"A person with ability and the desire to accomplish something can accomplish anything"

-- Donald Kircher

by Jami Petersen

Consumer shows are a common part of today's scrapbooking industry, but are they all they're cracked up to be? Dennis Conforto shares his thoughts on the proposed CHA show in Orlando.

And Mrs. Grossman's has a new president, son of the founder, Jason Grossman. Read more about his innovative direction for the company in our Press Release section.

Jami Petersen
newsletters@a-z.com

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Press Releases

News you can use about the latest media coverage of hot trends, noteworthy events and dynamic industry leaders. Learn more about the current headlines in arts and crafts by clicking on the title of each article segment.

Emmy-winning Journalist Announced as CHA Keynote Presenter. The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) announces that two-time Emmy award winner and crafting enthusiast Deborah Norville will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 CHA Winter Convention & Trade Show. In her presentation entitled Turn Your Passion Into Profit! Using the Power of Positive Thinking to Reach Your Goals, Norville will share her lifelong love and passion for crafting and stories of a rich family history that passed on valued skills and crafting traditions to the next generation. Deborah will also discuss the importance of using gratitude to move closer to achieving personal and professional goals during challenging economic times.
 

Unibind Announces “UNIWIRE 3” Professional Calendar Kit for Binding Lay-Flat Calendars & Books. Peleman Industries, Inc., manufacturer of the award-winning Unibind high-quality binding, lamination and presentation product line, announced that it will introduce this week at the PhotoPlus Expo in NY, the Unbind “UniWire 3” Calendar Kit professional wire-binding system and “Your PhotoBook” hard and soft covered books to create perfectly-bound 100% lay-flat calendars and books.

by Dennis A. Conforto, A-Z Media Group, Inc.

Every industry is always looking for “The Next Big Idea” (TNBI). Recently I have been asked by retailers and manufacturers alike what I thought of the new consumer show suggested by CHA. While many retailers generally thought nothing good would come from it, I was neutral on the matter. I thought it was no big deal either way. Then it dawned on me that was the issue, it was no big deal and the idea was really a small deal. Here is how I came to that conclusion.

The new show will be held in Orlando, whose population represents less than one percent of the American marketplace. When you consider that CHA claims to represent the industry worldwide, then Orlando is one ten thousandth of the world’s population.

For the vast majority of the retailers, the Orlando CHA consumer show will have no impact at all. If you are a retailer in the western United States or if you are a retailer in Canada, the consumer show will not affect you. There are already hundreds of small and large scrapbooking consumer shows all across North America.

Here are some important facts and feelings to consider when it comes to local consumer shows and a trade association.

1. Since 2005 consumer show attendance nationally as been on the decline, except of a few rare exceptions.
2. For most retailers, the local consumer shows tend to slow down sales for a few weeks prior to the event!
3. Most retailers who support those shows have found that the cost to support the show (booth space, extra labor to support the booth, cost to move products), the discounts expected by the attendees and pre-show slow down don’t make a profit.
4. Typically trade associations get their income from the trade, not from the consumers. With this show, many retailers and show promoters feel that CHA would be competing with them for the consumer’s dollars.

The question is why would any trade association go in this direction? Here how it typically happens.

When you serve on the board of a trade association you get to see the detailed financial statements of the association. There begins to be a focus on the health of the association from a financial standpoint. It gets to the point where one has a better idea of the association numbers, rather than the industry numbers. When a board sees the revenues sliding, they are asked to come up with ideas to grow revenue. So much time can be spent on these numbers that little attention is given to the financial numbers of the everyday retailer or manufacturer. This kind of focus shifts to the association performance rather than the performance of its members.

1. CHA has to spend money to promote the event to the consumer plus convince local retailers to spend money on promoting their event.
2. CHA has to offset the expense of the show and produce revenues in two ways. First from booth sales to the trade (meaning manufacturers and retailers). Then second, charges to the consumers for entry into the show and other consumer related charges.
3. From an industry standpoint it’s a lot of time and energy for two or three days of retail selling for one market in the United States.

Not only can few retailers really benefit but few manufacturers can as well. Here is why:

1. Manufacturers have booths that are designed for selling the trade, a consumer booth is an entirely different set up, designed to sell lots of products the consumers take with them rather than show new products that you take purchase orders from.
2. Most manufacturers have policy that they don’t sell direct to the consumer as they don’t want to be seen as competing with retailers.
3. Even fewer would be excited about spending extra money on make and takes for the Orlando market only.

