When you sponsor a workshop or present at a CHA Conference you:
- Directly impact hundreds of companies with your message
- Build credibility within the creative industry
- Increase exposure for your business and services
For more information visit www.craftandhobby.org/CNC or contact Keli Bell-Cole, CMP, kbell-cole@craftandhobby.org
Dear CHA Members, Friends and Colleagues,
As I celebrate my one-year anniversary with CHA I am beyond words at how excited I am about the possibilities facing our industry. As I have listened to so many of you this year, your input and passion came through loud and clear, and is all being considered as we plan events that will help you make the connections you need to grow your business.
We are putting the final touches on the NEW Create-n-Connect Conference & Trade Show (formerly the CHA Summer Conference & Trade Show). This event will move around the country every year and makes its first stop – LAS VEGAS, NV on July 22-25. This Show will provide many opportunities for conversations and connections that matter while showcasing new, never seen before, products coming to market.
Here is what you can expect:
The Priority Point Deadline for exhibitors is March 1, 2013. Download the Exhibiting Contract here:
https://www.craftandhobby.org/eweb/docs/CreateConnect2013/CombinedCnCFillinforms.pdf
Attendee registration for Show floor badges and the Conference program opens on May 14, 2013. For more information visit:
https://www.craftandhobby.org/cnc
Answers to additional FAQ’s can be found here:
CHA’s job is to help you. Feel free to contact any staff member with questions. I can be reached directly at 201-835-1201 or at Andrej@craftandhobby.org
On behalf of the entire CHA staff, we look forward to seeing you in Vegas.
Cheers,
Andrej Suskavcevic
President & CEO
Craft & Hobby Association
Didn’t make it to the CHA 2013 Winter Show in Anaheim, CA this past January? Here’s your chance to go on an exclusive tour of the Show floor in less than 3 minutes!
Save the Dates for upcoming CHA Shows and Events:
The CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show drew 3336 buyers and 928 networkers, totaling 4264 attendees; of which 790 were international, joining us from 56 countries including Canada, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Germany.
While the temperature was down, the energy was up. Despite the unusual California weather being as low as some 30 degrees, exhibitors and attendees were all in good spirits yielding positive results. For some, this Show was the most successful it’s been in years.
“We’ve been exhibiting at the Winter Show for the entire life of our company – seven years that is – and 2013 was our best Show ever! Our booth was busy literally the whole time. We’ve always seen the Show as – primarily – a way to build brand awareness and network with distribution partners. But this year we worked with a lot of independent retailers and wrote a lot of orders. We did more international business than ever before, picking up new distributors and retailers in Australia, South America, Europe, and Far East.” Sara Davies – Sales Director, Crafters Companion
“This year’s CHA Show was the best in years for us. Not only was it a great forum to see many of our current customers in one place, but it also presented an opportunity to meet new buyers from the international community.” Ryan Newell – President, Spinrite LP.
“The CHA Conference & Trade Show is the only event on the planet where we can greet hundreds of customers in three days. We cannot imagine choosing not to be there. The 2013 CHA Winter show was our best show ever; the quantity of customers, the quantity of leads and the sales dollars written were all record numbers. The CHA Winter Show was a great start for a new year!” Bobbie Medema – Marketing Director, Notions Marketing
Another key contributing factor to the positive momentum was the launch of the CRE8TIME industry consumer awareness campaign and the new CRE8TIME.org website. CRE8TIME is a movement funded by the CHA Foundation, designed to encourage creativity by getting participants to pledge 8 hours per month to doing something creative. CRE8TIME.org serves as the hub of the CRE8TIME social movement. It is a community where “CRE8ERS” share their crafts, pledge their hours, get inspired, stay informed and learn how to reclaim 8 hours a month.
“The positive energy from both exhibitors and attendees is very encouraging and speaks volumes to the vibrancy and momentum building for the industry. We look forward to carrying that excitement forward with all the new programs we are launching in 2013.” Andrej Suskavcevic – CAE, President and CEO, Craft & Hobby Association.
