Progressive Greetings Live, the only trade show dedicated to greeting cards, is creating space for greeting card artists and designers to exhibit at its 2012 show which will run on 29 and 30 May at the Business Design Centre in London.
Following requests from artists and visitors, the show’s floor plan has been re-drawn to incorporate an ‘Artists’ Quarter’, where specifically built stands will offer artists the opportunity to show their portfolios.
2012 will be the fourth time the show has run, and whilst much of its presentation will remain unchanged, organisers will be introducing new features and content to the show.
“We learn from every show,” said joint show director Warren Lomax, “and the feedback from exhibitors and visitors really does affect how we approach the content and layout each year. Our fourth show will still offer all the elements we know people love – the ‘level playing field’ approach to exhibiting, the free tea and coffee, lunch and Opening Night party – but we also want to reflect how the greeting industry works, which is why we have introduced a special Artists’ Quarter. We wanted to find a cost effective way of getting this key group of talented people into the show, because we are confident the exposure will work for them and our visitors.
“We recognise that greeting cards are a great route to revenue and exposure for artists, and not all publishers create their own designs, so we are simply recognising a relationship that already exists. Plus, increasingly the show, and the greeting industry in general, is attracting more interest from licensors and image buyers, who want to access original designs and images.”
The 2011 show encompassed 254 exhibitors, including a much larger ‘Springboard@PG Live’ section which is dedicated to start up or emerging publishers. The show also attracted strong export and overseas support with representation from 39 countries.
“We were delighted with how the 2011 show went,” said joint show director Warren Lomax, “The greeting card sector rose to the challenge of putting on its own stand alone show, and the buyers really seem to appreciate what’s on offer – especially getting access to publishers across the board, from the established to the brand new.
“We’ll be introducing more new ideas for 2012 – this is a creative, fast-moving industry and we want the show to be leading from the front when it comes to new ways of doing business and making the most of the design talent this industry represents!”