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Creative Leisure News
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Date: February 3, 2003 TABLE OF CONTENTSCOMMENTARY: WHAT A FEW ORDERS WILL DOIt's amazing how quickly moods can change. As the HIA show started, many vendors were, well, grumpy. Their 2002 sales were up but their profits were down, thanks to chains squeezing them and shrinking their margins. Many Michaels vendors ended the year on a down note because Michaels froze orders in early November. They're also concerned about how long Michaels is going before resetting departments -- for example, we hear the needlework department won't be reset this year.Then the show starts. A few retailers enter the booth and say, "I love your new products! When can you ship?" As the show progresses and more buyers say similar things, then the world doesn't look so gloomy after all.
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HIA: OVERALL IMPRESSIONSA very positive, upbeat show. There appeared to be more order writing than usual; independents always place orders, but some chains, particularly A.C. Moore and Hobby Lobby, seemed more proactive this year.The major complaint was the banning of pull carts on the show floor -- caused because a year ago a buyer tripped over a cart, broke her leg, and is suing HIA. The main floor was slow the first day, thanks to buyers insisting on crowding into the New Exhibitor section and then watching the Super Bowl. By the end of the third day, there were 9,783 buyers registered, visiting 1,160 exhibitors in 3,017 booths ... There was a record 276 first-time exhibitors ... International buyers showed up in force -- they had stayed away a year ago, so soon after 9/11. It was clear from the mood of the buyers that chains and independents alike are cautiously optimistic about 2003, regardless of the economy.
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HIA: SHOW REPORTRESEARCH. The HIA Market Research Committee pegged the size of the industry in 2002 at $29 billion, up 13% from 2001. Look for HIA to research the Hispanic market and to report the results this summer. During the show, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Hispanics comprise the second largest minority group in the U.S.MEMORY/PAPER/STAMPING. By far the busiest areas of the show. The categories seem to be overlapping -- a good sign for memory retailers who need new products and activities for their customers. We heard more than once that scrapbooking is slowing down in the areas such as the Northwest where the category is the oldest, but still growing in the Northeast, which was the last area to get hooked ... Memory retailers who looked only in the memory and new exhibitor areas missed countless products, because many traditional craft companies (e.g., Blumenthal, American Traditional Design, Creative Beginnings) had developed appropriate products ... "Lumpy" or embellished memory pages continue to grow, which means a wide variety of "craft" products are now relevant for the scrapbook market ... Journaling is on the rise, too. As one person said, "Journaling is memory as you go." CATEGORIES. There did not appear to be any categories that were spiraling downward ... Beads/jewelrymaking looks very strong for 2003. The market is filled with beads of all types, price ranges, and designs ... Candlemaking looks like it will continue to roll, thanks to new products from companies such as Yaley ... Look for more needlepoint as DMC enters the market in a big way ... 1960's redux: macrame (Grace Publications), tie dye (Duncan), and string art (e.g. Janlynn) ... Purses -- the new additions line from BagWorks ... Food crafting -- Frosting Doodle from Sugarloaf ... Altered books certainly piqued people's curiosity. Design Originals' first book on the subject is already in its third printing ... Latch Hook -- Caron and MPG Textiles ... Glass -- the new Sand Etch program from Armour and countless other products from other vendors ... Fabric -- The new no-sew program, Connect-It! from Daisy Kingdom, caused a real buzz on the show floor. INTERNATIONAL. Scrapbooking is exploding in Australia and growing in New Zealand, but hasn't hit England, yet. Creating Keepsakes has joined with Express Publications to produce an Australian edition of the magazine ... Look for more trade with Viet Nam. Industry veteran Bill Shugarts has established Trade Winds to help companies import from there. (804-364-5406; www.tradewindsinc.com). STORES. Look for Michaels to open two scrapbooking stores in Texas and some Village Craft stores to open as early as this week -- one in Pocatello ... The Tru-Serve hardware collective is encouraging its stores