Designs needed for GCA’s promo opp at NEC – and book tickets for Dragons Speed Dating
Fancy having your card designs up in lights at Spring Fair? Then there’s still time to send in product for the new GCA feature wall at the entrance to the card hall.
Running over 5-8 February, Spring Fair will see over 150 greeting card brands in Hall 3, either on their own stands or as part of the Cardgains Village.
Exhibitors include Abacus Cards, The Art File, Berni Parker, Bexy Boo, Brainbox Candy, Cardology, Cath Tate Cards, Dandelion Stationery, Danilo, Dean Morris Cards, Earlybird, The Eco-Friendly Card Company, Emma Ball, Emotional Rescue, GBCC/Ling Design, Glick, Holy Mackerel, IC&G, Jonny Javelin, Kingfisher Cards, Museums & Galleries, Nigel Quiney, Noel Tatt, Paper Salad, Paperlink, Pigment, Rachel Ellen Designs, Raspberry Blossom, Redback Cards, UK Greetings and Woodmansterne, along with a number of smaller publishers in the special GCA Debut section.
GCA CEO Amanda Fergusson got together with Daniel Mayhew and Charlotte Forshaw, of Spring Fair organisers Hyve Group, to share association member feedback from the 2022 shows and the wall is one of the results, “a great promotional opportunity for GCA members” she said.
Amanda added: “This special feature block wall will promote new occasions and diversity cards on one side, demonstrating to retailers the breadth and diversity available in our industry, and Feel Good general friendship, Thinking Of You cards on other – encouraging everyone to send a card and deliver a smile.
To take part in this additional marketing opportunity and feature on this wall, GCA members can select up to six cards that they’d like to add to the display, fix a small label to the bottom right on the front of each design detailing the company name and show stand number. Then pack up the cards and send to: For the attention of Charlotte Forshaw, GCA greeting card display, The Studios, 2 Kingdom Street, London, W2 6JG, to arrive by 20 January.
And remember, tickets are still available for another popular GCA initiative – Dragons Speed Dating – with earlybird discounts set to run out at midnight on Monday, 9 January, for the next event taking place on 2 March at London’s Business Design Centre.
With a maximum of 72 publisher places for the chance to meet buyers including WHSmith, Stationery Supplies, Card Factory and Tesco, early booking is recommended and the discounted booking price is £135, then it will increase to £150 per person.
As well as the main event on the afternoon of 2 March, publishers attending will be invited to attend a zoom pre-meeting to help them prepare. At 11am on Tuesday, 31 January, Sarah Laker from Stationery Supplies and Giraffe Gifts will be joining us on this zoom to let us know what she will be looking for from publishers in 2023, and sharing her advice on how to prepare for and get the most out of Dragons Speed Dating.
For publisher attendees the GCA blog What is Dragons Speed Dating has full details about how it works, plus film, photos and highlights from previous years, and there’s also the Prepare To Slay The Dragon zoom from 2022.
DSD also includes a panel discussion, where GCA members Georgina Fihosy from AfroTouch Design, Raspberry Blossom’s Rebecca Green, Stormy Knight’s Sarah Jackson, Brett Smith from Emotional Rescue, and Abacus Cards’ Nick Carey will share insights into their businesses and answer questions, along with a legal expert from Briffa for copyright and licensing queries. Please do email the GCA with the questions you’d like answered so the panel can come prepared.
