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Maria Nerius' comments and analysis from the point of view of a consumer, designer, professional crafter, editor, and consultant.

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Review: CHA Winter Shows

"Everyone I talked to had high hopes for 2010 and the new decade....".

by Maria Nerius (February 15, 2010)

The SuperShow.

I attended the show for FaveCrafts.com. I taught needle felting, needlepunch, all about paintbrushes, and how to use molds to cast in the Craft Academy. My classes were full. The attendees were excited about the products and techniques. I also had wonderful product support from Arnold Grummer Papermaking, Plaid, and Clover. Without these manufacturers I would not have been able to teach and give the attendees the products to go home and continue to craft.

I attended many of the special speakers and presentations. I met Deborah Norville. Wyland was outstanding and so inspiring. I stood in line to buy books and have the authors sign them.

I didn't feel the same excitement I felt at the Orlando Craft SuperShow, but there were just as many consumers walking the aisle and they were buying supplies. It was very exciting to have so many opportunities for sewing, knitting, and crochet. I thought I'd see groups of women knitting and crocheting at the show. Maybe we need a spot where the attendees and bring their own crafts and show off what they make.

The only negative I heard about the consumer show was, "I thought this was a craft show, but all I'm seeing is scrapbooking." I heard this over and over as I walked the floor, sat in demonstrations, and easedropped where the attendees were gathering. I felt the same way.

Scrapbooking is cool and has its own shows. I wanted to attend a craft show. I wanted to see more painting, leather crafts, jewelrymaking, soapmaking, chocolate and cupcake creations, party keepsakes, quilting, and maybe even some glass fusing or glass etching.

Yet I love the Craft SuperShow! I volunteered for anything that might need an extra hand. I wanted to walk up and down the aisles telling people to go listen to the Fiskateers or be a part of the Terri-O's Craft Bootcamp!

I hope that CHA continues to have Craft SuperShows because each one is getting better and better. Creative people are starving for inspiration and products. We can grow and profit if we feed that need.

The Trade Show.

The mood on the trade show was varied. It was almost as if we were all taking a deep breath and saying, "I survived 2009 and bravely enter 2010." There was excitement. Provo alone had the energy to light the entire LA area for a year. And bravo to Provo for bringing a craft product. Cricut Cake, to the show floor that celebrated cooking, cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. An excellent example of how a company that has inspired us in scrapbooking will inspire us in general crafting, too.

Normally, I can walk the show floor within two days. I can visit booths, catch up with industry folk, and note what's new, what's been given some new energy, and what's going to blow the consumers' minds. This show I only saw maybe half of all the booths. I saw sewing, yarns, paints, general crafts, stamping, inks, needle arts, and just a hint of anything paper.

I felt I didn't really need to spend time in the scrapbooking or paper aisle because many of those companies had announced everything new they had by social media (Facebook and Twitter). The consumer probably knew of this categories new products before most of the retailers on the show floor.

This show seemed to be about appointments, meetings, and little side chats. Again, I think the industry is taking its pulse and noting that an ambulance doesn't need to be on standby.

At both shows I participated in many live social media events. Tiffany Windsor's Inspired At Home broadcast live radio and Facebook events. I attended Kizer and Bender's Social Media presentation and even hooked the attendees up with a live Facebook event. It was a little sad that the social media class was only half full. Retailers and industry people missed out. This presentation allowed you to bring your laptop, hook up to the web, and create social media accounts with experts right there to help with any problem. Social media is here to stay; best we all keep up to date and make the most of being able to reach our consumers right in their homes.

We had major celebrities on the show floor. Vanna White hosted the fabulous Lion Brand Yarn fashion show (packed the house!). Mark Montano had a line down the aisle for his book signing. Deborah Norville showed off her yarn line at Premier Yarns, and Wyland educated attendees about making sure our children have art. As an industry we need to incorporate celebrities into the promotion of crafting! We aren't taking advantage of these people who are clued into the mainstream of pop culture.

The Press Room was full of some of the best press kits I've ever seen. It was neat, uncluttered and well prepared for all the things we media people need to do such as interviews, videotaping, sending out reports, and getting all the latest information about products and techniques. There was an overwhelming number of web media editors and reporters. Again, as an industry we must embrace technology and social media.

Even as I write this show review I'm still feeling a little vague. I'm always upbeat and excited about anything anyone does in our industry, yet, there was no one direction, product, technique, or promotion that stuck out to me except the Provo campaign. And it was a campaign. It started at the consumer show and flowed right into the trade show. They even threw a party for retailers that was awesome; I felt honored to be invited as press. It reminded me of the old craft industry I grew up in and spent many happy moments of my life in. Excited. Enthused. Pure Energy!

We have great products. We have fascinating techniques that a consumer can spend a lifetime enjoying. Why aren't we doing better? Why aren't we reaching more consumers? A discussion with Mike Hartnett about a virtual tradeshow in the future made me think that we'd lose a bit of our heart if we didn't have the CHA shows to attend, to use to network, to cheer each other on. Costs have gotten too steep for many of our smaller manufacturers to exhibit. A virtual trade show would solve that problem, but even if presented in the most human fashion, it would lack the human touch. Crafting is all about the human touch.

I give a hearty thanks to Steve Berger and his staff. Both the consumer and the trade shows were well organized, and I saw staff waiting to help almost everywhere I went. Everyone I talked to had high hopes for 2010 and the new decade we are entering. Some worries, a few fears, but overall ready to make crafting a bigger part of the world's day.

(Note: Maria Nerius of Nerius House & Co is a craft professional and writer who has worked in the craft and creative industries for over 20 years as an independent contractor. You can reach her by e-mail: Mnerius@cfl.rr.com.)

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