Every year CHA gives out awards to select exhibitors for outstanding work in product innovation. Those receiving awards for their products include: Innovative Product Award – Katy Sue Designs/Flower Soft – Silicone Molds (www.katysuedesigns.com); Attendee Choice Award – Spellbinders Paper Arts – Imperial Gold (www.spellbinderscreativearts.com); and two Honorable Mention Innovative Product Awards – June Tailor – T-shirt Transformation Ruler Center (www.junetailor.com) and We R Memory Keepers – Envelope Punch Board (http://www.weronthenet.com).
CHA accepts nominations annually from members throughout the industry with the purpose of identifying individuals and companies making significant contributions to humanity, the industry, and the Association. This year Creative Leisure News’ Mike Hartnett was the recipient of the Meritorious Award of Honor. This is the highest award recognition the Craft & Hobby Association can bestow upon an individual past or present member, and is given for significant contributions made to the Association. The Special Recognition Award went to Mari Eriksson and the staff of Fusion Beads, a retail store in Seattle Washington. This award is presented to a person, group and/or company for their extraordinary contribution in an activity showcasing the craft and hobby industry in a positive way.
In 2014 the CHA Winter Conference & Trade Show will return to Anaheim, California January 10-14 to celebrate the 73rd edition of the Show.
By Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge
You would be hard pressed to find a single professional sports team that does not gather their team members for a final meeting just before the start of every game. That meeting reinforces all the important information, strategies and game plans that have been prepared over the previous days or weeks. That meeting also puts everybody “in state” and “on purpose”.
In contrast, many exhibitors do not gather their show team together for that all important final meeting before the big show. Or if they do, the meeting is informal and unorganized. This is an oversight that can seriously impact your show performance and results.
Here are six keys to conducting an effective pre-show staff meeting:
1. Hold it the day before the show opens: While you may have several meetings in the weeks leading up to show time, the best time for the final team meeting is the last setup day. A good time slot is 4pm to 6 or 7pm or later depending on if dinner will be served at the meeting.
2. Make participation mandatory: Require all exhibit staff to arrive in the convention city by 2pm at the latest, if at all possible. In your meeting invitation, stress that the meeting is mandatory and that there will be repercussions for not attending. Some of my clients tell their staff they will not be reimbursed for airfare if they miss the pre-show meeting. Of course, this would not be enforced for unforeseen travel delays, illness and so on.
3. Have a key executive kick off the meeting: The presence of a key executive like the President or VP of Marketing and/or Sales will help reinforce the importance of the meeting.
4. Have a clearly defined agenda: The agenda should at minimum cover the following topics: introduction of team members with show roles and duties, key and emergency contact information, overall show goals, schedule of show & hospitality events, booth duty schedule, review of pre and at-show marketing
programs, review of VIP invitation list, discussion of staff in booth roles, review of best exhibiting skills, product messaging and FAQ’s for products, booth layout and walk-through, demonstration overview and walkthrough, literature distribution, promotional product distribution, lead capture process and lead goals, and sales offers and required paperwork.
5. Make it fun: You can make the meeting holding it at a fun venue like a bowling alley, laser tag, whirly ball center, ESPN Zone or place like that. You can also make it fun by having contests and team events during the meeting.
6. Carry it over to the booth: While the pre-show meeting is the kick-off, you should also conduct brief end of shift or end of day meetings to review how the show is going, discuss problems and opportunities, and make mid show adjustments to stay on track. CHA allows exhibitors to remain on the show floor for 1 hour after show close each day to allow time for meetings and booth reset. Remember, an effective pre-show meeting is a critical part of successful exhibit program. Be sure to apply the relevant the ideas in this article so your team with be “in state” and “on purpose” when the doors open on your next big show.
Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge is known as the “Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”. Since 1991, his consulting and training services have helped clients improve their tradeshow performance and results to the tune of over $500M. Mr. Davis is co-creator of the CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) program. He can be reached at 704-814-7355 or Jefferson@tradeshowturnaround.com
Looking for additional ideas to achieve higher ROI for your trade show experience? The CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) is your free, on-demand, 24/7 resource to help you find answers to your most pressing exhibiting challenges, expand your exhibiting know-how and improve your company’s exhibiting performance.
