Jan 21, 2014

signature mix marketplace Announces 2014 Show Buyer Education Series

A line-up of first-rate buyer-education sessions will be offered at the 2014 signature mix™ marketplace, which includes the National Stationery Show®, Gift>it. distinctive gifts. fabulous finds.™ and Creative & Lifestyle Arts®, taking place May 18-21, 2014, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

Sessions will be led by notable experts and include topics such as color, product and consumer trends, marketing to women, social media integration, and experiential retailing. In addition the program will include a highly acclaimed trend program presented by an Etsy merchandising executive.

“Just as the exceptional vendor mix is unique to this spring market, so too are the original seminar offerings, not duplicated across other shows. The content will deeply enrich the attendees’ knowledge base as well as add tremendous value to what they get out of attending the marketplace,” said Patti Stracher, signature mix marketplace show director.

The 2014 signature mix marketplace seminar lineup is composed of the following:

Sunday, May 18, 2014

11:00am-12:00pm

New Harmonies: Changing Themes in Color/Design Trends

Lifestyle patterns and tastes are consistently evolving and so are the resulting forecasts that are spawning new harmonies in both color and design in all color-related industries. Join Leatrice Eiseman, internationally known color expert, in an engaging, highly visual program that demonstrates the strongest trends in color and styling families – where they are coming from, why they are happening and where they are headed in the future.

Presented by Leatrice Eiseman, Director, Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, and Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute

2:00-3:00pm

Social Media: It’s Just Like Retail

This seminar puts concepts in social media into retail terminology so it’s easy to apply to one’s own retail or wholesale business. Using real-time seminar attendee examples, Lindsay Anvik will give a personalized look into growing business through social media. Covering the most time and cost effective platforms, this seminar explores the best ways to tackle social media, gain more fans and increase sales.

Presented by Lindsay Anvik, CEO, See Endless, Inc.

Monday, May 19, 2014

11:00am-12:00pm

Marketing to Women

In this informative presentation based on her book, “Hustle: Marketing to Women in the Post-Recession World,” Bonnie Ulman examines the new and long-term spending culture of the post-recession era – from the rush to get the biggest discount to the decline of brand loyalty. Armed with the latest market research and scores of stories from the many women she has interviewed, Ulman provides the building blocks for solid marketing strategies.

Presented by Bonnie Ulman, Chief Planning & Insights Officer, M Booth

2:00-3:00pm

Top Reps Reveal What’s Trending Now

This panel of four top manufacturer’s reps will share what’s trending in their regions of the country, talk about their up-and-coming lines, share what they’ve seen at thesignature mix™ marketplace that excites them, and describe their strategies for identifying product and design trends that keep their lines – and yours – fresh.

Moderated by Sarah Schwartz, Editor, Stationery Trends

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

8:30-9:30am

Etsy Trends: Treasure-hunting for the Pros

With over 20 million items on the biggest handmade marketplace online, Etsy is chock full of all sorts of goods in all shapes and styles. How does one tease out trends from this massive font of raw creativity? Emily Bidwell, co-lead of Etsy’s Merchandising Team, draws upon her years of experience digging through the marketplace to find and surface gems in Etsy’s emails, PR placements, and jurying for the new Etsy Wholesale program. Join Emily in a discussion of what’s hot in the world of independent creativity and learn some tricks for your own search — whether you’re a retailer or designer.

Presented by Emily Bidwell, co-lead, Etsy’s Merchandising Team

11:00am-12:00pm

The Future of Correspondence

Emails, text messages, tweets and Snapchats have radically reshaped the way people stay in contact with each other and with businesses. But physical mail is here to stay, and we’re seeing an uptick in stationery sales in the digital age. Based on JWT’s recent report, “The Future of Correspondence,” this session examines the rise of slow communication, the fusion of digital and physical, and what’s driving these trends, and spotlights several innovative direct-mail campaigns.

Moderated by Will Palley, Trends Strategist, JWT

2:00-3:00pm

Creating Memorable In-Store Experiences

This panel of four outstanding retailers – all winners and/or finalists of Gifts and Decorative Accessories’ Retail Excellence Awards – will share the backstories of some of their most successful in-store events and offer advice on how to create retail experiences that customers will remember.

Moderated by Caroline Kennedy, Editor-in-Chief, Gifts & Decorative Accessories

Seminar tickets are available through signature mix attendee registration,www.signaturemixNY.com, for $20. For those who have already registered to attend, sessions may be added through the Registration Resource Center.

The signature mix marketplace will attract a combined, qualified audience of 16,000 senior executives and category buyers from retail giants and specialty chains worldwide, international distributors and owners of independent retail shops. These buyers, along with industry professionals, major media and manufacturers reps, will experience a show floor that is dynamic and highly creative. The marketplace will run Sunday, May 18, through Wednesday, May 21, 2014, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and will feature some 900 exhibiting companies and more than 10,000 product lines. New show hours are Sunday – Tuesday 10 AM – 6PM; Wednesday 10 AM – 1 PM.

For exhibitor information, contact Kelly P. Bristol, sales director, at (914) 421-3250. Fax (914) 948-6917. Email exhibitor@signaturemixny.com. Attendee information is available by contacting GLM’s Customer Relations Department, at (800) 272-SHOW or (212) 204-1060, or by email, at customer_relations@glmmarkets.com. Additional information is available online, at www.signaturemixNY.com.