of."

According the company £1.3bn was spent by UK consumers on single greetings cards last year and the market is the most sophisticated in Europe.

Progressive Greetings Live is attended by retailers and distributors from across the world and entrance is £40 plus VAT.

Exhibitors are all invited to a networking event on the Tuesday evening which Thomas thinks will be particularly useful.

She added: There is a great community vibe in the greetings card industry, I’m looking forward to the show."

Antalis’ new greetings card range comprises 40 products including card papers from 90 to 350gsm and wrapping papers.

The company has been working on the project since 2012 and has an A5 ring-bound swatch available for potential customers.

Antalis, a subsidiary of global paper producer and distributor, Sequana, had sales of 2.8b Euros in 2011. It employs 6,700 people and reaches 230,000 customers worldwide.