to add crafts ... Target is looking closer at crafts again and we heard that even Kmart, which recently received permission from the bankruptcy court to close another 316 stores, is evaluating the category. STARS. Vanna White attracted a huge crowd as she emceed the Lion Brand Yarn fashion show ... Marie Osmond made appearances, including in the North Light booth. She's writing Papercrafting with Marie Osmond which will be published by North Light this fall. SPEAKERS. The Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell was perhaps the most informative, interesting speaker HIA has ever presented. Former Wal-Mart COO Don Soderquist told some interesting stories about Wal-Mart and spoke about leadership and declining morals in our culture. We heard positive reports about most of the speakers, Supershop seminars, and workshops. Many section meetings were poorly attended. DESIGN. No major changes from the previous year. In other words, there are designs for virtually any consumer's taste ... Licensing continues to grow as vendors hedge their bets and go with established names. PEOPLE. Former Leewards CEO and HIA board member John Popple purchased Creative Vision from Maureen DiVencenzo, who stays on for product development ... Kathy Lamancusa has retired after conducting the Generic Product Workshop for the 14th time ... Industry veteran Susan Ray reports her bead shop in Galena, IL has been profitable from Day 1 ... Don Prince is working with Peter Heinsimer at Westlake Associates ... Danny Estreich is working at Kelly's Crafts ... Jane Berry walked the show -- she's the author of the recently updated Bows book published by Grace Publications. It's one of the industry's all-time best sellers and has been selling for years and years. BUSINESS TRENDS. There is a growing movement of vendors developing special products and services for independents and, of course, for chains. Examples: Fairfield, Fiskars, and Hot Off The Press created programs for independents and Horizon's cardmaking program for Michaels ... Look for an increase in consolidation at the vendor level. Examples: the acquisition by Caron of Bond America and the strong response by vendors to the item in the last CLN about a company for sale. (That item is repeated in "Miscellaneous News" below.) HEARD ON THE SHOW FLOOR. Wal-Mart is planning to increase its sourcing overseas ... A Japanese investment company may open a chain of bead stores in the U.S. ... The toy industry is having big troubles -- Toys R Us just announced it was laying off 700 managers ... The Dallas Market Center is trying to reposition its June Silk show into a craft trade show. MEDIA. Watch for Priscilla Hauser to launch an online painting magazine ... Karen Smith is the new editor for Clapper's The Cross Stitcher ... The Wall Street Journal published a feature story on knitting during the HIA show ... Scrapbook publications -- online and hardcopy -- are mushrooming. Scrapbooking.com, Scrapbook Retailer, Scrapbook Premier, and Stamping Premier to name a few ... The DIY cable network will broadcast its second Scrappin' USA marathon Sept. 27. LEAVING US/MISSING. There was a reception to honor HIA Executive Director Pat Koziol who has resigned effective later this month. There was also a lovely party for Dick and Robin Thompson, two of the most well liked sales reps in the industry, who are retiring ... Popular veteran sales rep Wolfie Rauner missed HIA because his wife, Rose, had a bad fall. She's recovering just fine and Wolfie sends his best to all. (What's an HIA show without a Wolfie joke or two?) FUTURE SHOWS. Next year the show is different. It's in Dallas, not Anaheim; February (5-8) instead of January; and it's Thurs.-Sun. instead of Sun.-Wed. In 2005 it's Feb. 12-15 (Sat.-Tues.) in Atlanta. Then in 2006 it's a weekday show, Jan. 30-Feb. 2 in Las Vegas. Many attendees said they wishes the show would eventually stay permanently in Anaheim.
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HIA: PRODUCT AWARDSMany of the new products are displayed in the Innovations display area. Buyers are asked to vote on their favorites and the winners are announced at the annual business meeting.Judi Kins ( www.judikins.com) won the Buyers' Choice award for the best new product. Other Innovation award winners: Acorn Meadow Designs (www.cookiecraftingplus.com) Artistic Woodworking Armour ( www.armourproducts.com) Blumenthal ( www.buttonsplus.com) Daisy Kingdom Darice ( www.darice.com) FSC Wallcoverings ( www.villagehome.com) Hands On Toys ( www.handsontoys.com) K&S Engineering ( www.ksmetals.com) Provo ( www.provocraft.com) Vintage Workshop ( www.vintageworkshop.com) Wisconsin Lighting ( www.wilighting.com).
