Buyers Market of American Craft

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:28:53 +0000

Making the Most Out of Your Show Experience

By Bruce Baker

If you own your own gallery or store, there is nothing more exciting than show season! This is the time of year when the act of discovery, renewal of your commitment to your business, and your search for the special and the wonderful, really come into play.

Shows allow you the unique opportunity to see what artists have been conjuring since you saw them last, as you create a style, a product line-up, and a vision for your store in the hopes that what you have amassed as a “collection” flies off the shelves into the loving arms of your customers.

To Place an Order or Not to Place an Order
It seems that shop owners approach a show organized a variety of ways: Some arrive with tight “open to buy” computer printouts flying everywhere, some take a looser approach. There are even just-lookers, who gather brochures with the idea that they will consider what they have seen when they get back home.

I feel that buyers who make connections with the artists at a show and place orders at that time have some advantages over the “I’ll think about it” types, and this is why:

When you are attracted to the work in a booth and feel it will sell, meeting the maker and making a one-on-one connection complete with sharing names and a bit of conversation can often enhance the transaction. The person you are meeting is often the same person who answers the phone when you call to place a reorder down the road. Having met “Ann from Austin, Texas” at the last show is an important connection. Perhaps you’d like to try a large piece on consignment, offer to feature the work in a show at your store, reduce the minimum order or ask for exclusivity: your request is more likely to get a positive response if you are remembered.

Some Tips to Enhance Your Time on the Floor

–Try and walk down the aisle one way and then reverse direction in the same aisle: trust me, you won’t believe what you’ve missed.

–Never shop when you are too hungry or need coffee. Give yourself a 10-minute break: this is hard work!

–There are “show specials” of all kinds. Make sure you ask and take advantage of them.

–Attend a seminar. They can be eye opening and you can learn new things, or how to do old things in new ways!

–Be comfortable! Wear shoes and clothing that make sense and carry a bag that won’t hurt your shoulders when it gets heavy. Also: Nightly, sort catalogs and orders from the day before and leave them in your hotel room when you return to the show …paper is heavy.

–Get dates and hotel information for next year’s show while you’re at this year’s show: plan ahead!

–Do not miss the vendor section of a show. There you can see packaging and display companies (and much more) that can give you new ideas. You might change your signature tissue color to periwinkle and your ribbon color to scarlet!

Trust
If we could scientifically show what actually happens inside the brain of a buyer as he or she turns down an aisle and into a booth that attracts them, we’d all be rich and famous.

Sometimes we hop on the bandwagon of a trend or a color that we see is “big” and we go looking for products in that style (animal print lampshades, owl tea light holders, cupcake platters, felted birdhouses, for example). More often than not, we know our own market and our own customers, and between price and product, we want it.

This is where you have to trust your gut feelings. On the other hand…what about the lime green table runners with magenta seashells printed all over? They’re $40.00 but you have got to have them – even if you only sell one (or maybe two if you count yourself…). This is what makes it fun.

I would say that you should be allowed between 5 percent and 15 percent in out of your comfort zone “just really want it” purchases. I call this the “OPEN TO TRY!” policy and it’s often what makes your store’s product mix unique, and what keeps shopping fun and customers coming back.

Everything that is handmade in America has a story (pit-fired in the hills of Virginia, or woven on vintage looms in New Hampshire) and that story is usually told best by the maker.

The maker is standing in a booth at a show waiting to tell you the story so you and your staff know how to sell the work to your customer, who is so much more likely to connect with the object if he hears its story.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see the work and hear the magic from the makers at the next show you attend: it is always worth it!

Valentine’s Day Contest

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:48:07 +0000

Will You Be Ours?

What do you love most about the Buyers Market? Is it the opportunity to reconnect with other retailers and artists? Do our seminar speakers help you stay passionate about your work? In honor of Valentine’s Day, buyers and exhibitors may enter for a chance to win a free hotel stay at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

How to Enter:
1. Register for the 2012 Buyers Market by Thursday, February 9.

2. Show your love for the show by sending us a virtual valentine. Create a video, write a sonnet, sing us a love song, or make a card then snap a picture of it. Get creative!

3. Seal it with a kiss and post a link to your handiwork below.

The winner will be notified by email and phone, then announced on Friday, February 10.

Contest Rules & Eligibility: Contest is open to registered buyers and participating artists of the 2012 Buyers Market of American Craft. Buyers must meet credential requirements and be registered for the show by 11:59PM EST on February 9, 2012. Artists must submit a signed contract and full booth payment by 5:00PM on EST on February 9, 2012. Entrants must in good standing financial standing with the Rosen Group. Hotel room is for a single bed, available from 2/15/12 – 2/20/12 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, 1201 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19107. Hotel stay is non-transferable. Prize includes room nights only. Guest is responsible for incidentals, taxes and cancellation fees, if applicable.

