Despite Lockdown 2 starting this Thursday (November 5) in England, having sought feedback from its members, the Greeting Card Association has confirmed that its Conference and AGM will go ahead tomorrow (November 4) as planned. However, those who book or have booked tickets, but are unable now to attend will be granted access to watch the entire programme of presentations and discussions following the real time screening of the actual event.
“We are well aware that so many of our retailer members will be looking to make the most of their last day before the month lockdown for non-essential retailers and that some publishers and trade suppliers will be focused on ensuring that deliveries are in place, however so many others are keen that the event goes ahead as planned,” Amanda Fergusson, ceo of the GCA told PG Buzz. “Unlike a physical event, one advantage of holding our Conference and AGM virtually this year means we will be able to share all of the content after tomorrow with those who book or have booked tickets but are unable to view it in real time,” she added.
Click here to book your place.
The jam-packed agenda of the Conference and AGM will see the unveiling of the UK Greeting Card Market Report, cover retailer and publisher insights galore on subjects from hopes for Christmas; diversity in the greeting card sector; the role of the online channel for cards to the hopes for 2021 and Spring Seasons.
The Conference and AGM, which will run from 10.30-3pm tomorrow, will culminate in a live Q&A session with members of the GCA Council on hand to answer questions. While attendees will be able to post questions on the day using the Chat function, these can also be sent via email to hello@gca.cards today.
Among the likely highlights of the virtual gathering include The Question Of Diversity in the Greeting Card Industry panel discussion hosted by Mark Callaby, md of Ohh Deer with panellists including retailers Card Factory, Paperchase, Waterstones and publishers Huetribe, Mrs Lovesy and Belly Button Designs.
The Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs of ‘Bricks and Mortar’ Greeting Card Retailing is a panel discussion hosted by Jakki Brown, editor of Progressive Greetings with great insights from retailers Mark Janson-Smith, managing director of Postmark; Sally Matson, owner of Red Card, Petworth; Jon May, co-owner of Mooch, Bewdley and Stourport-on-Severn; Carly Pearson, senior buyer of Sainsbury’s; David Robertson, managing director of JP Pozzi; Paul Taylor, managing director of Cardzone and Hazel Walker, senior buyer of Waterstones.
Meanwhile, The Evolution of Online Card Retailing will make for a lively debate hosted by Chris Bryan, general manager of Second Nature with the panellists being a mix of retailers and publishers, including The Bottom Drawer (of Portadown), Cards for Good Causes, Lark London, No. 14 Ampthill and Zaquarella.
“The greeting card industry is a tight knit community that enjoys and thrives on interaction. While we may all be currently separated physically, by using the Hopin digital platform, we will importantly be able to bring everyone together for our annual AGM and Conference – and the facility of being able to ‘chat’ to each other during the breaks is bound to be a popular feature!”
Tickets to attend cost £15, Click here to book your place. All attendees will be prompted to create a Hopin account, but this is easy and only takes a minute.
