I thought we didn't want a third show...

Just recently, I purged my office of all the trade and consumer magazines I had kept "just in case" I wanted to refer back to them. Most of them were magazines no longer in business and they were just clogging shelves of my office.

I tossed one particular issue of a trade magazine I had kept because it really made me mad at the time it came out in 2007. I won't mention the name of it because it's still on business. But, this entire issue was a blatant attempt to kill the Memory Trends show. Memory Trends was, I believe, one of the best things about the industry. It was a time for us to come together for our own networking party without yarn or decoupage classes to wade through.

I made a case for the third show when this particular issue came out. You can read it HERE. I wasn't so much making the case for a THIRD SHOW as much as I was making a case for the industry to only attend ONE show - a scrapbook-only show that would bring the fractured industry together without the distraction of non-scrapbook specific events. But, this trade magazine's publisher did his best to make sure Memory Trends never saw the light of day again by continually lobbying against anyone attending it. I believe the death of Memory Trends accelerated the downturn of the industry from the inside. We lost our "moxie" when we lost our show.

So, now, I see a new retailer group trying to get started. After having my own group for scrapbook retailers for the past 7 years, I wish them luck. It is hard to get retailers to pay for any networking groups at any price. It's a sad and puzzling fact about our industry because it's extremely common in other industries to pay for networking groups. And, I see that this new scrapbook retailer group is having a meeting this Fall in Las Vegas that they are saying is "replacing the old Memory Trends slot". And, I see that the very trade magazine publisher who tried to beat down and push out Memory Trends is their co-sponsor.

And given the fact that the WONDERFUL one day retailer event planned by true industry veterans before GASC next weekend was shelved because ONE SINGLE RETAILER thought it was worth the $99 price to receive a full day of business help, I wish them well trying to pull retailers into Las Vegas at a random time for $225 plus travel expenses.

ScrapBassador General to the Photo Industry

I have seen a couple of ads in trade magazines by some larger manufacturers basically throwing down the gauntlet in the PMA/CHA fight. It has their names and logos and says basically, “We choose CHA”. Okay, fine.

So, here’s my version of it, “I choose PMA/Memory Trends”. I might be lonely there - and I don't even expect much from the Memory Trends side of the show THIS time, but I WILL be there. I am appointing myself a “ScrapBassador” to the Photo Industry and I intend to walk the aisles of that show and invite companies with products that would work well in the scrapbook industry to come play with us. There are SO MANY people who really haven’t paid attention to us because of the false perception we created about what we REALLY do.

For a long time, we considered scrapbooking to be a craft. It is on SOME levels, but really, it’s about memory preservation and not crafting. Crafters might enjoy scrapping, but many non-crafters enjoy it too. Recently, scrapping has been touted as “art”. Again, it might be artsy on SOME levels and artists might enjoy doing it, but the vast majority of the population falls between the crafters and the artists. They have photos that they just want to put somewhere along with the “who, what, where, why and how” of them.

Scrapping has been slammed in the media recently as being too cutesy and largely done by frumpy housewives with too much time on their hands. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have extra time in my day and I traded in my “mom jeans” (you know, the $15 ones with the peg-legs you get from Walmart) a long time ago.

On the other extreme, scrapping has been slammed from the inside as being too focused on the art of it. I must have missed the meeting where we (the scrapping universe) hammered out the standards for a page worthy of the “Hall of Fame”? Frankly, it removes the focus on the photos and stories and places it squarely on art. I think every person interested in preserving their history deserves to be called “Scrapbooker of the Year” just for getting those photos out of the shoebox. And, at the end of the day, the people you are preserving those memories for really don’t care if the photos are glued on construction paper and the stories written in crayon. They just want to remember.

So, if it’s not art and it’s not craft – at least when it comes to getting people interested and taking the industry off of life support – then why are we hanging out with art and craft companies? What does a yarn shop have in common with scrapbooking? You can use yarn on your pages, but other than that, there’s nothing that one can do for the other. The same holds true for a bead company. Those are just elements of the pages, not the central focus of the pages themselves. I know that retailers find fun stuff in the aisles at CHA. I have wandered outside the scrapbook section myself and discovered some fun stuff that could be used for scrapping. But, that’s all it is – stuff to put on a page. It doesn’t help me preserve the memories or photos.