Figs & Ginger

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:00:31 +0000

How to Have a Successful Trade Show Experience: Five Tips from Management One

Trade shows can be a challenge for retail buyers. There is a ton of seemingly random activity, and most retailers tell us that they never have enough time to get everything done that they want to do at the show.

After having been to many shows, and interviewing retailers, Management One shares some insights on how to have the most successful experience at any trade show, both large and small.

Here are some tips to make the investment in time, money and effort much more effective:

I. Do your homework
Review POS reports on vendors, styles and attributes to know which products are selling in your store. Prepare a vendor scorecard that shows how your current vendors performed last season.

As you review each of your classifications, break up your open-to-buy (OTB) budget so that you spend some money on new trends, experimental products, as well as tried-and-true staples.

II. Write your merchandise/purchasing plan before you leave home
An OTB plan tells you how much of each category and when to land it.
The assortment plan tells you what to buy:
a. vendors you want to visit
b. styles you need
c. colors and fabrication
d. what customers want
Schedule your time so you get to do all you need to do.

III. Work the show
Shows are a great opportunity to seek out new vendors and new opportunities. Don’t just go to the same vendors you are already buying from. Find new vendors and new products.
Review your most profitable classifications and see if you can increase your business. What are you missing that your customers would love to buy from you? Show specials offered by vendors could cause you to alter your plan. If you have to leave paper, make sure you write “Hold For Confirmation” on the orders so that you have time to review and ensure that you are buying precisely what you need.

IV. Remember who you are buying for
It is easy to get caught up in the mania of any trade show. Take notes about your purchases with amounts and descriptions for each vendor. Make sure you have not duplicated styles across vendors. Your job as a buyer is to pick the best of the best for your customers! Review your purchases when you get back to your hotel room. You can (and will probably need to) edit your purchases after you’ve had the chance to review them.

V. Enjoy Yourself
Most trade shows offer great educational programs, delivered by industry experts. Take the time to learn from these people. The retail business continues to evolve as the economy changes, and you owe it to yourself, your employees and your customers to benefit from these programs. Also: Take some breaks and relax during the day. Socialize with other retailers and vendors. You can learn a lot about the business while doing this, but you can also have some fun and cement long-term relationships this way. If the show takes place in a city that you have not been to before, take some time to see that city, explore its restaurants, attractions, etc.

It may seem obvious, but a successful trade show experience begins with an accurate open-to-buy budget for each classification of merchandise in your business. From there you can develop an assortment plan to make sure you get the right balance, flow and selection in your business. Of course, this must fit your financial and cash flow plan.

Managing your Open-to-Buy does not have to be complicated or difficult to implement. If you want to know more:

Be sure to attend the free seminar about open-to-buy planning at the Buyers Market. Our presenter, retail expert and comedian Dan Jablons of Management One, will make becoming a better retailer fun and informative.

Seminar: “I’m Making Money, I Just Wish I Could Find It!” (Open-to-Buy)
Date: Sunday, February 19, 2012
Time: 8:30am-10am (before exhibit halls open for the day)
Location: Room 113AB

NEED HELP WITH PLANNING OR EXECUTION?
Stop by the Management One booth on the second-floor Concourse to find out more. Bring your financials with you to get some insights on the spot.

Attend the Management One open-to-buy workshop and visit the Management One booth.
We are here to help you!

Ready, set, show! 2012 Trade Show Schedule

Jean — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:47:24 +0000

Fine and art jewelry, fashion accessories and home furnishings made by artisan studios in America and Canada: Retailers will find the greatest selection of new and best-selling artists at the Buyers Market and NICHE: The Show, which are The Rosen Group’s two wholesale trade shows coming in 2012. Booth space is available: Artisans and suppliers may apply today. Registration dates for buyers are listed below.

Buyers Market of American Craft

Dates: February 18-20, 2012, with Jewelry Preview on February 17
Location: Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center
Buyers Registration: opens October 3, 2011, call 800-432-7238, ext. 272, or register online at www.buyersmarketofAmericancraft.com
Exhibitor applications: Apply today at www.buyersmarketofAmericancraft.com or at www.zapplication.org. For details, call 800-432-7238, ext. 227 or ext. 203.
Note: The Buyers Market will celebrate its 30^th anniversary at the 2012 Winter show.

NICHE: The Show

Dates: June 1-3, 2012, during Jewelry Week
Location: Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas
Buyers Registration: opens late February. For details, call 800-432-7238, ext. 272, or register online at www.NICHEtheShow.com
Exhibitor applications: Applications will be available beginning October 3 at www.zapplication.org. For details, dial 800-432-7238, ext. 202.

