Post-NSS thoughts

As an annual event, the National Stationery Show often serves as a bellweather for the entire paper industry moving forward. This year was no exception, as I came away with several thoughts and impressions—many of which bode well for the industry as a whole, provided folks heard those chimes ringing loud and clear.

With Seth, after his keynote

Analog, meet Digital
The show opened with Future Conference, featuring marketing and trend guru, Seth Godin, as the keynote speaker. Admittedly, he was preaching to the choir, given the makeup of the audience; vendors and retailers who most needed to hear his message apparently slept in that morning. His infectious humor and amazing grasp on what this industry is about (thanks, in part, to being raised by a mother who was once herself a stationery buyer for a New York store) put the future of paper in clear view for all to see.

My takeaway:
Retailers fear losing younger, digital-driven clientele. Rather than try to sell them product, we should be introducing them to paper as a lifestyle. Yes, social media blasts about store specials are fine, but if you want to capture an elusive target market raised on a keyboard, you need to teach them why paper is special…important…elegant…unique. Until you make them want it, they won’t. It’s all about desire; get them that far, and you’re three steps ahead of the crowd.

Show up or prepare to be stepped over
My first stop was to visit the fine folks at Wellspring. While in the booth, the president of A Very Big Vendor happened by. Of course, I didn’t know his company had passed on exhibiting, so my first question was “Where’s your booth?” thinking I’d pop by to peruse new products. Imagine my shock when he said there was no booth. They’d decided to pass on the show, in spite of the fact this would be the single largest collection of their target market in one place all year.

My takeaway:
The past couple of years, we’ve (predictably) seen the show shrink due to attrition in both the buyer and exhibitor categories. That leaves us with the best and the brightest still standing, still ready to do business. For a vendor to pass on the show—especially while offering a so-called “show special” when they aren’t even AT the show, let alone extending it to buyers who didn’t come either—is just plain lazy. Buyers spend a fortune, leave their stores, and invest valuable time to be at the Javitz. In return, they deserve to see the best product every single vendor has to trot out. (FYI: Don’t make the mistake of thinking that show special issue is mine alone; it’s the number one complaint voiced by attendees, offended by vendors who reward staying home when they’ve moved heaven and earth to get to New York.)

"Fan-tastic" by Celeste Crocket

Fresh updates sparked fresh interest
The Louie Awards have been around for a long time…which means they’ve been overdue for a revamp for a while. As noted in a “Stationery Trends” magazine interview, Jack Withiam (Exec VP, George Little Management) spelled out new tweaks intended to raise the bar on this important competition rewarding industry creativity and design.

My takeaway:
Creativity won the day. Between the much-improved Louie display in the back of the hall, plus the wildly creative haute couture fashions made from paper between the two halls, there was a real sense that things are being stepped up a bit. During the Javitz renovation well underway  (without inconveniencing attendees, to my delight), polishing up show highlights is well timed and welcome.

NSS finds technology
Yes, online registration and event bookings were less than pleasant for many of us. To GLM’s credit, overhauling something of this magnitude just ain’t easy, and they did their best to make things right. One new technology element, however, was a complete and absolute home run—the NSS iPhone app. For the first time ever, attendees could bypass the anchor-weight show guide and whip out their phone instead.

My takeaway:
The iPhone app worked seamlessly, complete with daily updates that made navigating the show, events, and even shuttle buses a breeze—hopefully, NYIGF, AmericasMart, Las Vegas, and others will provide the same. Likewise, the online product search that allowed attendees to create a walking list worked brilliantly, making prep work effortless. As for that pre-show stuff, well….it was just plain painful for those of us who got tangled in the new online system (present company included). To their credit, GLM moved heaven and earth to assure each attendee challenged by the pre-show registration system was contacted personally to straighten things out, even during the show itself. A special shout out goes to Julia in the buyers’ lounge who visited with a California buyer whose experience was especially problematic. That kind of customer service goes a long, long way.

With the ever-fabulous Melinda and Pam in the Persona booth

All in all, the show was a success. Product in the aisles was solid, traffic was good, and attitudes were positive. True, this isn’t the same National Stationery Show we saw five years ago, but then none of us are the same type of business owner we were five years ago. The economy and time marched on…and, if the past week was any indication, we’re keeping step with both.