Badge Registration for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show is now open. Click here to register. For information on exhibiting at the CHA Show, please click here.
By Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge
Guess what percentage of marketing professionals with college degrees received exhibit marketing as part of their university curriculum? 2% | 7% | 13% | 24%?
If you guessed 2% you are right. As a nationally recognized tradeshow expert, I am often asked “What is the single most important key to making tradeshows deliver real results for our company?” People expect me to tell them things like “get a better booth location”, “build a bigger, flashier exhibit”, “do a better job promoting your exhibit”, “demonstrate your products better”, “capture better leads” and things like that.
All of these things can help. But, when I tell them the single most important key to making tradeshows deliver meaningful and measurable results is to update and expand their company’s exhibiting knowledge base, they look surprised. They tell me “we know how to exhibit, we’ve been doing it for years.” I then ask them to tell me about the results their exhibit program is delivering, and far too few exhibitors can speak of any specific results. They all seem to know what they are spending, but too few know what they are really getting.
The question of how to make tradeshows deliver results is a very poignant question because many companies’ exhibit programs fail to deliver measurable and meaningful results. I believe strongly that the lack of formal exhibiting knowledge is one of the main reasons.
Consider these shocking exhibiting industry statistics:
These statistics point to a major problem. Marketing departments spend almost 1/3 of their annual marketing budget on tradeshows. Sales department are asked to staff the exhibit, often against their will or desire. Both departments spend significant financial and human capital, and both with very little formal education or training on how to best do so. And it shows in their results.
Tradeshows have changed in complexity over the last several years. The body of knowledge on how to make tradeshows productive and profitable has exploded and yet far too few exhibitors are seeking out the latest thinking and best exhibiting practices. Many companies are operating on an exhibiting model that is 10 years outdated.
So where do you look for the latest and best exhibiting practices? While there are many good resources, CHA is a great place to start. All exhibitors, in the three months leading up to the trade show, will receive a bimonthly e-newsletter with timely, “how-to” articles, exhibiting tips, cost saving advice and deadline reminders. Exhibitors can also access the CHA Exhibitor Update e-newsletter and the Successful Exhibiting Article Series through the Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC).
Through the Exhibitor Success & ROI Center, CHA is providing free exhibitor webinars, tips & tools for successful exhibiting, research and statics on the value of trade shows, and an “Ask the Tradeshow Expert” email Q&A program. Please make sure you and the key people in your marketing and sales departments read the articles and review the information included in the Exhibitor Success & ROI Center. Most importantly, please use what makes sense for your situation. By doing so, we can assure that exhibiting knowledge will no longer be a gap in your company.
Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge is known as the “Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”. Since 1991, his consulting and training services have helped clients improve their tradeshow performance and results to the tune of over $500M. Mr. Davis is co-creator of the CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) program. He can be reached at 704-814-7355 or Jefferson@tradeshowturnaround.com
Looking for additional ideas to achieve higher ROI for your trade show experience? The CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) is your free, on-demand, 24/7 resource to help you find answers to your most pressing exhibiting challenges, expand your exhibiting know-how and improve your company’s exhibiting performance.
Badge Registration for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show is now open. Click here to register. For information on exhibiting at the CHA Show, please click here.
By Jason Baum
The CHA Blog was given exclusive access to the Beacon Adhesives factory for our Family Ties: Craft Business Pass Their Torch From Generation to Generation series.
Beacon Adhesives is a family owned and operated business located in Mount Vernon, NY. The company was founded by David Meshirer in 1926 and was originally a manufacturer and distributor of hat making supplies. David’s son, Milton (Mickey) Meshirer joined the company in the 1950′s and has since gone on to become the CEO as well as the chief chemist. Mickey’s vision and imagination led to the creation of some of the most popular adhesive products for the craft industry.
Today, Beacon’s President is Mickey’s son, David and his daughter, Debbie is Vice President.
It was a true pleasure discussing what it is like to own and operate a family business, especially one that has been around for more than 75 years! The insight provided by the Meshirer family is inspirational to those thinking about opening their own family business.