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HIA: AWARDS AND ELECTIONSJo-Ann's CEO Alan Rosskamm won HIA's Meritorious Service Award. He served as HIA President for two years ... Dave Ladd of Walnut Hollow received the Lifetime Achievement Award for 30 years of good products and service ... Mike Hartnett won the President's Award for Creative Leisure News and "for his work in providing the industry with information and inspiration" ... Tera Leigh won a Special Recognition Award for her Memory Box Artist Program, which has provided 50,000+ boxes to hospitals free of charge since June 1998. The late Sallie Strauss (Activa) was given a Special Recognition Award for her many years of service and friendship to the industry.As previously announced, Tom Ware (BagWorks) and Richard Brown (Spinrite) were each re-elected to a second three-year term. Elected to their first three-year terms were Dave Bolen (Jo-Ann's), Bob Ferguson (Ferguson Merchandising), and Herb Latinga (Notions Marketing). Bill Reed (Meredith) had previously been re-elected as President of the Board. Karen Ancona (CNA), Bill Gardner (Craftrends), and Robert Workman (Provo) were elected by the membership to serve on the Nominating Committee. They will join three members of the board to choose the board nominees for next year. Winners of the awards for the best press kits were Robert Workman (Provo) and Rudy Heukals (R.H. International) were honored for their service on the board of directors -- their terms had expired.
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HIA: NEW PRODUCTSNo one can see everything offered by the 1,000+ exhibitors. And if we reported on every single one, CLN would be a book, not a newsletter. We will make an attempt, though, to steer you towards many of the new items. Since scrapbooking was the dominant category, in this issue we'll present many of those items -- and cover other categories in our next issue.First, click HERE to see the products in CLN's Online Product Preview. There you'll see photos and info on APG's BabyEyelets division distributes eyelets, rivets, brads, and tools ... Accu-Cut's Baby GrandeMark die-cutting machine ... Crop-In-Style's Stamp Store is a bag specifically designed for stampers ... Gerson's Talking Photo Album and the More Than Memories talking Christmas ornament ... Paper House Productions' 125+ new SKUs for scrapbooks and paper crafting ... Pulsar Paper's 12" x 12" Mulberry Cardstock in 12 colors -- all double-sided with a different complementary color on each side ... Sakura of America's Permapaque fine-point markers are ideal for scrapbooking ... Visual Horizons' CD's with templates for scrapbooks and other crafts ... Westrim's Paper Bliss line of textured, three-dimensional embellishments ... Wyla's Photo Patchworks mounting system for photos, trims, and mementos -- and its Annabel's Scraptacular line of trimmings to embellish scrapbook pages and other projects. To have your products and photos in CLN's Online Product Preview, call Mike Hartnett at 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com. The following are companies with websites who had product info in the press room. There are so many, we'll cover the non-memory products in our next issue. Stickers, papers and totes from Scrappingdreams ... Laser overlays and positionable punches from Ellison ... Designer Shaker Boxes and brads from Idea Tool Box ... New papers from around the world from Savoir-Faire ... Organizer pages from C-Line. Scrapbook and stationery kits and ribbons by Products for the Cure (proceeds to go to breast cancer research) ... Raggedy Ann and Andy and House Mouse stamps from Stampabilities ... The Write Words is a book filled with poems, sayings, and scripture that can be scanned onto memory projects, from Clear Sky Publishing ... Universal eyelet tool from Moodshine Design. Zots -- crystal clear adhesive dots for memory and craft projects -- and Pezzo Laminate chips from Therm O Web. Photo Cube It! offers an interactive photo display picture cube ... Decorative picture matting from Vicki Schober ... Create-Your-Own frame and magnet kit from Mag Time Frames ... Photo Pockets and other memory supplies from Sentimental Playground ... Scrapbook page frame kits from Frameese ... Photo embellishment tools from Quik-Pics ... The original scrapbook page frame from Frame-A-Page. ... Fade-control film to use in place of conservation glass for framing from CP Films (Gila) ... Lighting equipment from Litestage. A new paper line and aMUSEmetz tags -- title tags that match the papers, from Memory Muse Designs ... Scrapbook and stationery papers featuring the art of Debbie Gilder, from Olive Grove Press ... Words for Wishes line of sticker verses for cardmaking and new 5x12 stickers, sticky sentiments, from it takes two ... Clear stickers with a 3-D effect and numerous other memory products from Scrapbook Wizard. Totes on Wheels.com offers, yes totes on wheels ... The new K&Company Photo Express and Memory Express archival storage cases from Cardinal Brands ... Organization products for scrapbooking from Caren's Crafts. Custom photo editing and restoration services for retailers from Digital Custom ... Business resources for retailers from Fun Facts Publishing. Spirit Scraps are color coordinated paper, stickers, toppers and albums of common, non-licensed, school mascot-related images, from 2 Scrappin Sisters ... New page kits, papers, and tags from far and away. Acid neutralizing hand wipes plus other products to keep photos safe and acid free, from un-du ... Cartoon character and object dye cuts from Scribblz ... QuillStrips are 12"x1/8" for memory, cardmaking, stamping, and crafts, from ScrapCuts ... Embellishments for memory, cardmaking, and crafting, from Dolphin Ent. 36 new travel-oriented stickers from Destination Stickers and Stamps ... Create A Sticker machines and other adhesive/laminating products from Xyron ... Scrapbook stickers from Rob n I ... New embroidered sticker designs from Penny Products ... Military-oriented stickers from Uniform Designs ... Holographic scrapbook/stamp papers from Weekend Cropper.
