Brainbox Candy’s head of buffoonery lights up speakers’ list with agent Jo Bannister
Fairy godmother Ben Hickman is all set to fly in with the Brainbox Candy brand of glitter and magic to enlighten greetings newbies as The Ladder Club returns.
Making the most of the sparkly wings he donned for this year’s Henries awards, Ben will be explaining how to fly high on the business side, as he and fellow co-owner Mark Williams have learned over the years.
The subject was due to be covered by The Art File’s md Ged Mace but a clash of responsibilities has led to Brainbox Candy’s self-proclaimed head of buffoonery stepping in with full gusto for the one-day Ladder Club seminar on Friday, 1 December, the first in four years, to nurture would-be and newbie publishers.
And independent London sales agent Jo Bannister, who runs JJ Agencies with her business partner Jo McFarlane representing companies including The Art File, Glick, Louise Mulgrew, Paper Salad, Sally Scaffardi, and Think Of Me, will be giving the lowdown on the industry from the agent’s viewpoint.
The packed agenda for the seminar at London’s Business Design Centre will cover the rudiments of greeting card publishing – avoiding the common pitfalls; how to price your cards to make sure you’re making money; production quandaries; how to get your cards to market, what retailers want; and what makes agents tick, as well as making the most of trade shows, plus where licensing, export and brokerage come in.
The vision for The Ladder Club has been embraced by key trade suppliers, existing card publishers, retailers, agents, the GCA and other industry experts who have given their time to speak at the seminars and offer support.
Hundreds of publishers, including Wrendale Designs, Paper Salad, Megan Claire, Tache, AfroTouch Designs, Lola Design, Redback Cards, Bewilderbeest, and Go La La!, have all been through the Ladder Club – the brainchild of much-missed industry legend Lynn Tait and PG’s Jakki Brown – and give it a full thumbs up.
Here’s what Pennie Bryant, co-founder of Tache, has to say:
What was the value of The Ladder Club to you/your business?
“I’m genuinely thrilled to hear about the resurrection of The Ladder Club. What a great initiative to bring it back, especially at a time when new and emerging publishers could use all the support they can get.
“For me personally, The Ladder Club was a compass during our early days. It provided invaluable guidance, a sense of community, and the kind of industry insights you just can’t find in a textbook or even if you tried to Google.
Can you share some lasting memories/stand-out moments?
“The talk that stood out the most for me was when we heard Karen Wilson and Claire Williams from Paper Salad talk about their business. I remember they were super nervous – but they absolutely smashed it!
“They spoke about how their business was on the rise and they were just about to take on some big customers and they also spoke openly about what to watch out for, like brokered accounts. They also spoke so openly about how they had their struggles too!
“They were a great publisher to share their journey at the time – not long after that seminar we had Paperchase place an order with us and I had no idea how we were going to print barcode labels, so I put my big girl pants on and phoned Karen to ask a few questions. I think we ended up discussing a brand of a barcoding/labelling machine that ended up changing our business lives!
“Oh, and not to forget, the Q&A session that followed at the end. So many questions were asked from young start-ups/publishers about agents, customers, supply chain, products etc that they were also just as invaluable.”
Advice to would-be Ladder Clubbies?
“Dive in headfirst! Absorb everything, ask questions even if they seem silly, take notes and, most importantly, build genuine relationships. This community is a goldmine of experience, expertise, and camaraderie. Make the most of it!”
The cost of attending The Ladder Club seminar is £90 plus vat – the same price as in 2019. To book your place, head to the dedicated secure site www.max-tickets.net or you can contact Max’s Jim Bullough, who is looking after the bookings, on jimb@max-publishing.co.uk or call him on 07734 111633.
Though not included in the price of attending, there will be a casual meet-up dinner the evening before The Ladder Club, which is especially useful and enjoyable. This will be held in a venue close to the BDC.
And, unlike previously where there has been a day two seminar for more established publishers, it will not be the case this year as the GCA covers these issues.
For more information about The Ladder Club contact PG’s Tracey Arnaud on traceya@max-publishing.co.uk or call her on 01234 740051 or 07957 212062, or email Jakki Brown on jakkib@max-publishing.co.uk or call her on 07525 634405.
