Thank You, Greeting Card Association, For Your Support!
Submitted by sandi on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 13:11
Anyone who has been following my blog entries knows that most of my posts are politically oriented toward Marriage Equality and Equal Rights for ALL American citizens. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am passionate on these subjects and that is why I decided to create the cards you find in this site to begin with.
But today I want to share a little about the greeting card industry itself and specifically the Greeting Card Association. Last year, I joined this group and had the opportunity to attend their convention in Scottsdale, AZ in October. It was a wonderful experience for me to attend that event.
First, it put me in an arena where I was able to get to know and exchange ideas with so many people who are involved in the business of greeting cards, from Hallmark and American Greetings to other small companies like mine and every sized company in between. Also, the trade magazines were there; paper and finishing vendors were there; Xerox Corporation was there to talk about digital printing; people from the trade show company were there; and others who had information on licensing, etc. were there too. A wealth of information to be had, and everyone was very generous in sharing it. I was asked to video my remarks about my experience at the convention. Here is my video debut!
Second, the support I felt I got from that meeting. This is the nicest group of people you will ever meet. Go figure! They are all in the business of being nice to people - by creating the greeting cards you are looking for to send to your friends and loved ones on their birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, illnesses, vacations, new homes, you name it. In fact, we even refer to this business as the "appreciation business". We create a vehicle for you to show your love, support and appreciation for the people you care about.
Third, the venue was great. We stayed in a lovely Kimpton Hotel called. It was a great place to have a meeting as well as to relax and enjoy oneself at the same time. The hotel was beautiful, the food was good, the staff was friendly and efficient, the grounds were welcoming and pretty and the location was close to downtown Scottsdale proper - walking distance. Of course, not many of us walked as the temperature outdoors was in the 100's, but we could have walked if we wanted to. The hotel did provide transportation to the downtown area and the nearby mall, however. I like the Kimpton Hotels. They are gay friendly, pet friendly and just - well, you know - friendly.
By attending this event, I finally felt that I was part of this industry as a valid entity. That was very valuable since I had been moving ahead on my own until then, just learning by experience and by what I could teach myself from internet sources and reading materials. It was so nice to talk to other small businesses like mine and find that they felt the same as I did. It was wonderful to talk with the owners of much larger companies and get real advice on so many things. And it was comforting to be treated as a peer to all the folks there.
During this event, I learned about the Greeting Association's LOUIE Award. This is their equivalent to Hollywood's Oscars. We are allowed to submit our designs for consideration under a number of categories. The process for adjudicating the entries is arduous and stringent. And to be a finalist is an honor in itself. To win is - well, like the Oscars - fantastic!
I just learned that one of my submissions has been chosen as a finalist in the "Rising Star" category. I am so happy about this. I now feel even more legitimized by this respected organization. And I think that the subject matter and intent of my cards is recognized as important and meeting a real need. Remeber, it is estimated that 10% of the American population is a member of the LGBT community. That is about 31 million people! And every one of those people must have at least one person who cares enough to send them a card for their wedding, commitment ceremony, anniversary, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc. I am just trying to meet that need in a way that is tasteful, subtle and elegant.
So I want to say "Thank you, Greeting Card Association, for your support and encouragement!" It means more to me than you can imagine.
But today I want to share a little about the greeting card industry itself and specifically the Greeting Card Association. Last year, I joined this group and had the opportunity to attend their convention in Scottsdale, AZ in October. It was a wonderful experience for me to attend that event.
First, it put me in an arena where I was able to get to know and exchange ideas with so many people who are involved in the business of greeting cards, from Hallmark and American Greetings to other small companies like mine and every sized company in between. Also, the trade magazines were there; paper and finishing vendors were there; Xerox Corporation was there to talk about digital printing; people from the trade show company were there; and others who had information on licensing, etc. were there too. A wealth of information to be had, and everyone was very generous in sharing it. I was asked to video my remarks about my experience at the convention. Here is my video debut!
Second, the support I felt I got from that meeting. This is the nicest group of people you will ever meet. Go figure! They are all in the business of being nice to people - by creating the greeting cards you are looking for to send to your friends and loved ones on their birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, illnesses, vacations, new homes, you name it. In fact, we even refer to this business as the "appreciation business". We create a vehicle for you to show your love, support and appreciation for the people you care about.
Third, the venue was great. We stayed in a lovely Kimpton Hotel called. It was a great place to have a meeting as well as to relax and enjoy oneself at the same time. The hotel was beautiful, the food was good, the staff was friendly and efficient, the grounds were welcoming and pretty and the location was close to downtown Scottsdale proper - walking distance. Of course, not many of us walked as the temperature outdoors was in the 100's, but we could have walked if we wanted to. The hotel did provide transportation to the downtown area and the nearby mall, however. I like the Kimpton Hotels. They are gay friendly, pet friendly and just - well, you know - friendly.
By attending this event, I finally felt that I was part of this industry as a valid entity. That was very valuable since I had been moving ahead on my own until then, just learning by experience and by what I could teach myself from internet sources and reading materials. It was so nice to talk to other small businesses like mine and find that they felt the same as I did. It was wonderful to talk with the owners of much larger companies and get real advice on so many things. And it was comforting to be treated as a peer to all the folks there.
During this event, I learned about the Greeting Association's LOUIE Award. This is their equivalent to Hollywood's Oscars. We are allowed to submit our designs for consideration under a number of categories. The process for adjudicating the entries is arduous and stringent. And to be a finalist is an honor in itself. To win is - well, like the Oscars - fantastic!
I just learned that one of my submissions has been chosen as a finalist in the "Rising Star" category. I am so happy about this. I now feel even more legitimized by this respected organization. And I think that the subject matter and intent of my cards is recognized as important and meeting a real need. Remeber, it is estimated that 10% of the American population is a member of the LGBT community. That is about 31 million people! And every one of those people must have at least one person who cares enough to send them a card for their wedding, commitment ceremony, anniversary, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc. I am just trying to meet that need in a way that is tasteful, subtle and elegant.
So I want to say "Thank you, Greeting Card Association, for your support and encouragement!" It means more to me than you can imagine.
