Full steam ahead on DSD prep with a few publisher spaces remaining
It’s full steam ahead as the GCA prepares for the upcoming Dragons Speed Dating event with spaces selling fast and a trio of new dragons announced.
Scribbler, Postmark and Presents Sheen are the newest dragons to sign up for the chance to hear directly from publishers, joining WHSmith, Stationery Supplies, Card Factory and Tesco in a fantastic cross-section of retailers for the 2 March event.
Introduced in 2017, 72 greeting card publishers will have the chance to put their cards in front of three individual retailers from the 18 Dragons for a 10-minute fast pace discussion with each at the event which will take place at the Business Design Centre in London’s Islington.
There are still a few remaining publisher places which GCA members can book here at £150.
Adding to the prep for the event, all publishers booked to attend will be invited to the pre-DSD Zoom meeting at 11am on Tuesday 31 January, when award-winning independent retailer Sarah Laker, from Stationery Supplies and Giraffe Gifts, will be explaining what she’ll be looking for from card companies on the day, as well as sharing her advice on how to prepare for the event – and get the most out of it.
Then on the big day itself, there will be panel discussions with Raspberry Blossom’s Rebecca Green, and Emotional Rescue’s Brett Smith, while AfroTouch Design’s Georgina Fihosy will be talking about her business journey, sharing how she has built her brand, the importance of inclusive designs, and key tips for suppling national accounts.
Nick Carey, from Abacus Cards, will share his top tips about how to secure your retail space and encourage retailers to reorder, while Stormy Knight’s Sarah Jackson offers insight into her business, talking about her strategy and the importance of identifying and setting goals.
And there’s also Briffa’s Will Miles to highlight the importance of understanding intellectual property law, along with top tips on managing your IP and signposting to key information the law firm has made available to GCA members.
The GCA also recently held its first virtual coffee morning which was co-hosted by the association’s marketing and membership coordinator Adriana Lovesy with council member and Ohh Deer co-owner Mark Callaby.
The plan is for the event to be held monthly with a different council member co-hosting each time – and the next is planned for Thursday 16 February, with Adriana and Moonpig’s global design and licensing director Sarah-Jane Porter.
There’s also a GCA Local event scheduled for 9 March in Leeds, which local publisher Wendy Jones-Blackett is hosting.