But, what does a frame shop or a photo book binder or a photographic equipment company or a camera shop have to do with scrapbooking? EVERYTHING! Yet, those things are not “sexy” to us - it's hard to get excited about photo processing if you're a scrapbooker. The ribbons and brads and eyelets and textured cardstock will always be there – but how many more people are we going to be able to convince to use them? Crafters have already tried scrapping and they either burned out or they are firmly entrenched. It’s the REST of the camera owning population we have to turn to.

In my previous blog entry, I mentioned the Kodak shoebox photo scanner. I have been in this industry for 6 years now and I have heard of various scanners by the usual round-up of companies who have gotten involved in the scrapbook industry. But, I have never heard anyone talk about THIS scanner. Along with this scanner, I discovered a machine that can cut jigsaw puzzles that are 12” wide. Wouldn’t Grandma LOVE to have a puzzle of one of your scrapbook pages? I have also met with photo book publishers trying to figure out how to tap into the scrapbook industry. At this meeting I went to recently, several framers mentioned that many of their customers also scrapbook but they had never made the connection that they should reach out to scrappers with custom framing. We tend to buy the 12x12 frames off the shelf, but a custom-framed page would be beautiful. I ran across a company the other day that can take your jpeg file and turn it into a huge mural that adheres to your wall. Can you imagine a wall in your family room done in GIANT scrapbook pages or photos of your family? How about a LARGE digital frame that you could load your digital pages into and would constantly change like a giant wall scrapbook? I haven’t seen that yet, but it’s coming, I’m sure. If we are hanging out at the craft show, will we miss those things? Those things will be hanging out at the photography show while we are picking through collections of new eyelets and trying to figure out which line of paper (that all looks the same) will sell better. Yes, that stuff is important, but it makes us a dinosaur, too.

Technology will change the scrapbook industry and we can either arm our selves with our Cutterbees to keep it out, or we can go after it and embrace it. Retailers are struggling to figure out how to profit from digital scrapbooking. Maybe we are thinking wrongly about it. It’s not digital scrapping we need to figure out, it’s technology. We need to figure out how to embrace and welcome technology into the industry. Along with that comes a whole new set of “friends” – all interested in our success. Those people can be found at PMA. The non-scrapbook exhibitors at CHA just want to sell us more craft stuff to glue to our pages. They really aren’t interested in a partnership of success. The Photo Marketing Industry has issued us an invitation and I think we should take it and thank them for it. They have put photos at the center of their businesses and I firmly believe that we must also do that. There’s room for craft and there’s room for art, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the photos.

Farewell CHA

After 5 years, I am cancelling my membership in the Craft and Hobby Association. The biggest reason being that my dues went from $100 annually to $400 annually - overnight. I got the bill a month or so ago and hadn't looked at it. When I finally sat down to pay it, I about fell off my chair. It was a 300% increase over the previous years.

I emailed them about it and got some long-winded explanation about how non-exhibiting suppliers get the same benefit as exhibiting suppliers so they made the costs more equal. Basically, I am paying for the honor of NOT exhibiting at the trade show. It seems a bit like a shakedown to me - "Exhibit or pay the price..."

Honestly, beyond free admission to the trade shows, there was no benefit to me as a very small business at CHA. They have all these perks such as cheaper freight and craft-industry research that have very little value to me. Every year they have this "celebrity" (honestly, I have NO IDEA who she is) that is supposed to blanket the country with her ads about crafts being life's little pleasure. I have NEVER seen the ads anywhere. And, I'm not a craft supplier, I'm a SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIER. National Craft Month is NOT National Scrapbook Month.