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HIA: QUOTATIONS FROM THE SHOW FLOOR1. [From an independent retailer]: "The killer isn't Michaels' basic prices. Those I can compete with. It's that 40%-off-one-item coupon that gets me."2. [Former Wal-Mart COO Don Soderquist quoting Colin Powell]: "You can serve people but not satisfy them. But you can't satisfy them without serving them" 3. [A vendor, regarding chains freezing their re-orders]: "You know what empty peg hooks are? Those represent the items that are selling." 4. [From Thomas Faranda, speaker at the International Luncheon, quoting Marshall McLuhan]: "We don't know what's happening to us. And THAT is what's happening to us."
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MICHAELS: PLANS FOR THE FUTUREThe January 27th edition of DSN Retailing Today featured a lengthy, very positive cover story about Michaels. While much of the article contained commonly known information, there were some interesting nuggets:EXPANSION. Officials think the saturation point for the chain is about 1,300 stores, including another 60 in Canada. The current store count is about 759. ... The average ticket price is $18. That will probably have to increase if the company is to reach its goal of raising average store sales from $3.7 million to $5 million by 2006. INVENTORY TESTS. The current prototype store, where officials tinker with the product mix, is in Southlake, TX. Officials told DSN that they will expand scrapbooking, wedding, apparel crafting, yarn, candymaking, baby shower accessories, and kids' crafts. Areas that will shrink include candles, baskets, dried florals, and readymade frames. SMALLER STORES. The Village Craft stores will average about 12,000 sq. ft., with sales/sq.ft. about the same as a regular Michaels store. That means annual sales of $2.2 million. There are currently four Village Craft stores, with more to open this month. DSN reported officials estimate there is room for about 150 Village Crafts stores in towns with a population of 70,000 - 90,000. AARON BROS. Michaels' framing/fine art chain has about 150 stores and contributes about 5% ($150 million) to the company's overall revenue. There are plans to eventually expand the chain to 600 stores. MISCELLANEOUS. CEO Michael Rouleau's long-term plan is to have an "idea store" with additional customer service, classes, demos, etc. ... He has invested about $130 million in technology since he arrived in 1996.
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THE PHONE COMPANY PROMOTES CRAFTS?Here's an example of how pervasive crafts has become. Larry Duncan (Duncan Ent.) forwarded a note to me from SBC, one of the largest telecom companies in the world. He assumes it went out to millions of their customers throughout the country. Larry says, "They wouldn't focus on crafting unless they felt it would be of significant interest to a large percentage of their audience." Larry's right.It's a very long article promoting knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitch, kids' crafts, macrame, applique, beadworking, woodworking, quilting, scrapbooking, soapmaking, candlemaking, plus the hundreds (thousands?) of online craft groups and tutorials. The customer email finishes with a list of tens of appropriate links. Interspersed throughout the article were small plugs for various SBC phone services. Clearly SBC believes associating itself with crafts is good business. Good for us, too.
