by Hello!Lucky

Exhibiting at the National Stationery Show (and other trade shows) is possibly the biggest creative and logistical challenge any stationer can face, and that’s saying something since we’re a pretty creative bunch! You’re given the sparest of frameworks: an empty aluminum frame, black floors, and the unrelenting glare of Javitz Center’s florescent lights. More...

By Lyndsey Wells, The Stationery Place

If this is your first year at the National Stationery Show, you are in for a treat! Last year was my first experience at this wonderland of paper products, and I had a blast -- but, it WAS a little overwhelming. I knew the convention hall would be filled with aisles and aisles of amazing paper, but I had no idea it would take me so long to get through everything! Here are a few things to keep in mind if you're a newbie for 2013. More...

By Brannon Cullum, Happy Cactus Designs

It’s hard to believe that The National Stationery Show is mere weeks away. As I prepare for my second year exhibiting at the show, I feel a mix of excitement and stress thinking through all that needs to be done between now and May 19. I bet I’m not alone. With so much to do, where should you begin? More...

By Claudia Smith, Fig. 2 Design Studio
Having a successful show is about a number of things. Whether it’s your first, your third, or your tenth show, the key is to know your products and stay humble. This will be my third year as an exhibitor, and I can honestly say the number of meltdowns from year to year gets smaller and smaller. Even if this is your first year exhibiting and you have 100 meltdowns, you will get through it!  Exhibiting is what you make of the experience, so put on your best smile and go for it! More...

Reprinted with permission from Felt & Wire

By Alyson Kuhn

The National Stationery Show is always a feast for the eyes. First, the grand buffet of booths: some arranged like shops, others curated like galleries. This year, some were pretty as parlors or enticing as treasure caves. Read more...

As the editor of a stationery blog, I look forward to the National Stationery Show all year long. I love walking the aisles, seeing what longtime favorites have been up to over the last year, gushing over beautiful stationery, and of course discovering new amazing talent. I know most of my exhibitor friends are knee deep in booth preparation for this year's show, so I thought I would offer a few insights into what it takes to catch the attention of the many press attendees at the show.  Read more...

 

The stationery industry has scrambled to make sense of the best way to gain Internet exposure, as companies that knew little about the actual industry, but understood the power of the web, became fierce competitors, quickly.

This greatly challenged both manufacturers and brick and mortar retailers to learn how to function in a new and unfamiliar terrain, at a time when things were changing rapidly in our world, with consumers flocking to their computers to shop.  Read more...

Dana Brinson
Save Snail Mail

While I certainly don't buy the notion that letter writing is dead, I do recognize that letter writing is something few people practice regularly, despite the pleasures it can bring to both writer and reader. That’s why I love this time of year. Sending holiday cards (a tradition that is, thankfully, going strong) provides folks who never write letters a chance to take pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to compile a year-in-review note to accompany their holiday wishes.  Read more...