I'm actually beginning to feel a bit homeless when it comes to national association support. I joined PMA (which I thought was expensive, but now looks like a bargain) and although they have promised all this support for the scrapbook industry, I fail to see much. Their magazine is still full of nothing but photographic news and the PSRO (Professional Scrapbook Retailer's Organization) has exactly 2 benefits that I can find - an ad maker (looks more like it's for photographers than scrapbook retailers) and a relationship with a direct mail post-card printer. Sure, they do research but I always have trouble finding the links to the scrapbook research. They purchased The SMART Group, and I while I greatly respect the SMART Group, I am paying dues to PMA, not The SMART Group. I'm still on the fence about PMA, but I did make my reservations to attend the PMA/Memory Trends Show in January. I'm going to reserve my judgment until I see the show. I don't expect a lot of benefits for me, the very small business, but I do expect to see an emphasis on the scrapbook industry as a whole - and not just the digital side of it.

Recently, at ScrapBiz, we were discussing vendors who were now out of business. Many of them were vendors I spoke to at the first CHA show in 2002 who looked down their noses at me and said, "We don't work with HOME-BASED businesses." Interesting... They felt that anyone running a business of home didn't have money that had the same value as a bricks and mortar store. Yet, I have to believe that their anti-home-based attitude may have contributed to the reason they are now out of business. You can't count out a whole class of customers anymore. A sales channel is a sales channel and revenue streams are what makes businesses solvent. ScrapBiz members represent probably $1,000,000 a year in revenue to all the vendors our members buy from. Our customer service rep at one large industry distributor calls to thank me all the time for the business I send their way. Very small businesses can have a collective large impact in the scrapbook industry.

Apparently, CHA feels they can live without my membership. I'm sure I won't be missed. But I wonder how many others will also leave due to the increase.

Makes the case for the scrapbook industry to have it's OWN association.

Wanna subscribe to my "issues"?

Two pet-peeves or issues have popped up this week about the scrapbook industry and I'm feeling really "bugged" about them.

First - I was thumbing through a recent issue of Memory Trends Magazine (check out my article on page 82 about retailers and scrapbook artists working together!) and there was an ad for a new scrapbook idea-type book. It was by someone whom I have NEVER heard of. It had the author's photo and said something about "She'll be in our Memory Trends booth to autograph her book!" HUH?! And, I'm supposed to be impressed why...? What is it with this industry thinking that people who write books are "autograph worthy". If someone said, "Come sign your book, Kim!" I'd laugh them right out of the room. Why should anyone care?! Why would anyone think they SHOULD care?! Writing a book doesn't make you a hero worthy of worship.

It's like the "SCRAPPER OF THE YEAR" contest. They parade that poor woman around at the shows and other poor women feel the need to run up and worship at her feet. Then we forget who she was a week later. What's up with that attitude? I don't get it. People worthy of admiration have done something to change the world, in my opinion. Stringing words together in a sentence or gluing photos on paper isn't exactly revolutionary. I'm not saying scrap celebrities are bad people, I'm just saying that I'm puzzled over their status. They're just like us. They just had "connections" or were in the right place at the right time. They are talented people but not MORE talented than everyone else.

Second - companies who give trips away to consumers to trade shows bug me. Trade shows are not the mall or circus - they are shows specifically for retailers and service providers to conduct business with manufacturers and distributors. You should only attend if you have reason to. My husband is supposed to be at a large show this week in Vegas. I had to laugh when I pondered anyone giving away a trip to BICSI. No one would line up for it, that's for sure. It's a trade show - where business is conducted. It's not anything anyone would want to win a trip to. Nor, do I think any company would offer to give one away. Again, it's a TRADE SHOW. Most of us just make a mental note when we see a "celebrity" (gosh, I hate that word) at a trade show. They get on with business and so do we. I can't imagine how much they don't like being put on parade like that at a trade show. That's why they attend Expos and Conventions. When they are at those, they expect to be worshipped, but not at a trade show. It happens, though. Usually by first-timers. Then we are so over it and the "celebrity" becomes "furniture" the next time that we hardly notice.

There is nothing wrong with admiring someone's work. But, I think it goes over the top when you spend precious time worshipping them - donating to their pet-cause, standing in line at a show to shake their hand, plotting how to rub shoulders with them at a trade show, etc.