Thank you Mickey, David, Debbie and Bobbie for inviting us in to your “second home” in Mount Vernon. Also, a special thank you to Diane Newman who made this interview happen.
While compiling the article, “Family Ties: Craft businesses pass their torch from generation to generation,” which appears in CHA’s magazine, Craft Industry Today (Fall 2012, Vol. 1, No.3) we were fascinated by the amount of family-owned companies, each with their own unique stories, within our industry. Click to read about Katie Hacker & Dee’s Delights, Hobby Lobby, Momenta, and Mangelsen’s.
Throughout the month of November we will feature the speakers and instructors who will be teaching courses at the 2013 Winter Conference January 11 – 14 in Anaheim, CA.
By Kizer & Bender, CHA Retail Experts
We’re gearing up for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show! What better time than a new year to jumpstart your business?
First up: Sheer Intensity! THE Retail Boot Camp, a must for every retailer! A down economy can either be an excuse to play it safe or a chance to outpace your competition – only you can decide where you want your business to go. Get ready for some crowd control! Our day long Retail Boot Camp will show you how to successfully differentiate your store from your competition, build a buzz about town, and thrill your customers all at the same time. No theories. No fluff. Just hard hitting information. On the agenda: Consumer trends you cannot ignore… anymore; techniques to hire smart, motivate, reward, and build a strong sales and service team; what’s new, hot and happening in Social Media Marketing, circa 2013; enough retailer-tested,no-cost, low-cost in-store events and promotions to increase traffic andbuild sales and profits; plus how to set your sales floor to sell with the latest in layouts and visual merchandising, store operations tips and inventory control. Save the date, Saturday, January 12, 2013. Seats are limited – don’t miss out!
On Sunday, January 13, we present Land Mines and Slippery Slopes, a BRAND NEW program that outlines 10 common problematic symptoms of failure – land mines – to avoid, how they affect your store’s performance, and what to do about them before they send your profitability slipping downward. You’ll leave armed with specific strategies to help you identify, avoid, and control your land mines, plus how to keep off the slippery slopes that erode and destroy your retail business.
Next up: One Size Does Not Fit All: Marketing to Different Generations. This one’s for retailers and manufacturers, actually anyone with customers. You can’t attract them if you don’t know who they are. Today you sell and market to five very distinct generations: LOMLOTs (consumers with Lots Of Money, Lots Of Time, ages 68+), Baby Boomers (49-67), Generation X (33-48), Millennials (19-32), and Generation Z (3-18). How these consumers respond to your marketing is based on their age – and their generational experience. Technology is huge, but how you use it depends greatly on which generation you are trying to reach.
LOMLOTs may be older, but they’re all over technology. Case in point: Skypeing with grandkids is huge. Texting is fun for Baby Boomers, but it’s as important as air to Millennials and Generation Z. Older gens still read newspapers, younger ones use them to line hamster cages. Gen Xers still enjoy magazines, but their kids prefer iPads. And if you still require shoppers to clip or print coupons you’re missing the boat. And a boatload of customers.
We’ve done the research! You’ll learn what it takes to attract each generation to your product or your store; when to go digital and when to hang on to tradition; which social medias go with which generations; how to get Pinterest followers off of their computers and in to your store; which in-store events attract which generations; how to effectively use e-mail marketing; how to optimize the consumer shopping experience; and more.
As CHA’s Retail Experts, when we’re not in seminars, you’ll be able to find us across from booth 1201 on the Show floor. Bring us your questions, concerns, challenges, opportunities, and photos of your sales floor for a one-on-one, customized consultation.
We’re excited about CHA Winter 2013. There’s so much to do and see and learn. And we’re thrilled to bring our wildly popular Sheer Intensity! THE Retail Boot Camp to the creative industry. So do yourself a favor and click here to register for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference and Trade Show. We’re looking forward to seeing YOU in Anaheim!
~ Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender
Conference Program registration opens Friday, November 16th at 10am ET. Click here for more information and to register.
By Jefferson Davis, Competitive Edge
You know the old adage in real estate…. location, location, location. This adage appears to apply to exhibiting too. Get the best booth location and your success is assured.
