tradeshow thursdays: sign + booth prep

diary of a nss newbie, post #4 {37 days left}

it’s down to the wire folks… the show is less than 6 weeks away.  in the alumni forum of the tradeshow bootcamp, everyone is hustling.  anything outside of my normal online orders and handful of wedding and custom orders, is difficult to squeeze into the schedule.  it’s been late nights, nail-biting, and stress induced eczema and acne.  it’s not cute.

knocked off {or near completion} of my laundry list of to-do’s are:

• –pre-show mailer design complete
• –logo sign was ordered and received
• –flooring chosen
• –booth building has begun
• –accommodations booked

alright… now that i’m looking at my list, it doesn’t look like i’ve accomplished much.  time to stop blogging and keep going.  until next time… but before i go, here are a few pictures…

logo mock up taped up on my living room wall to help visualize size:

and here it is!  one custom laser cut mdf logo:

booth building underway… one of many visits to home depot:

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: mini meltdown

diary of a nss newbie, post #2 {107 days left}

as i’m starting this post my kitchen clock reads 3:54 in the morning.  i’ve been prepping for my first wedding show this saturday – indie wed.  if this is any indication of how nss is going to go, i am officially in trouble.  although i am normally a night owl, anything past 2am is staying up late in my books.  i must admit, i’m feeling a bit delirious.  sooo.. that’s it.  until next time… when i am a bit more sane and have had some sleep.

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!!!