Hit the Floor for Creativation 2019 Show Education!
Juggling schedules to fit in everything you need to do is one of the hardest things about attending a trade show! But help for crunched schedules that want to find some education time at the show has arrived, in the form of the Creativation Schoolhouse and Stage!
[Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post on behalf of AFCI and the Creativation 2019 show.]
Creativation Show logo
At Creativation 2019, the Schoolhouse and Stage will allow show attendees to attend a slate of educational events without leaving the trade show floor. Pop right into your event or class, and when you are done, you are right back in the thick of things at the show, ready to go again!
Clover Needlecraft project - Creativation 2019 Class #W501
Sponsors of workshops at the Schoolhouse, which will be located at booth 2231, include Pink & Main, Catherine Pooler, Studio SN, and Ranger. On Monday, Clover Needlework is hosting two workshops at the Schoolhouse on some very trendy items: needlework & felting [W501, 10am-11:3oam], and macrame {W502, 12:30pm-2pm]. Each of these beginner level workshops is 90 minutes long, and registration is $20 for AFCI members. Rest your feet and learn some new skills!
Clover Needlecraft macrame project
The Creativation Stage, at booth 1324, will be home to a series of business seminars on the Saturday and Sunday (January 19th & 20th) of Creativation 2019. Marketing will largely be the focus of these free events. Attendees interested in email marketing can catch Lindsay Anvik on "Why Email Marketing Isn't Dead" on Saturday [12:00pm-1:00pm] or you can learn from Kaylee Pope at 11:30am on Sunday "Why Your Email Newsletter Isn't Successful" (and how to fix it). You can also learn how to write search engine friendly content, social media timesavers, and the results of AFCI's latest State of the Industry survey at the Creativation Stage. Conveniently close to the concession area, the Creativation Stage is perfect for a "lunch and learn" opportunity! (See the Creativation University schedule for full Creativation Stage session details.)
Another event that will be hosted at the Creativation Stage is the AFCI Awards Ceremony [E405]. This ceremony will honor the 2019 Hall of Fame recipients Ken & Barbara Griffin, and John Laurie, along with other annual award recipients. Honorees will include the Meritorious Award of Honor recipient Richard Brown, the Industry Achievement Award recipient Tammy Browning-Smith, and Special Recognition Award recipient Doug Earle. (For more information on the award recipients, click here.) AFCIs new Retailer Awards will also be presented at this event. The ceremonies will take place from 5:00pm-6:30pm on Sunday, January 20th. A cash bar will be available. Come celebrate the industry's best while making new friends!
Speaking of networking and the industry's best....hands down, the best winter trade show event that I've ever attended was a panel discussion on the state of the industry that AFCI (then CHA) hosted a few years ago. A few of the industry's most experienced and brightest minds answered questions and discussed amongst themselves the big issues facing the industry.
I'm very excited to share that AFCI is re-creating that previous event this year, with a larger panel of experts and a networking reception afterwards for attendees to continue the discussion. The experts include:
Lynn Lilly, CEO/Founder, Craft Box Girls
Mike McCooey, President/CEO, Plaid Enterprises
Bobbie Medema, CEO, Notions Marketing
Ryan Newell, President/CEO, Sprinrite LP
Stacey Park, Owner, Scrapbooking Made Simple
Anthony Piperno, President & CMMO, A.C. Moore
Jennifer Vanderveldt, VP Strategy & Analytics, The Michaels Companies, Inc.
This should be a very enlightening event, and chance to get some perspective from many different parts of the industry in one place. The Creativation 2019 Industry Panel Discussion will take place on Saturday, January 19th from 5:30pm-7:30pm and is free with Creativation badge.
Visit the Creativation 2019 show website to register for these events and others.
