George’s, Hugs & Kisses and Oliver Bonas reveal what fired them up at speed dating event
The greeting card retail dragons have been flying high since getting down and fiery with 72 publishers and having the chance to check out the fabulous goodie bags.
The GCA’s recent Dragons Speed Dating event at London’s Business Design Centre gave the 21 top retail buyers and indies the chance to lure the publishers they liked into their clutches to find out what fires them up.
And there followed a few fast-paced hours of positive pitching, copious learning and highly enjoyable networking, sparking these reactions from George’s, Hugs & Kisses, and Oliver Bonas for the last in this series.
Lucy Eason
Owner of George’s, Whitstable
Dragon flying: “What a fabulous, fun and thrilling day! On arriving there was an incredible buzz throughout the publishers and Dragons, a mix of anticipation and eagerness for the dragon slaying to begin!
“I then had the pleasure of spending a strict 10 mins with six chosen card publishers…a whole hour of supercharged greeting card stimulation!
“In the bar afterwards it was a great opportunity to find and chat longer with creatives, some of the panel of industry experts and publishers. I’m now following and being followed by my new acquaintances on Instagram!
“The samples that were overflowing from my goody bag were so carefully and creatively wrapped by each publisher, which speaks volumes about the love they have for their products and importance this opportunity means to them. I’ll be exploring my way through them with some of my team and will curate a buying plan from it – I really do have the best job!”
Den delights: “Heading over to our first group of publishers I chose David Denning from Lovely Paper Stuff, what way to kick off! I loved learning about how he has designed and manages their IT systems to help the business run efficiently and how his wife Jo designs the bold and bright cards with catchy quotes and beautifully-drawn animals.
“I met Jessie – in her gorgeous checked cardigan – from Jessie Maeve Studios, and will definitely be buying her range of on-trend Gluggle jugs designs.
“Artthi and her Cheeky Legends cards were a highlight, a complete collection of parping fun greetings.
Radiating the most infectious energy was Kirsty Todd, yoga teacher and now card publisher, with unique, thoughtful quotes matched with sketched people in snap shots of time.
“Something stoatally different but weasely recognisable was Lisa Bamford’s designs from Stoats & Weasels. Her genius Arrivals and Menu cards will be ordered and work has now started on a bespoke design for our home town of Whitstable! Sharon King-Chai, who I met in the bar afterwards, her designs also captured my interest.”
Caroline Ranwell
Owner of Hugs & Kisses, Tettenhall
Dragon flying: “I had a wonderful afternoon, I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be placing four or five orders as a result of the event.
“It was great to see such a wide mix of publishers/designers, some were really established and then others were only just starting out.
I gained a lot from the experience of being a Dragon and I hope I gave some useful advice to the new designers that I met. And, as always, it was great to catch up with lots of industry friends.”
Den delights: “Quite a few publishers that caught my eye, including…
- KDee Designs, lovely quirky designs, hand-finished with cute little wooden embellishments.
- Cath Tate had several great humour ranges that I loved, particularly their female humour, which is brilliant.
- PrettyLittleScribbles’ range was absolutely gorgeous, beautiful designs printed from original watercolour illustrations, I particularly liked their Christmas Robins, which are so cute.
- Lola Design I’ve bought from previously, but they had lots of beautiful new designs that I thought were really lovely and refreshingly different.
- Apple & Clover, how could you not fall in love with these super cute animal designs finished off with a pretty fabric bow tie?! A really lovely range.”
Lucy Cornwall
Senior assistant buyer for home and gift, Oliver Bonas
Dragon flying: “It was great to meet and talk to so many publishers and put some on my radar that may not have otherwise been. I enjoyed being able to give insight on what I am looking for as a buyer and what our customers react well to and also offer constructive advice on maximising commercial appeal.
“It was also a great opportunity to catch up with publishers we already buy from and put faces to others I’ve already been in talks with.”
Den delights: “The publishers that most caught my eye from the meetings and going through my bag of samples are:
- LoveLossDiscoballs – vibrant cards, that will really stand out on the shelves. Great supportive messages.
- Sharon King-Chai – some unique and interesting designs with a great use of colour and foil.
- In Real Life – fun, contemporary, eye-catching designs that will have wide customer appeal.
- Grace Jackson Design – lovely illustrations with a luxury feel.
“I definitely will be following up with several suppliers, which should lead to us placing some orders.”