The end result this consumer show benefits the few not the many. However, a small idea is better than no idea at all, but CHA can come up with TNBI. Something that can affect the many equally rather than just the few, and I suppose it won’t surprise any of my readers when I claim to be in possession of the TNBI…

What is the idea that will reach millions of consumers not just a few? If you guessed the new TV reality series The Real Vacation you would be right. And here is why.

1. It’s not one local market like Orlando is the show would cover all of North America.
2. It’s not supported by just one industry but many larger industries like travel and photo imaging.
3. It’s not a once a year event but rather 26 times a year.
4. It’s affect the businesses of a few but rather the businesses of the many.

What we have needed all along what we still need today is TNBI and that’s what being business SMART is all about. 

If you would like to comment directly to Dennis about this article or have him address a subject matter in future articles feel free to email him directly at dconforto@a-z.com.

PSRO 

Dedicated to those helping consumers preserve treasured memories.

The Professional Scrapbook Retailers Organization™ (PSRO™) bridges together retailers and suppliers for insight into the memories market.

Through educational programs, business services, industry research, networking, and events, PSRO leads its members to discover, understand, and act on new business opportunities.

For more information, or to join PSRO, visit www.psro.org or contact our member service department at 517-788-8100.

Andrea Grossman, president of Mrs. Grossman’s, Passes the Sticker Torch to Her Son

Almost thirty years ago, graphic designer Andrea Grossman pioneered a new industry called stickers. Now, after three decades, she is stepping down as president of the legendary company that bears her name and has named her son, Jason Grossman, her successor.

“I started working for my mom when I was twelve and I was her only employee,” says forty-five-year-old Jason Grossman. “And today we’ve got 90 employees. I’ve been working alongside Andrea in every position from purchasing to company vice president since 1988 and there’s not much I don’t know about how Mrs. Grossman’s works.”

Jason, who lives in Santa Rosa with his wife Kim, their five dogs and his collection of classic, vintage Mustangs, considers himself something of a maverick and has already brought some major changes to the company.

“We were outsourcing all of our printing when I bought our first printing press in 1993. Now we have seven Flexographic presses and are producing almost 15,000 miles of stickers a year,” says Jason, adding that acquiring a HP Digital Press is adding a new dimension to their production capabilities.

In a bold move, Jason launched Paragon Label (a division of Mrs. Grossman’s) in 1998 to hedge his bets in case the sticker business got soft. He then acquired a competitor, McCoy Label and he now oversees one of the most successful wine and food label printing businesses in the County.

Five years ago Jason spearheaded Mrs. Grossman’s popular sticker factory tour that attracts more than 30,000 visitors a year. In another courageous move, he purchased the Laserweb (the only one of it’s kind in the country), a high tech, state-of-the-art laser cutting system that produces precision cuts and design details on both stickers and wine labels.

Andrea Grossman will continue to be involved with Mrs. Grossman’s design and product development team. But after thirty years of running her own company, she is ready to explore other ventures.

“A lot of interests are tugging at me,” says the Novato, CA resident. “I am involved with Prison Fellowship and visiting people in prisons throughout the country has changed my life. I want to do more of that. I’m on various boards serving people with severe disabilities and people in desperate need. All of these people need more help and this is something I so much want to do. I see this as an opportunity for me to be more involved in causes that really touch my heart.”

Andrea Grossman started her home-based design business in 1979 from her dining room table in Woodacre, CA. Today Mrs. Grossman’s is housed in an 110,000 square ft. corporate headquarters with it’s own printing plant. The company has designed more than 2,200 different stickers and sells their products throughout the United States, Canada and Japan.

Called “the company with a heart” Mrs. Grossman’s is the recognized leader in the sticker industry. Located in Petaluma, CA the company allows employees to bring their dogs to work, hires and celebrates the skills of developmentally challenged adults and is well-known for their ‘green’ commitment to the environment winning the prestigious PG&E award for outstanding energy conservation innovations in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Over the past twenty years Mrs. Grossman’s has donated more than fifty million stickers to children in hospitals and cancer camps all over the world.