Paperchase, John Lewis & Partners, Cardzone, WHSmith, Waterstones, Postmark and Unit 7 are among the greeting card retailers to have given a wholehearted ‘thumbs up’ endorsement for the first January Progressive Greetings Live trade show, that is set to debut in 2020.
“PG Live January 2020 – I can’t think of a better way to start the new year, especially as it will coincide perfectly with the timing of our buying for the new season,” commented Hazel Walker, senior buyer of cards and wrap for Paperchase.
Meanwhile, on the exhibitor front The Art File, Danilo, Paper Salad, Pigment, Wendy Jones-Blackett and Woodmansterne are among the leading greeting card publishing names to have already selected their respective stands for the new January show.
Adding his pledge to the new show, Paul Taylor, managing director of Cardzone/Paper Kisses said: “How great to start the New Year with a fab greeting card, wrap and calendar show in London. It will brilliant to see the best the new ranges just at the right time!”
The new greeting card, calendar and giftwrap exhibition (a sibling to the existing dedicated greeting card that takes place in early June), is gearing up for its debut on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 January 2020, at PG Live’s spiritual home of London’s Business Design Centre in Islington.
“The positive comments we have received from so many leading greeting card retailers provide extra reassurance that there is a need and desire for a dedicated greeting card, calendar and giftwrap trade show at the start of the year. We feel privileged to extend what we have created with PG Live June to a second annual outing at the start of the year when retailers are craving newness,” shared Warren Lomax, founding director of Max Exhibitions, which owns and organises PG Live.
Elaborating on its decision to back the new show, Wendy Jones-Blackett, who, together with her husband Steve owns the card publishing business, revealed: “We’ve been looking for a suitable January show for ages. We love PG Live in June and until now, it has been the only trade show at which we exhibit. Marrying the successful formula with a time of year when so many of major refreshes are happening is going to be brilliant!”
Like Wendy Jones-Blackett, Paper Salad has exhibited at all PG Live exhibitions since it started, and the Manchester-based publisher is also nailing its colourful flag to the mast of the new January show.
“PG Live June is by far our best and most enjoyable trade exhibition of the year, and we are so excited about PG Live January 2020, that we have nearly doubled the size of our stand for what should be a blockbuster!” enthused Claire Williams and Karen Wilson, joint owners of Paper Salad.
As PG Live’s co-founder Warren Lomax points out, the January timing of the new show makes it very attractive to calendar publishers, as testified by BrownTrout, Carousel Calendars, Danilo, Flame Tree Publishing and TeNeues having shown no hesitation in committing to the new show.
Here are some other early reactions to the new show:
* “Having a second PG Live, in January is perfect timing for our single Christmas card selections. It is much easier to review the ranges on display in two days and have so many publishers all together.”
Claire Castle, senior buyer of greeting cards for WHSmith
* “A second PG LIVE show comprising cards, wrap and calendars provides buyers with a fantastic opportunity to catch up with suppliers. From a personal perspective, it couldn’t be a more effective as it will effectively be a one-stop shop for my three product areas!”
Claire Quinn, buyer for Waterstones
* “Personally, for me this will take a lot of stress out of going to bigger shows and trying to cover cards and gifts in huge halls in a limited amount of time. PG Live January 2020 will cover my Christmas ordering and exciting new editions to Spring in one enjoyable hit!”
Andrea Pinder, owner of Unit 7 and Presentation
* “What great news to hear of a PG Live trade show so soon after Christmas, when the minds are fresh and raring to go. Nothing beats filling the shelves after Christmas with fresh new products and giving your lovely customers an exciting new offering. We will be there for every minute of the PG Live January 2020 duration!”
* “I am so excited about the second PG Live January 2020 – and have already marked it on my calendar. I feel this show will give me a jump start into both new publishers, as well as seeing all the new products from my existing trading partners.”
Alan Harnick, owner of Notes and Queries (leading US distributor of UK greeting cards)
* “We at Danilo are delighted to support the event! PG Live in June has become our most successful trade show over the past few years, and this new event is ideal timed to showcase our calendar and diary ranges alongside our greeting cards.”
Daniel Prince, managing director of Danilo
With a website currently underway for the new show, anybody wanting to know more about PG Live January 2020 should contact Warren Lomax on warrenl@max-publishing.co.uk or on 0207 700 6740.
www.progressivegreetingslive.com
Top: An artist’s impression of PG Live January 2020 livery on Islington’s Business Design Centre.
