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May 20-23, 2012. So what do you do when you go to a “stationery show”? Stand very still for as long as possible? Ah, no, that would be a stationARY, show, and this one was a StationERY show, sorry ’bout that… Stationery? Well, you know, everything from albums and adhesives to writing instruments, with several letters of the alphabet in between. This Expo was supposed to be about Paper Power, but that didn’t stop the organizers from encouraging delegates to download an electronic Stationery Show App to their mobile phones…. But don’t fret, paper stationery was being lauded as still the right way to do weddings, celebrations, lifestyle statements, luxury communications etc. If a thing’s worth saying, in other words, it’s worth saying on paper…
Mar. 22-25, 2012. The Architectural Digest Home Design Show was where the design in-crowd went to explore the latest products for the home, shop from new and established brands, and get inspired by new ideas and insight from top talents in the design industry. There were exhibits from nearly 400 premium brands, design seminars presented by The New York Times, cooking demonstrations and tastings, complimentary one-on-one design consultations, and show tours with New York Design Center designers. The MADE section provided individual artists and designers with an opportunity to promote themselves at the show. Although artisan work has always been a part of the AD show’s offerings, MADE highlighted this work with a voice of its own rather than being mixed among corporate production brands. So what do you have designs on…?
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Artful attendees
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Exhibit hall
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Meeting of the iPads
Mar. 01-03, 2012. NAEA is the National Art Education Association, and teachers and other educators came to check out the likes of classroom equipment and supplies, curriculum tools, drawing and illustration supplies, paints and art media, pottery products, even 3D art supplies (we’re guessing that ‘s what used to be called sculpture — except, wait, we should not be forgetting computer-generated art, right? That can be 3D…..). Traditional brands like Crayola were on hand to mention how this all started: they reminded us “what Crayola means in the minds of our consumers, our customers, our suppliers, and ourselves. We believe that “What if?” is the greatest question in the world, a question that makes the impossible permissible”. That attitude made Crayola quite a “draw”….
Jan. 15-18, 2012. NRF is billed as “Retail’s BIG Show”. The 101st Annual Convention & Expo was a banner celebration with more than 21,000 retail professionals in attendance. It was packed with “one-of-a-kind education, amazing networking and pioneering solutions and services”. The program answered those nagging questions always on retailers’ minds, questions like: ”Why has the web won?”, “Not on Facebook? Here’s why you should be”, “Thinking about India? What retailers need to know”, and most intriguingly “Who is the Chinese consumer?”. (We can actually answer that last one: his name is Ah Lo Fun, and he lives with his mother and sister in one of the new towns near Shanghai. He lists bicycle-riding among his hobbies, and his favorite color is red…)
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