The Rosen Group will not produce a summer Buyers Market in 2012. The Merit Awards program for emerging artists and the Buyers Market guild booth program, highlights of the summer show, will move to February.

“Our goal this coming year is to consolidate and focus our talents, strengths and energies on making the winter show and NICHE: The Show the very biggest and best they can be,” said Wendy Rosen, president and CEO of The Rosen Group. “When we survey our artists and buyers, they tell us they want us to grow these two shows, and continue working to expand the markets for American-made products to attract new buyers. We’re also taking steps this year to grow the Arts Business Institute, because it prepares emerging artists to succeed in wholesale.”

The Buyers Market and NICHE: The Show are wholesale to the trade only.

Registration Opens October 3

Jean — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:41:05 +0000

You’ll want to be the first to register for the 2012 Buyers Market of American Craft, celebrating its 30^th anniversary at the winter show.

We’ll have a special anniversary gift for each of the first five companies to register their buyers on October 3, when our online registration system opens.

Mark your calendar today so you don’t forget!

"Love in every pot" is a slogan of Boyan Pottery, founded in 2008 in New Hampshire. For contemporary kitchens, Boyan makes fun creamers (above) and sugars.

The show dates are Feb. 18-20, 2012, with a Jewelry Preview on Feb. 17, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

The Buyers Market is the premier wholesale trade show of jewelry, home and fashion accessories, fine craft and gift products made in America and Canada by studio artists.

To register as a buyer or apply to be an exhibitor, see details here.

To contact us, send e-mail to info@rosengrp.com.

For retailer inquiries, please call 800-432-7238, ext. 272.

Want to exhibit with us? Call 800-432-7238, ext. 227

or download our application, available now on the BMAC website.

New Show Director Takes the Helm

Jean — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:16:37 +0000

Rebecca Mercado

BALTIMORE (August 25, 2011) – The Buyers Market of American Craft will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a new show director at the helm: Rebecca Rosen Mercado will guide the premier wholesale market of handmade and American-made products into its fourth decade.

Exhibitors and buyers can expect innovations from Mercado, who brings to her new role the benefit of experience working at the Buyers Market and in key departments at The Rosen Group, the trade show’s parent company founded by her trailblazing mother, Wendy Rosen.

“Rebecca will bring fresh energy and new ideas to the Buyers Market,” says Rosen, president and CEO of The Rosen Group and publisher of AmericanStyle and NICHE magazines. “She will help us attract the next generation of exhibitors, and she’ll be working with me to identify and open new markets for their American-made products.”

Mercado, 31, joined The Rosen Group as the show’s jewelry manager in 2009. She expanded the Green Exhibitor program and helped launch the company’s newest trade show, NICHE: The Show, held during Jewelry Week in Las Vegas. She also has assisted at Buyers Market shows and worked in the public relations department during the past 15 years. From 2004-2006, she was an assistant editor at Crafts Business magazine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in art history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

“I have literally grown up with this company,” says Mercado, “and I have a lot of respect for what the Buyers Market and its mission mean to our artists and retailers. It’s easy to stay motivated when you’re working with such a passionate group of people.”

“Right now, we’re at a crossroads in the business of craft,” Mercado adds. “We all have to be leaner and nimbler than ever to stay relevant, while our industry faces the toughest economic challenges it’s ever seen. But you make it work. That’s the joy of collaborating with resourceful, creative people every day. That energy is contagious.”

Mercado replaces Christine Kloostra, a 10-year Rosen Group employee who began directing the Buyers Market trade shows in 2006. In September, Kloostra will become the marketing director for the Detroit Institute of Arts. To ensure a smooth transition, Kloostra will continue to serve as a consultant for the Buyers Market.

In her new role, Mercado will also oversee NICHE: The Show.

The 30th anniversary Buyers Market trade show will take place February 18-20, 2012, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. The Jewelry Preview will take place Friday, February 17, 2012. For information, send an e-mail to info@rosengrp.com or call 800-432-7238. Learn more at www.BuyersMarketofAmericancraft.com

CONTACT: Jean Thompson at jeant@rosengrp.com or call 800-432-7238, ext. 218

Congratulations: Top 25 Arts Destinations

Jean — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:01:09 +0000

BALTIMORE, Md. (August 15, 2011) — AmericanStyle magazine is proud to announce the 2011 winners of its annual Top 25 Arts Destinations reader poll.

AmericanStyle readers are asked each year to vote for cities that welcome cultural tourism and excite collectors of art and fine craft. Through the poll, the readers tell the magazine about their favorite places to travel to visit art galleries, museums and festivals. They tell the magazine where they shop for art, and often identify new and emerging arts districts as well as old favorites. The rankings are divided so that cities and towns are competing with destinations of similar population size.

