Well, the show is almost upon us…many people have already arrived in Anaheim and the rest of us are frantically preparing. Here’s a last-minute look at what I predict are some trends we’ll be seeing when the doors open on Sunday:
1. It’s all about die cutting.
Die cutting, both manual and electronic will be a hot topic at this year’s show. On the manual side, new exhibitor Dies Direct is a die maker (and involved peripherally in the Spellbinders suit versus Quickutz). New exhibitor Scrapping Cottage is also an independent die maker. Sizzix is introducing hotly-anticipated dies by designer Tim Holtz. Several other companies are coming out with embossing folders that there is much buzz about.
The electronic die side is the really hot category, though. Silhouette America, formerly a division of Quickutz, is another new exhibitor. They are there to display their electronic die cutter. Craftwell – yet another new exhibitor – will also be there to display an electronic die cutter. Sizzix isn’t a new exhibitor but they have a new machine coming called the eClips. Cricut also has been teasing a major announcement, and Making Memories has new products coming for its Slice line.
2. We’re going green.
Several companies were promoting their green certifications or initiatives at CHA-Summer and that will definitely continue at CHA-Winter 2010. Everything from eco-friendly production to eco-friendly booths like the one boasted by Sandylion at CHA-Summer 2009 will be more visible. In fact, one of the new exhibitors, Eco Green Crafts, boasts that it is devoted to supplies made from “non-toxic, recycled, and environmentally-friendly materials.”
3. We’re going patriotic.
A few companies were promoting products at the last show as being “Made in the USA.” Even more companies were selling U.S.-made products but not promoting their origin heavily. As the economy has sunk further and further, Americans have become more concerned about the purchasing of foreign products. “Buy local” is becoming a serious movement. Expect to see more companies who make their products domestically using that fact in their marketing.
4. It’s all about stamping.
Stamping is hot, hot, hot! We saw the start of this in Orlando, with stamp manufacturers doing big business, scrapbook manufacturers releasing extensive collections of stamps as part of their collections, and booths like Paper Trey Ink and Split Coast Stampers attracting huge crowds at the Supershow. At least a half-dozen new exhibitors in Anaheim are stamp companies, and many traditional scrapbooking companies will be emphasizing their stamp offerings.
5. Paper is reborn as digital.
In the past several weeks, two major manufacturers have announced initiatives to sell their older paper catalog designs in digital format: BasicGrey and Die Cuts With A View. Over a dozen other companies are involved in ScrapHD, an effort under construction to sell their designs in a digital format.
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