Any new and exciting products?
Trends?
New creative directions?
Did you get totally inspired to try something new?
Did you order cool stuff for your store or score learning new techniques?
Help!
I was there but I missed most of it. Nope, I wasn't sick. Didn't spend the time at Disneyland instead. And, as tempting as it was, no, I didn't leave the convention center to wander around in the sunshine or go to the beach.
Instead, I spent almost the entire show in meetings. LOTS of meeting. Taught a sold out workshop with some the most awesome workshop assistants anyone could dream of having! Exhibited in the Designers-in-Action Section. Demoed. Attended several events and discussion groups, although I had to miss others because of conflicts with MORE meetings.
Did I forget to mention I spent a lot of the show in meetings?
Granted, I DID spend almost my entire day on Saturday networking, socializing and basically just enjoying the company of my creative peeps. Somehow I was lulled into a false sense that I actually had DAYS open to just wander the aisles. Apparently I totally under-estimated reality. Over the following three days of the show, my meetings all seemed to mysteriously spontaneously schedule or reschedule in a way that made it impossible to ever stop for more than a moment on the way to the next meeting ...and weirdly I always seemed to walk down the same dozen aisles. Which meant I totally missed most of the show. Bummer.
Fortunately I did meet some new vendors and have even just joined a Design Team! (More on that as soon as I can announce it...). I soaked in all the creative energy and radiated it back. Ran into old friends...and made several new ones. And I networked until the very, very end...and beyond. .
Note to self: In 2016, make sure to set aside one full day to walk the aisles. EVERY aisle. Watch more demos. Play with more products. Do every Make 'n Take. Celebrate CRAFTING!
1 comment:
Hi Gail,
Although I too was there, I felt like I didn't get a chance to do most of the show either. I was either catching up with friends, or trying to systematically walk the show from one end to another, but kept getting distracted by fashion shows, make-n-takes, and networking with magazine, and online editors.
There were so many things to do: Workshops, Education, Meetings, Parties. I was also interviewing people and taking lots of photos. If you go to my Facebook pages you can see ALL the photos I took!
Looking forward to seeing you in 2016!!!!
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