It's after 11 p.m. and I'm finally back to my hotel room after a very productive, interesting and inspiring day at the National Stationery Show. The show floor was abuzz with activity: buyers buying, sellers selling and old friends meeting back up -- many it's the first time they've had a chance to catch up since last year's show. It's always a fun experience to walk the show floor and put a face to a name you've only seen in e-mail or a voice you've only heard on the phone. It's also fun to hear what's new and exciting.
My job during
NSS is to cover the show for Stationery Today, the
NSS daily publication. Robin
McMurray (our creative director) and I walked the trade show floor with one goal in mind: Find out what the buzz is about. What are people talking about? What do buyers want? What to exhibitors see? There is, as always, a lot to see at this year's
NSS. Despite any concerns about economic uncertainty, there was positivity in the air. Retailers were happy to be walking the show floor and picking out just the perfect product that will excite their customers. I spoke with several retailers who were happy to be at
NSS -- many for the first time -- and amid the crowd of passionate paper people. Exhibitors shared similar stories of buyers visiting their booths and wanting to buy. These exhibitors were eager to visit with retailers and find out exactly what they want -- what drives their business and what their customers want to buy.
In addition to the business being done on the show floor, there were many learning opportunities for
NSS attendees today. One such opportunity was the seminar given by Sarah Schwartz, Stationery Trends' editor, on the top trends for 2009. I don't want to give away too much because you can still hear her seminar if you missed it: It will be offered again tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. You can buy tickets at the door -- but hurry, today's seminar was standing-room only. Sarah talked about the colors that are going to be hot this year -- among them purple, yellow and orange. She also spoke of the way "green" is headed -- it's not enough that a product simply be
eco-friendly anymore. It has to speak to consumers, fill a niche and provide something fun and novel. The "green" label, alone, won't immediately mean a product will sell. If you can't make it to Sarah's seminar -- or you're reading this away from
NSS, be sure to check out my article in Stationery Today (which will be posted at www.stationerytoday.stationerytrendsmag.com after
NSS) and future issues of Stationery Trends, where I know Sarah has some super trends coverage planned.
One of my favorite parts of
NSS is being able to walk around with Patti
Stracher,
NSS show manager, when she hands out the Best New Product Awards. To see the true pride and joy the winners display when they find out they've been recognized is truly an honor. I enjoy being a part of this special day for people. This year's winners are:
Think Green — Jacki Paper, booth #1936
Party —
ThemeNaps, booth #2266
Social Stationery — C. R. Gibson, booth #2840
Desk Accessories —
Woodessen, booth #3167
Lifestyle & Specialty Gift —
Kookie Stationery, booth #3351
Paper Craft &
Scrapbooking — Simply Renee, booth #3369
Luxury — Designers’ Fine Press, design by Margot Madison, booth #3427
It's nearly midnight now, and I have an early morning -- and a busy day -- ahead of me. I'm eager to share some of my
NSS photos with you tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back to see what's happening on the show floor and some of the fun, new products exhibitors are showcasing. And, I'd be remiss if I forgot to remind you to stop by the Stationery Trends booth and renew your subscription (only $10 if you subscribe during
NSS) and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a $500 Tiffany & Co. gift card. Plus, we're giving away some fun orange and pink tote bags (the color combination is another trend mentioned by Sarah in her seminar) to the first 500 people who renew their subscription.
- By Kimberly Warren, Great American Publishing
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Totes from Rock of Ages Press (booth #3054) are both eco-friendly and fun.
KatBlu Art & Design Studio (booth #3049) forecasts a big trend in birdcages.
An ever-busy Bonnie Marcus Collection booth (#2800) highlighted a number of the company's special products for brides and moms-to-be.
PJ Invites' new PJ Stamps feature whimsical designs that are appropriate for tweens and adults. See the stamps at booth #2949.
Iota's vivid patterns adorn products, including giftwrap, notecards and other stationery products. The company also recently launched its kitchen line that includes brightly patterned aprons. Check them out at booth #2849.
PaPaYa! (booth #3313) has a wide array of colorful products on display -- from greeting cards to magnets, jewelry and beyond.
This peel-and-stick chalkboard from Wallies (booth #3348) turns any wall into writing surface (that comes clean!).
Teeny Tiny People Greeting Cards (booth #3464) made its Stationery Show debut this year.
Whitney English (booth #3408) was showcasing its new line of initials matchboxes, which also have coordinating notecards and coasters.
Anna Griffin's booth (#3402), as usual, offered a plethora of gorgeous patterns on a wide array of products and accessories.
At Maude Asbury (booth #3545) be sure to check out their neat magnetic message boards and the magnets that go with them!
The MacBeth Collection booth had a lot of "stuff" to catch the eye. See it all at booth #3631.
Kookie Stationery's booth (#3351) had super-fun invitations and greetings that are so sweet they're good enough to eat -- literally.