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EMAIL: THE FUTURE OF DECORATIVE PAINTING(Note: If anyone should know about the state of decorative painting, it's the category's most famous personality, painter/author Priscilla Hauser. Here are some of her thoughts regarding recent analyses of painting that have appeared in CLN.)I know decorative painting (in whatever form, there are so many) is a STAPLE. It will always exist. There will be times when one form or another will be extremely popular; other times, not as popular. As always, a lot of the popularity has to do with promotion. Decorative painting uses a wide variety of materials, so for the retailer it can be an important source of sales. For the painter, it is fun and rewarding, plus there are the benefits of creating gifts, decorating one's home, teaching others, and selling items for profit. The issue of age is baloney; the real issue is time. Today in many young families both the husband and wife work. There isn't a lot of extra time for crafting and painting. The average age of a Society of Decorative Painters' member is middle-age plus, but this group of people for the most part didn't work outside the home, and therefore had more time for painting and crafting. The quick-and-easy issue can be achieved -- not only with painting, but with all forms of crafting. It just takes altering techniques to fill the need of the market. The price wars with paint and the search for that new and exciting painting surface will always exist. But that doesn't hurt the heart of what decorative painting is about: This wonderful art form brings joy to every age group, from our children to our seniors. -- Priscilla Hauser (Note: Priscilla is not just mouthing platitudes here. Soon she will launch a new online magazine for decorative painters and novices.)
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RANDOM NOTES, RANDOM THOUGHTS1. Recently a large vendor called about an innovative promotion he'd worked out with a major retailer. It really was very clever and should have been highly successful. So I drove to the chain's local outlet to see it for myself. It was nowhere to be seen. I asked the department manager and she had no idea what I was talking about.That story is indicative of one of the industry's biggest frustrations: A vendor and buyer work out a special promotion or display, lots of time and money are spent on the project, and then it isn't implemented properly at store level. I'm sure it's just as frustrating for the chain buyer as it is for the vendor. There were some fabulous displays at the HIA show, but we will never see some of them in the stores. If I were a vendor, I would work hard to make my new lines easy and simple for store clerks to unpack and stock. 2. I think Peter Russo of New Approach Development is one of the most perceptive people in the industry. During the HIA show he used the phrase "fusion crafts," which is starting with an activity that consumers are already comfortable with, and then having them take one "craft" step further. Everyone is confident about placing a photo in an album or using a microwave. So it's not much of a step to move a consumer from an album to a memory book or from heating a frozen dinner to melting candle wax or soap. "Fusion crafts" -- a good thought to keep in mind when developing new products.
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MISCELLANEOUS NEWSAWARDS. Winners of Michaels' first annual Partnership awards were Halcraft, Wilton, Don Mechanic, and Loew Cornell.JO-ANN'S. Chad Buscho was promoted to VP/Store Operations. After working at Michaels and Kmart, he joined Jo-Ann's in 1998 and most recently had been Divisional Merchandise Manager/Crafts ... Becky Jones was named VP/General Merchandise Manager. She had been a Divisional Merchandise Manager at Wal-Mart where she was in charge of fashion categories such as hosiery, accessories, handbags, etc. NEEDLEWORK. TNNA's San Diego show was the largest in its history. There were 242 exhibitors (up 5%) in 565 booths (up 7%). 1010 individuals (up 14%) attended representing 590 companies (up 18%). The mood was very upbeat with lots of order-writing. For info on the TNNA summer show, call 740-455-6773; fax 740-452-2552; email tnna.info@offinger.com; or visit www.tnna.org. FLORALS. Email from an exhibitor at the Holiday Expo show: "Traffic was better than expected (of course expectations were not high). Big news is that AFIA and the Dallas Market Center are developing a plan to eliminate the temporary exhibits on the 13th floor of the Trade Center and move them into the International Floral Design Center building. I think this is a good move as it will move buyers and sellers together with permanent show rooms." ACQUISITION. Caron acquired substantially all assets of CC Product Co./Bond America, manufacturers of the Ultimate Sweater Machine, Wyr Knittr, Tassel Master, and Magicord product lines. Bond President Cari Clement will be Marketing Director for Bond America products and remain Editor of Ultimate Knitting magazine. COMPANY FOR SALE. Profitable manufacturer with sales of $5+ million. Product lines range from basics to up-trending categories. Customers: Sells to all the major craft chains and independents. Facilities: Buildings are also available for purchase. For more information, call Mike Hartnett in complete confidence at 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com. ACQUISITION. The