Here are a few quotes about fame that I liked. I think they ring true.

"Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character."

~Horace Greeley

"Fame is the thirst of youth"

~Lord Byron

“Fame is a fickle food - Upon a shifting plate"

~Emily Dickinson

“Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other."

~Erma Bombeck

“Celebrity is the chastisement of merit and the punishment of talent."

~Emily Dickinson

The Case for the "Third Show"

I don't have a crystal ball and can predict what will happen at Memory Trends this year. I DO know that the attendance numbers were down in 2006 and that it will be moving to Florida in 2008 after a last run in Vegas this year. That will be a bonus for companies in that region of the country who have had to fly to the midwest or the west coast for trade shows. But does that mean the "third show" is not worth attending or exhibiting at? I don't think so. I think we are making a mistake by pushing it out.

Whatever happens, I do think there is a case for having an "industry only" show. We, the scrapbook industry, are grown up enough to merit our OWN show. Many industries have 2,3,4, etc. shows specific to their industry each year. My husband spends a great deal of time each year flying to them in his industry.

CHA is great, however, it's the biggest show you've ever seen and I don't appreciate having to wade through yarn, fabric and floral to find the scrapbook section. Not to mention that they don't separate out the new vendors in the new vendors section by category. So, to find the new scrapbook vendors, I must walk the entire section. Also, the scrapbook section takes up nearly 50% of the show. Yes, CHA would be sad to see us go, but honestly, I would love to see a movement to pull away from one of the CHA shows in deference to our OWN show.

I guess I don't understand the whining against the third show. The Needle Arts, Stationary and Fabric industries all have large trade shows on their own and are STILL part of CHA. Shoot, the Professional Scrapbook Retailers Organization (PSRO) is part of the big Photo Marketing Association(PMA) show. That's an additional show that no one seems to be whining about. There are many segments of the craft industry represented at CHA who have their own LARGE trade shows.

I spend more time connecting with old friends at the smaller show. They are, frankly, easier to find at Memory Trends than they are at CHA. The pace is slower and events are easier to plan and find. I also embrace the educational opportunities that can be found at a trade show. Who doesn't need fresh ideas and inspiration regularly to keep their business humming along? I believe a different show run by different people brings a different approach. If CHA is all we have, we all risk becoming homogenized into a boring chain store. An independent show is going to be less costly for a new company to attend. And, in an industry built by "independents", we should appreciate the different approach. Shame on us for supporting only the "chain show" when "chains" are what we worry about.

We have created this idea that three shows means three batches of new products? How did we get to that place and who's fault is it? Did the consumers create this concept? Did the shows? Did the magazines? I think we know where the blame hangs. We just don't want to admit it. Instead of three new product cycles each year, how about committing to bring fresh ideas rather than new products to the shows? Consumers will get over it and retailers will appreciate it.

I, for one, think the industry needs to embrace the opportunity to have our own little party each year to reconnect and get to know each other. Bring fresh ideas for the products introduced at the winter show and let the summer show be taken over by the floral and yarn people while we party-on with each other at another date and place. I think it can only serve to strenghten our ties to one another which, in turn, will strengthen the industry that we all love.

Good Advice for a Bad Move!

A few weeks ago, Rosie O'Donnell accused American Idol of being "racist and weightist". I'll admit that usually, when Rosie's mouth is moving, I am not listening. But, in this case, I caught the story in the middle and worked back to the original issue. Apparently, American Idol pushed back against Rosie's tirade by revoking the right for The View to show AI clips during the "host chat" anymore. Makes total sense to me.

After this happened, Rosie mocked their decision (during the opening chat) to not let The View show AI clips and Barbara Walters offered probably the best answer ever - she said something like, "Well, you can't slap someone with your right hand while asking for favors with your left."

