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Interview with HSA's Joyce Perhac

New programs and new trade shows.

Interview by Mike Hartnett (February 7, 2005)

CLN: How would you describe the state of the sewing industry today?

PERHAC: It�s a very exciting time for the home sewing industry. Like any trade, we have our challenges, but we most certainly have our strengths. One of the core strengths that I see is our power in mass and our power in diversity. As the association representing every facet of the industry, we bring over 800 members together in one forum to promote our mission to "Get People Sewing!" And as we know from some of our research, 35 million American consumers are doing just that.

We�ve witnessed some exciting shifts in this number; more young people are learning to sew and we hear from many sources that more men are starting to sew. The HSA is working hard every day to amplify the message that sewing is fun and easy and anybody can do it. The more we work together � as suppliers, vendors, manufacturers and retailers � the stronger and more successful we will be at winning over new consumers.

CLN: What do you think is the biggest issue facing the industry today?

PERHAC: I believe education is a front burner issue, and it happens to be a top priority for HSA. It is our belief that teaching someone how to sew is just as important as providing a forum for continuing education for sewing professionals. Over the past few years, we have been developing a variety of programs to allow for all levels of educational pursuit.

Our Sew Trendy initiative, designed to engage the younger consumer via a year-long extra- and intra-curricular sewing program in partnership with the Family Career and Community Leaders Association (FCCLA), is in its pilot phase in middle and high schools in four key states. Our feedback from the FCCLA advisers, who are actively involved with students on a day-to-day basis, has been quite enthusiastic. If we teach them well, who knows what can happen?

Over the past two years, we have developed and marketed the Trained Sewing Educator (TSE) program and the Sew Trendy curriculum. The TSE, which launched in eight key cities last fall with an introductory session, will roll out to many more cities and expand to a full, two-day program designed to benefit the teaching professional and ultimately retailers. The program is intended to instruct sewing professionals on important issues, such as how to develop a lesson plan, price teaching services, and market an array of sewing materials. To date, we have trained 464 professionals and anticipate teaching another 500 to 600 in the current year.

CLN: There are now four trade shows (two spring, two fall). How should a prospective exhibitor decide which to support?

PERHAC: In 2004, the HSA was thrilled to announce that we would extend the National Sewing Show (NSS) to a twice-a-year status for our members and other industry businesses. At the March, 2005 NSS, which will be held at the Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV, attendees will find one of the largest collections of buttons, notions , patterns, supplies, equipment and fabrics available under one roof.

Our attendees will also be invited to lectures and seminars providing cutting-edge business information and trend overviews. To date, we�ve been immensely pleased with the response to the roster of speakers we have engaged for the NSS and other HSA sponsored meetings, and believe we will continue to deliver a speaker of the same caliber with Robin Lewis. Robin is the publisher of Robin Reports, a monthly overview of strategic insights in the retailing industry, and former VP and Executive Editor of Women�s Wear Daily, and he will serve as our keynote speaker at the Spring show.

The NSS, under the management of the HSA, debuted a number of new and exciting elements on the trade show floor last fall with the introduction of email kiosks for the convenience of vendors and buyers; the VISIONS style show and the "Store on the Floor," a unique opportunity to see the newest products available at the show displayed in a store-like setting.

(Note: For show information, visit www.sewing.org.)

CLN: What are your goals for HSA?

PERHAC: The HSA has so many goals in our quest to best serve the industry, but if I had to narrow it to a few, I would say educating the trade and the public about the importance of sewing ranks up there. The good news is that we are making significant strides in this area via our educational outreach initiatives like Sew Trendy and the TSE program and we are going to keep on moving ahead.

The HSA also heartily endeavors to serve as a significant resource for lifestyle and global trends, an informational source, and a sewing and special market authority. We are making significant progress on this front as well. We continue to deliver on a dynamic roster of speakers; it thrills us to provide a forum of professional presentations that help our members consider their businesses in new and different ways.

Our web site, www.sewing.org, is rich with information and we continually deliver trend and lifestyle information and ways of making the art of sewing new and fun.

We will also be launching the inaugural issue of HSA Connections, a quarterly newsletter which will be full of concise and important information and tips for the busy trade professional and serve as a way of keeping our members connected.

In the coming months, we also plan to capitalize on our incredible success as an authority on the subject of Halloween. As you probably know, each year, the HSA crafts the list of "Top Ten Halloween Themes," which gets picked up in publications all over the country. We are looking to bring that same level of expertise to the niche markets of prom and bridal.

CLN: The staff at Sew News used to say that women sew clothing for the 3 F's � "Fun, Fit, and Fashion," rather than to save money. Is that accurate?

PERHAC: We promote the same message at the HSA. I particularly like the use of the word "fit," as our association promotes that word with both meanings. First, by sewing and tailoring an item, you will get a perfect fit. Second, we continually remind consumers about the positive and rewarding effects of sewing, which include a sense of accomplishment and a decreased heart rate.

The issue of "fit" is certainly a strong part of our message. But I encourage all of you to remember that we are your association and we welcome your feedback. Please feel free to email me at jperhac@sewing.org.

(Note: To read previous Business-Wise columns, click on the headlines in the right-hand column.)

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