But is it really? Instead of blindly accepting this as truth, we might want to ask a few questions like “What is the best booth location?”, “How much of an impact does location really have on the success of an exhibit?” and “What can we do if we don’t have the best location?”
Best Booth Location Theories Abound
There are many theories on where the best booth locations are. And most of them are just that, theories, not supported with any hard research.
One theory says front and center is the best location. But in a large exhibit hall with multiple entrances, where is front and center, really? Another theory says draw a triangle out from the main entrance and try to be within the triangle. Another theory says the majority of attendees turn right when entering the hall, so be in the right center of the hall. Another theory says place your exhibit near your competitors. Another says be near concession areas.
As you can see, many theories abound. Which do you subscribe to?
Research on the Impact of Location on Success of an Exhibit
Instead of looking to theories, why don’t we look to research? A quantitative study of twenty seven (27) tradeshows conducted Exhibit Surveys concluded:
“There was no statistical correlation between a booth’s location in the front, right, left or center of the hall and who had the most traffic and who was most remembered.”
I realize this may not be what you want to hear and it may very well go against what you believe. But unless you can produce hard research to the contrary, you might be wise to accept it as truth. I think it’s enlightening and bit freeing too. It means you no longer have to be so worried about where you are located, because it doesn’t make a big difference in the end.
What to Do If You Still Don’t Believe You Have a Good or the Best Location
If you really don’t like your location, I guess you could try to get a different space. But that will not be easy to do in popular shows. Better advice would be to do a more effective job of designing and marketing your exhibit. For design tips, please read 21 Ways to Improve Your Exhibit Effectiveness.
Here are 7 things you can do to draw traffic to your location regardless of where you are on the show floor:
1. Do more targeted pre-show marketing letting people know you will be there and what they can learn and do at your booth.
2. Make sure your booth number is highly visible in marketing media.
3. Include a map of the exhibit floor with your booth highlighted in your marketing.
4. Do a better job of creating your exhibit description to draw more interest.
5. Use social media like Twitter and Facebook to announce demonstrations and events in your booth.
6. Use at-show marketing media like the official show directory, show daily ads and inserts, signs and meter boards.
7. Use city and venue marketing media like billboards, taxi top ads, hotel room drops, hotel room TV advertising.
By letting go of old booth location theories, knowing the research about the real impact of location, and using proactive strategies to drive traffic, you will no longer be singing the booth location blues.
Jefferson Davis, president of Competitive Edge is known as the “Tradeshow Turnaround Artist”. Since 1991, his consulting and training services have helped clients improve their tradeshow performance and results to the tune of over $500M. Mr. Davis is co-creator of the CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) program. He can be reached at 704-814-7355 or Jefferson@tradeshowturnaround.com
Looking for additional ideas to achieve higher ROI for your trade show experience? The CHA Exhibitor Success & ROI Center (ESRC) is your free, on-demand, 24/7 resource to help you find answers to your most pressing exhibiting challenges, expand your exhibiting know-how and improve your company’s exhibiting performance.
Badge Registration for the CHA 2013 Winter Conference & Trade Show is now open. Click here to register. For information on exhibiting at the CHA Show, please click here.
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Get Your Product in Front of Millions of Consumers and an Expanded Buyer Community
CHA’s New Products Preview Program is an exciting new opportunity for manufacturers to premiere their “latest and greatest” in front of hundreds of media, thousands of prospective buyers, and millions of consumers. President & CEO of the Craft & Hobby Association, Andrej Suskavcevic, took some time out from his knitting project to discuss this valuable new program:
Visit craftandhobby.org/newproducts to find out all you need to know about the New Products Preview Program, and gain exclusive media coverage for your business at this summer’s Create-n-Connect Conference & Trade Show.
Leave a comment | tags: CHA, Craft & Hobby Association, CHA Member, CHA Members, CHA Summer Show, Summer Show, New Products, Exhibitor, #CHAShow, Crafting, Andrej Suskavcevic, craft and hobby, Craft, crafts, consumers, Create-n-Connect, Premiere Product Preview, New Product Preview Program | posted in #CHAShow, Comments from CHA's CEO, Craft & Hobby Assocaition