285 | Live from NY Now & Shoppe Object
I’m back from a whirlwind trip to New York where over 50 of our Paper Camp alumni were exhibiting at NY Now and Shoppe Object - two wholesale trade shows. It was such a treat to visit with everyone and to see their new products on display. Both shows were buzzing with buyers, press and brands looking to collaborate. The energy was high and orders were being written.
At Paper Camp we like to talk about how selling wholesale is a marathon, not a sprint. And, exhibiting at wholesale trade shows is just one way to get your products in front of your buyers.
Today’s episode is a compilation of short interviews I conducted on the show floors in New York. At NY Now I talked with Ashley Sutton of Hustle & Hope who shared how in within one year of selling wholesale her products are carried in Home Goods & TJ Max, Divya of Mellowworks who launched her Home Decor line at the show, and Desiree of Paper Anchor who moved from the Emerging artist kiosk to her own booth this year.
At Shoppe Object I interviewed Jana of The Completist who traveled from the UK to showcase her new collection of desktop and paper goods and Katie of The Good Twin who shared what it was like moving from NY Now to Shoppe Object.
All of today’s guests are alumni of our Paper Camp program. Our Paper Camp program is the longest-running, most trusted, results-driven wholesale training program. We combine expert coaching, comprehensive content and a rich community to guide & support you in building a profitable, sustainable wholesale brand.
What It’s Like to Exhibit at a Trade Show
Exhibiting at a trade show is no small feat though. There are endless decisions, logistics and shows are a big investment of time, energy and money.
When done well, the payoff of exhibiting comes not only through sales at the shows, but also through new contacts we meet, conversations we have and face time with our buyers, which is where the long-term benefits come into play.
Those face-to-face connections with current and prospective accounts are priceless.
I’d love to introduce you to some of our Paper Camp Alumni who exhibited in New York in February 2023!
Ashley Sutton - Hustle & Hope
Hustle & Hope is the first motivational greeting card company to include free downloadable guides with every single greeting card through a QR code on the back of each card. These products were created and launched with so much intentionality.
Ashley Sutton launched Hustle & Hope in the middle of the pandemic, then bootstrapped her way into wholesale by walking into Noted in Houston and showing them her cards. Soon after, Ashley joined Paper Camp, exhibited at Noted, then—within a year she was in TJMax and HomeGoods (thanks to following up after the show).
Divya Guruju - Melloworks
Divya Guruju of Melloworks exhibited for her third time at NY Now, but this year she did so as part of the Bulletin Curated Collection.
At NY Now, Melloworks launched their home collection, which made being a part of the collection so much more valuable, as it included all product lines, not just stationery.
Launching the new collection at NY Now this year was a great opportunity for Divya, as it felt like trade shows are coming back and people are showing up—stores are back on track for buying at shows and connecting with product makers.
Desiree Perez - Paper Anchor
At NY Now, Desiree Perez of Paper Anchor exhibited for her second time, moving from the Emerging Artist Kiosk to her own booth!
Her 5x10 corner booth allowed her more flexibility in displays and the number of products she could bring.
The Emerging Artist Kiosk is a great entry point for new artists, but for an established brand, a full booth is the way to go in order to show off your full product line!
One piece of advice that Desiree shared was to look into the pre-done booth to ease the amount of preparation and work you have to do.
Connect with Paper Anchor and check out her previous appearance on the Proof to Product podcast chatting about leaving her corporate career.
Jana Starcevic - The Completist
If you’ve hesitated to exhibit at a trade show due to the travel, let me introduce you to Jana Starcevic of The Completist.
Jana traveled to New York for Shoppe Object from the UK to exhibit her collection of desktop and paper goods.
She primarily focuses on international shows, because she’s found that her products fit the needs and desires of the US market. While the market is right, the international logistics are a bit of a problem, but the organizers have helped accommodate this by providing a full one-month window to organize your logistics.
Katie Wilson - The Good Twin
If you’re curious about the differences between exhibiting at NY Now versus Shoppe Object, Katie Wilson of The Good Twin has first-hand experience in this area!
The biggest difference she’s found was that at Shoppe Object your booth is set up for you with white walls and she was able to set up in under 6 hours; compared to NY Now where she would set aside 2 and a half days to build it (Her six-hour set up would have actually been four if she hadn’t made a mistake with her vinyl and got it stuck together.)
In Conclusion,
I love getting to talk with different exhibitors and hear all of their different backgrounds, experiences, and the highlights they have from the show. All of these guests are Paper Camp alumni and they have each been focusing on expanding their wholesale footprint. That means they are working towards:
more stores
larger orders
consistent reorders from their existing accounts.
They've each done an excellent job of reaching their goals. If you are looking for support as you start or scale wholesale, definitely check out our Paper Camp program. It's the longest running most trusted results-driven wholesale program out there.
If you enjoyed hearing from these creators on the trade show floor, make sure you check out episode 248 from May 2022, where we’re live from Noted & SF Now!
Quick links:
Here is a quick recap of the links shared in this episode:
All of today’s guests are alumni of our Paper Camp program. Our Paper Camp program is the longest-running, most trusted, results-driven wholesale training program. We combine expert coaching, comprehensive content and a rich community to guide & support you in building a profitable, sustainable wholesale brand.
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Connect with Katie Hunt
Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.
Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct
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