So, yesterday I got a trade magazine in the mail. As I ripped off the plastic and started thumbing through it, I noticed a "theme" of sorts. The theme was, "let's kill the third industry trade show". By the "third" tradeshow, they pretty much meant Memory Trends. No less than 6 articles in that magazine made significant mention of not needing that third trade show. Some of them said that CHA was the OFFICIAL industry show and that their 2 shows were plenty. Others decried the fact that the last Memory Trends show was poorly attended while still others implied it was responsible for all that was wrong in the industry by forcing vendors to pump out products 3 times a year instead of just two. The articles were all written by different authors. Was it just some cosmic aligning of the universe that caused all of them to address the issue? I don't think so.

This magazine is apparently also aligned with a retail business group who is heavily invested in the CHA shows. And, Memory Trends just started publishing a fabulous magazine that stands to provide some pretty stiff competition to this particular magazine. There was DEFINITELY a thinly veiled agenda.

Here's the twist - contained within this particular issue is a TWO PAGE ad for the next Memory Trends trade show. A double page ad is $1400. So, while this magazine was slapping Memory Trends with it's right hand, it was putting MT's money in their pocket with their left. Wow... amazing.

Memory Trends 2006

My new computer has this cool program. Here's a photo montage from Memory Trends. Most of the photos are ScrapBiz members (except Shrek!)

Memory Trends Report

I'm in the middle of day 2 of Memory Trends. It's been pretty quiet here - the attendance seems down - waaaaay down. There always seems to be a "buzz booth" where people are lined up to get their hands on a demo of the next new thing. I haven't seen that anywhere this year.

In fact, I've come to a conclusion. It's not about WHAT'S new anymore, it's about WHO'S new. Company A launches with a new paper line that looks an awful lot like the paper line of "uber" popular Company B. It's like Company A wants to pick up the buzz now and outshine Company B. However, you could seriously mix their papers into a kit and no one could tell the difference.

Bling is the only noticeable thing. And, BLING (rhinestones) were popular when I started my business 6+ years ago. The "rule" in fashion is that if you wore something the first time, you can't wear it when it comes back. If that was the rule in scrapbooking, we'd all be in trouble. Stuff just keeps coming around.

I DO like the Petaloo flowers - they are big and bold.

I'm not quite ready for the 3-D photo paper by some unknown company. It makes your prints "move" when you tip it back and forth (remember those things you got as a kid in the Cracker Jack box that "move" like that?)

There's always a new tool or two. Nothing earth-shattering, though. Just variations on the theme.

Yawn...

One bright spot was Wes from the Scrapped movie. He is such fun to talk to. He was in a corner of the Chatterbox booth. He had given his spin to a scrapbook tote sitting on the table. It was "altered" with spiked studs and a giant RAMONES decal. I'm thinking that no one would steal your crop bag when it looks like a short and fat doberman pinscher with a spiked collar.

We should be going to get fresh ideas and drop the quest for new products. I like a lot of the products already out there. But, if you can't give me a new way to use the older products, then I'll move on to the new ones just to keep things fresh.

Oh, and note to EK Success: the Elvis impersonator with the bed-head wig he pulled out of his drawer today should have paid YOU to be in your booth. He was one sorry Elvis... We had more fun with the Shrek cutout at Blue Sky Designs.

Digital software was EVERYWHERE. You digi scrappers are doing some AMAZING things! Now the industry is trying to figure out how to marry digi scrapping and LSS's. One software company is trying really hard with the Dot Scrap Alliance. I went to the "opening" last night and you could have cut the confusion and lack of enthusiasm with a knife in that room. Instead of the thunderous applause they assumed they'd get (during some dramatic pauses), there was a smattering of polite clapping and a lot of whispering. If the whispering was like our group, it was whispering about how this was going to work. Didn't really get it... It was a nice event, though. Far better than the one we had attended in another place earlier. It will be interesting to see how consumers receive this. They acted like you are all lined up at the stores already waiting for it. I'm not so sure.

The publishers of Craftrends Magazine announced last night that they are going to put out a new trade pub called Memory Trends Magazine. Beth Hess will be the editor. That makes me happy - she has some great insight on the industry but with a realistic spin. I hope to see the magazine help to chart a course that will help all aspects of the industry to remain healthy and strong and provide good solid info and not just 200 pages of ads.