Craft Focus - Apr/May (Issue 66)

Exhibitors and visitors flocked to Phoenix, Arizona in January to see the latest trends on display at this year’s Creativation show US trade show season kicked off in style this January with Creativation, the Association for Creative Industries’ 77 th annual conference. Taking place at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona, the five-day event is the largest of its kind in North America, and attracted 300 exhibitors and 3,000 attendees from 53 different countries. Once again, the show was the launchpad for many new products, and featured an extensive conference and networking programme, with 160 workshops, seminars, demonstrations and events. “Numerous suppliers have told us that they had a very successful show, and retailers and influencers commented on the excellence of the education program and range of networking events,” says Mark Hill, president and chief executive officer at AFCI. “We set out to help the industry learn, connect and discover, and we achieved.” SETTING THE TRENDS A range of exciting new trends debuted at the show, including paint pouring and marble techniques, paper flowers, travel journals, shaker cards, hand-lettering and a variety of animal patterns including llamas, sloths, flamingos and other birds. Spotlight areas included the Edible Arts Pavilion, sponsored by Satin Ice, which highlighted cake decorating and sweet making supplies, as well as the Fashion District, which showcased needlecraft, sewing and textile tools. “We can’t imagine launching our year without this show,” says Laurie Karian of Gel Press by Polygel. Gel Press was one of 43 companies that took part in the New Product Showcase, where hundreds of visitors and media were able to take a sneak peek at new trends before the show opened. “I would encourage any person or company to attend Creativation if you’re currently in, or want to be in, the creative industries,” adds Mark Lee of Dream Solutions Marketing Corp. “Attending the event will be an investment in your future. It doesn’t matter if you’re a designer/service provider, retailer, distributor, importer or manufacturer. If you want to grow your business, you need to be where the action happens.” TALKING POINTS Shama Hyder, chief executive officer at The Marketing Zen Group, delivered the keynote presentation, with practical advice and case studies to help retailers, manufacturers and creative professionals improve their customer experience in the digital age. In addition, a general session led by executives at Crayola discussed shopper insights on the subject of children’s crafts. The talk focused on macro trends that are driving sales, such as education, screen addiction, the desire to disconnect and social sharing. A series of iDiscover chats focused on international trade, and Sara Davies MBE, founder of Crafter’s Companion talked about business in the UK, VAT and channel management tactics. David Gilliver of Initiative Handarbeit discussed opportunities within the textile industry in Germany, which he valued at $1.25 billion USD. Likewise, Taskashi Kimura of the Japan Hobby Association shared trends from the island nation, which has a craft industry worth $8.9 billion USD. The association named the BowVy Cutter, a cordless, hot filament cutting tool as the Top Creative Innovation of 2018, while Karyn Ranzau, inventor and owner at Little Pink Ladybug won The Ultimate Pitch, a competition that recognises products and techniques that create new opportunities in the industry. Karyn plans to use her prize money to develop and test prototypes for furthur accessories. Next year’s show will take place from 17 th to 21 st January, also at the Phoenix Convention Center. going stateside SAVE THE DATE Creativation 2019 17 th -21 st January Sara Davies, founder of Crafter’s Companion, says: “Crafter’s Companion had a hugely successful show at Creativation 2018, with our biggest showcase of products, inspiration, and education in the US to date. Fans of the Gemini machine had the chance to meet the brand-new Gemini Junior, as well as exploring mixed- media techniques with our hands-on demonstrations. Industry experts enjoyed discovering new offerings from Spectrum Noir, with the new smooth-flowing metallic markers quickly becoming a hit. We could not have been more pleased with the overwhelming responses from our customers, old and new!” Creativation creativationshow.org 66 craft focus