“The winning cities are magnets for art lovers and cultural travelers because they support and showcase their local arts entrepreneurs,” says Wendy Rosen, publisher of AmericanStyle.

City convention, tourism and arts promoters covet the AmericanStyle Top 25 Arts Destinations award. The winners’ list is carried annually by hundreds of travel publications and blogs, plus local, national and international news media. Often, the arrival of the award is a cause for celebration as well as news coverage.

On August 20, for example, Rosen will present a winners’ plaque to Mayor David Coss of Santa Fe, N.M., at the annual Indian Market showcasing the arts and culture of Native Americans. Santa Fe has earned a spot in the Top 25 rankings every year since the reader poll was established in 1998, and has placed among the Top 3 cities 11 out of 14 times. This year, Santa Fe took the No. 2 spot for Top Arts Destinations with a population of less than 100,000.

“We are honored to receive this recognition,” says Mayor Coss. “Santa Fe is a very creative community with a long history of supporting the arts. This recognition gives us added incentive to continue to be a creative city.”

Listed below are the top 10 winners in each category. See the complete list of winners, 75 in all, featured at www.americanstyle.com and in the Summer issue of AmericanStyle, now on newsstands and at major booksellers across the country.

Winners in the Big Cities category (populations of 500,000 or greater):
New York, N.Y.
Chicago, Ill.
Washington, D.C.
San Francisco, Calif.
Boston, Mass.
Albuquerque, N.M.
Atlanta, Ga.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Baltimore, Md.
Seattle, Wash.

Winners in the Mid-size Cities category (populations of 100,000 to 499,999)
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Savannah, Ga.
New Orleans, La.
Charleston, S.C.
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Tampa, Fla.
Alexandria, Va.
Boulder, Colo.
Miami, Fla.

Winners in the Small Cities category (populations of less than 100,000)
Asheville, N.C.
Santa Fe, N.M.
Gloucester, Mass.
Saugatuck, Mich.
Sarasota, Fla.
Sedona, Ariz.
Key West, Fla.
Frederick, Md.
Taos, N.M.
Bradenton, Fla.

CONTACT: Jean Thompson, 800-432-7238, ext. 218, jeant@rosengrp.com

For Aspiring Art Entrepreneurs

Jean — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:00:45 +0000

The Visiting Artist Program will provide a two-day workshop in craft entrepreneurship — how to launch a business, develop and promote product lines and price artwork for wholesale and retail sales — on Saturday and Sunday, February 18-19, during the Buyers Market in Philadelphia.

The workshops are tailored for studio-based artists who make and sell jewelry, fashion accessories and designer products for home or office such as tile, pottery, glass art and other fine crafts.

The nonprofit Arts Business Institute runs the program with a faculty of experienced retailers and artists.

Participants will tour the Buyers Market, the nation’s premier wholesale trade show where artists from U.S. and Canadian studios sell their work to galleries, boutiques, museum shops and catalogs.

In addition, participants will receive a portfolio or product critique from retailers and trade show managers.

For more information, visit www.artsbusinessinstitute.org.

30th Anniversary of the Buyers Market

Jean — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:47:28 +0000

Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss the celebration!

The next Buyers Market wholesale trade show will take place Saturday-Monday, February 18-20, 2012, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa.

The Jewelry Preview will take place on Friday, February 17, 2012.

We’re planning a grand party to mark the show’s 30th year on Sunday, February 19, 2012, and we’ll be collecting stories from buyers and artisans who’ve helped make the show a success over the years.

Artisans are encouraged to apply now to exhibit in February. Buyer registration will open in October 2011.

Stay tuned! More details to come.

2012 NICHE Awards Competition

Jean — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:30:22 +0000

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Each year, the prestigious NICHE Awards competition recognizes the best contemporary design by American and Canadian artisans.

Entries are judged on innovation in design, technical merit and marketability.

Professionals and college students are invited to apply, in categories including gold, silver and gemstone jewelry; fashion accessories; fiber arts and quilts; baskets; blown, fused and cast glass; metalwork; outdoor art; tables and seating; cabinetry; teapots and more.

The finalists will be on display at the 2012 winter Buyers Market, February 18-20, in Philadelphia, Pa., where they will be seen by hundreds of buyers from retail stores, galleries and museum stores as well as your peers.

The award Winners will be announced at a ceremony taking place during the Buyers Market on Saturday, February 18, 2012.

NICHE, the trade magazine for retailers of American-made and Canadian-made gift and art products for home, office and fashion, is the sponsor. Winners will be featured in the magazine.

Deadline for entries: September 30, 2011.

Don’t wait! Apply today at www.NICHEAwards.com.