This time a week tomorrow (July 10), some 400 of the UK’s leading card retailers, publishers and suppliers will be heading to the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’ Park Lane for The Retas 2019 greeting card retailer awards event, which this year is taking on a Frida Kahlo theme.
“The Retas anticipation is certainly building to an exciting crescendo that would befit the Mexican artist’s vibrant persona,” commented Warren Lomax, joint md of Max Publishing, which owns The Retas and PG. “We are so chuffed that the celebrated all female Mariachi band, The Adelitas has agreed to play to welcome everyone, getting The Retas off to a rousing start. We have the ever inventive Pippa Evans as host, some fab table treats and goody bags lined up. I can’t wait to see everyone!”
The Retas 2019 guest list reads like a whose who of greeting card retailing – including buyers from Paperchase, Scribbler, Card Factory, Waterstones, Cardzone, John Lewis, Blue Diamond Group, Utility, Sainsbury’s, Gee Tee’s, House of Cards, Klondyke among others as well as a host of leading indies from all over the UK.
The well received decision to move The Retas from The Dorchester to the Ballroom of Grosvenor House Hotel, in protest of the barbarbic anti-human rights laws in place in Brunei (the Sultan of which owns The Dorchester) has meant that this year’s celebration is set to be the largest ever Retas award event. There are currently only 27 Retas tickets still available. These can be bought either online (www.max-tickets.net) or from Clare Hollick of Keystone Communications (clare@keystonecomms.co.uk or 01733 294524).
Among the leading names who make up this year’s strong roster of Retas’ sponsors are Abacus Cards, The Art File, Carte Blanche Group, Danilo, GBCC, Hallmark, Ohh Deer, Nigel Quiney Publications, Paper Salad, PG Live, Pigment, Regal Publishing, Santoro, Second Nature, Sensations/Xpress Yourself, Spring Fair/Autumn Fair, UK Greetings, Wendy Jones-Blackett and Woodmansterne.
To see the list of all the finalists of The Retas 2019 go to http://www.theretasawards.co.uk/finalists2019/
To read more about the decision to move from The Dorchester to the Grosvenor House Hotel see https://www.pgbuzz.net/the-retas-2019-move-from-the-dorchester-to-the-grosvenor-house-hotel-in-protest/ and https://www.pgbuzz.net/retailers-and-publishers-vehemently-support-the-retas-dorchester-boycott/
Top: The Adelitas are tuning up for a great performance at The Retas 2019. The Adelitas all female mariachi band is so called after Mexican warrior women who took to arms in the Mexican revolution to rebel against the many injustices of the time. The all female band brings together musicians from Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, and the UK. They recently returned from playing at the Women’s Mariachi Festival in LA, California where they received a standing ovation.
