tradeshow thursdays: nss resources

diary of a nss newbie, post #3 {65 days left}

how is it that i’m only on post number 3 which was written 42 days ago?  seriously?

now that i’ve tackled indie wed and martha stewart‘s wedding party, all of my focus is on the national stationery show.  with only 65 days away, i have plenty to accomplish.  just because i haven’t blogged much about it, believe you me, nss has been on the brain for a few years now.

the national stationery show is held every year in nyc and is the trade show for the industry.  this year it’s on may 19 through the 22nd… those few days is a huge investment in time, energy, and money.  the show is not open to the general public.  attendees are all part of the trade– buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, and press.  in 4 days, you have the audience of hundreds of industry folk from all over the globe, “11,000 diverse buyers from all 50 states and 58 countries worldwide, attending to stock their shelves and assess the latest trends” –NSS website {that makes me a bit nauseous}.

as you can imagine, there is a laundry list of things to do…. from product development, booth design, press kits, show mailers, line sheets, catalogs… the list is endless.  to give you a visual, robyn of meant to be sent came up with this graphic {pertaining to her business needs and booth size}:

much to do in the days ahead!!!!

before i even decided to apply for the show, i had read many blogs on people’s experiences with the show.  if you’re thinking of exhibiting at the stationery show one day, there are so many people out there that are willing to share their thoughts and answer your questions.  here are some blogs that i found extremely encouraging and helpful–

rebekah of wild ink press has a great recap of her 2011 show

and her 2012 recap

adrienne  of dingbat press has a whole series of tips and advice {search her blog for the ‘tradeshow tuesday’ category}

claudia of fig 2 design has extensive blog posts on her stationery show experience

it also helps to walk the show and take tradeshow bootcamp

that’s it for now.  wish me luck as i tackle my long list of to-do’s in the weeks ahead!

tradeshow thursdays: nss countdown

diary of a nss newbie, official post #1 {121 days left}

if you aren’t already sick of me mentioning NSS {acronym for the national stationery show} you’re going to get real sick of me come may.  i’m going to try my best to document my nss adventures {to help out any nss virgins thinking of taking the plunge} because this here said trade show is a big deal {“The National Stationery Show® is the world’s most comprehensive collection of social stationery and related products for gift giving and self-expression.” -NSS website}.  when i’m not on mommy duty or printing a current order, every moment going forward is going to be spent thinking about, making lists for, brainstorming for, and stressing about this show.  this is no joke.

here’s a little timeline to bring you up to date:

• may 2012 – walked the show, talked to exhibitors, snapped a bunch of photos
• september 2012 – completed online application
• october 2012- received booth assignment {#1866!!} + contract + submitted deposit
• fall 2012 – completed tradeshow bootcamp
• january 2013 – paid remaining balance of booth {yup, going broke already and it’s only january!

i have lists on my computer, my iphone, ipad, on paper of a bazillion things i need to think about and do for this show…

• booth design?
• decor?
• flooring?
• signage?
• lighting?
• product lines?
• press kit?
• samples?
• product photography?
• line sheets?
• paper or online catalog?
• update website?
• pre-show marketing?
• mailers?
• promos + giveaways?
• drive or fly?
• leave booth and store in new jersey?
• accommodations?
• ????????

wow.  breathe.  i probably shouldn’t be writing this post right before i go to bed.  hmmm.  well, regardless of the stress, i am excited.  follow along as i blog my nss journey!!!

recap of 2012 highlights

2012 was a great year for penelope’s press!  here’s a quick recap of last year’s highlights…

new presses -  i said goodbye to my first floor press {remember rusted and dismantled gertrude?} and hello to a new-to-me chandler and price 10×15.  i also welcomed a second craftsman superior tabletop.

an assistant - in the summer, lisa joined me as ‘assistant extraordinaire’ of penelope’s press.  she has helped around the studio in many different ways– everything from taking inventory, printing, assembling wedding invitations, etc.  here’s lisa looking helping me setup at my first craft fair

industry events – in may i was able to attend the national stationery show {often referred to as NSS}.  since the start of penelope’s press, i knew that exhibiting at the show would be a long term goal.  walking the show, seeing the booth set ups up and products, and meeting industry folk was an incredible experience.  i cannot wait to experience the show as an exhibitor when i debut in 2013!

i also attended the ladies of letterpress conference for the second year in a row.  it’s always a great time when you’re in a room full of printers and letterpress aficionados.

business development - i was able to participate in a few classes and workshops this year to improve on and learn some new skills.  i have always wanted to develop my photoshop skills and this past year i was finally able to take i heart blogshop -  photoshop for bloggers.  in addition to being a class participant, penelope’s press was also one of the sponsors for the chicago class and have some of penelope’s press chicago theater notecards included in the swag bag of goodies.

i also took an online modern calligraphy class with melissa esplin.  the class got my feet wet with basic calligraphy techniques and experimenting with different inks and nibs.

i met katie hunt of kelp designs when i walked the stationery show.  katie runs a series of workshops called tradeshow bootcamp where participants prepare for exhibiting at a large scale tradeshow.  the bootcamp was intense and packed with information overload.  it has really prepared me for how much work i have in store as i get ready for nss 2013.

shows and fairs - speaking of tradeshows… my application as an exhibitor was accepted for the 2013 national stationery show!  i submitted my online application in late september and a few weeks later received notice that my application was accepted.

up until a few months ago penelope’s press products have only been sold online and through referrals.  in october i participated in my first craft show, the diy trunk show hosted by chicago craft mafia.  it was a lot of work preparing for the show- printing product, preparing my setup, printing signage- but now i am officially hooked!  getting in the face of customers gives you instant feedback on the products that customer’s love and what they are looking for.

marketing - in 2012 i had my blog re-designed by the amazing lindsay nicole design {now known as hello monday} and moved over wordpress, i had a short letterpress video put together by the rad vince of stizomedia , and had my letterpress business cards featured in cake & whiskey’s launch issue– the first time penelope’s press was featured in print!

well folks, that’s it for 2012!  now that 2013 is well underway, i can’t wait to cross off each resolution on my long, long list!  as always, wishing you a creative year!

penelope’s press needs your votes!

hello blog friends!  i recently applied for a small business grant and could really use your help with votes.  while completing the essay portion of the grant application, i got choked up a bit.  i cannot believe how far penelope’s press has grown in the past few years.  none of it would have been possible without the encouragement of so many.  i dream of opening a community print shop to offer letterpress workshops… won’t you help me get there?

below is the email message i have been sending out–

Dear family, friends, clients, and supporters of Penelope’s Press,

Penelope’s Press recently applied for a small business grant. Chase and LivingSocial are sponsoring “Mission: Small Business”, a grant program awarding $3 million to small business owners nationwide. Your support could translate into a $250,000 grant, but we need at least 250 votes {through June 30th} at missionsmallbusiness.com in order to qualify and proceed to the next phase of voting.

It only takes 30 seconds to vote!

• Visit missionsmallbusiness.com
• Click on “Log in & Support” with your Facebook account
• Enter “Penelope’s Press” in the business name field and click “Search” and then “Vote”

Please support Penelope’s Press by submitting your vote today!

You have supported Penelope’s Press in many ways because you have promoted or purchased, fanned or tweeted, pinned or liked Penelope’s Press. We are a successful boutique letterpress print + design studio because of your support. Penelope’s Press dreams of expanding and transitioning to a brick and mortar community print shop, where handmade goods from local artists will be sold, workshops are taught, and letterpress thrives! The promotion and preservation of print is important to us. Please visit missionsmallbusiness.com, your continued support means so much!

{If you are not already a fan, you can ‘Like’ our Facebook page here: facebook.com/penelopespress}

Thank you always,

Debbie

workday wednesdays: a little video of my letterpress life

i am obsessed with you tube and vimeo.  it tops the cake when the video is about letterpress, typography, anything to do with book arts, or showcases the workspace of a letterpress printer.  i’ve been dragging with getting a video done, but i finally tidied up a little for some footage to be shot.

vince of stizo media  put together the video… {i met vince and his wife 16 years ago in college and we’ve remained good friends ever since.  geez, i feel old}  vince has ridiculous talent.  he’s a graphic designer by trade but has his hands in all aspects of design, from motion graphics, screen printing, to branding/logo design, and the list goes on.  if you follow the blog, you might remember that i printed his “certificate of authenticity” for his hand painted sneaker line {yep, he’s a sneaker artisit too.  crazy.}  you can read that post by clicking here.  visit stizo media when you’re done watching it and show him some love.

behind the scenes at penelope’s press from penelope’s press on Vimeo.

disclaimer: the last scene with the type spelling out “goodbye” was reversed to read properly by stizomedia