Berwick acquisition of substantially all of the assets of C.M. Offray has been completed. CSS Industries, traded on the N.Y. Stock Exchange under CSS, is the parent company. ACCI. Officials report booth sales for the show in Rosemont (Chicago) July 18-20 are way up compared to this time a year ago. This month ACCI will unveil its Virtual Trade Show on its website, www.accicrafts.org. Exhibitors will be able to "display" new products and offer project sheets to download. It will be available to all companies signed up to exhibit at the "real" show. For a registration form, click HERE or call 888-360-2224 or 740-452-4541. NEEDLEWORK. Kent State University is now offering a for-credit class, "Needlearts 101: Fashioning the Future." The Ohio university's School of Fashion Design and Merchandising is also working with TNNA for a lecture series, "Fashionomics." The programs bring TNNA professionals to speak about the business and economics of needlearts and to provide hands-on training in knitting, crochet, embroidery, needlepoint, cross-stitch, and couture with embellishments. The teacher, Dr. Catherine Amoroso Leslie, said, "I can't believe the response of the students ... and they've only just begun to learn to knit ... They're knitting in their dorms, in the library, in the classrooms. They're absolutely hooked!" PEOPLE. Industry veteran Jim Tierney is Dir. of Imports for Promotions Unlimited. REPORTS. Michaels will release its January, 2003 and fiscal 2002 sales results this Thursday, and will host a conference call at 7:30 a.m. CST to discuss them. To participate, call 973-633-6740. To access the call via the Internet, visit www.michaels.com at least 15 minutes early to register and download any necessary audio software. A replay will be available shortly until Feb. 13. Access the replay at the website by calling 973-341-3080, PIN 3396323. RECALL. Liquitex is recalling item #LQ5016 Gloss Medium and Varnish, LOT #2036 2218009. (The lot # is located on the left side of the label. It's printed horizontally above the UPC code - which is printed vertically). The batch had been mislabeled. MARTHA. Martha Stewart is finally talking about the SEC's investigation into her alleged insider-trading activities in the current issue of the New Yorker. MEDIA. Coverage of our industry seems to be everywhere. The current issue of Dressage Today has an article suggesting readers make scrapbooks of photos of their horses ... ... The Feb. issue of In Style highlighted NSI's Bedazzler and suggested the hostess of bridal showers hire "a knitting, watercolor, or other expert through your local craft store to lead group projects for bridal mementos." QUOTATION. Remember the simple act of pasting a few black-and-white photos, a valentine, and maybe a flattened carnation corsage into a photo album? Today, it's a verb: "to scrapbook." And in our "let's-go-overboard-and-then-fret-about-how-stressed-we-are" age, it's yet one more thing to feel guilty about. -- Kathy Sena, editor of Woman's Day, in her column in the Feb. 11 issue.
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BUSINESS PROFILE: THE ART GLASS ASSOCIATIONThe Art Glass Association (formerly Art Glass Suppliers Assn.) is an international, non-profit organization established in 1986. Its purpose is to create awareness, knowledge, and involvement for the growth and prosperity of the art glass industry.The association has 940+ members -- manufacturers, publishers, retailers, studios, wholesalers, teachers, designers, consultants, and sales reps. A new membership category, "Consumer Affiliate Members," allows art glass enthusiasts to participate in certain association activities and opportunities. Business members enjoy many profit-boosting services including free listings on the association's website; low cost, professionally developed, color brochures for promotion purposes; merchant credit card processing; and group health insurance. Beginning March 1, they will receive 10-15% discounts and other benefits from the Nu-Era Group, a service provider of retail supplies and store fixtures. Discounts of up to 15% on Airborne Express shipping from Nu-Era, as well as payroll and HR services discounts, also will be offered. The AGA Manufacturer Warranty Booklet is published quarterly online with current contact information available regarding manufacturer and publisher members. Starting in March, Member Group Reports will be published bimonthly online for manufacturers, retailers, studios, and wholesalers. Each will address the needs and news relevant to its business category. April's Celebrate Art Glass Month will launch AGA's first annual international competition, Art of Glass -- A Juried Show. Member studios and retailers will hold local contests among their non-professional patrons, then enter the winning works in the international competition. International winners will be featured at the association's annual conference and Art Glass Show. Support material includes brochures with entry forms and rules, a counter display rack, posters, balloons, and press release forms. The association's annual conference and Art Glass Show features 95+ trade exhibits; Art Glass Festival, a day open to the public to encourage consumer participation; an annual member meeting and party; and an extensive education program, which includes 300+ hours of instruction addressing business skills, art glass techniques, safety legislation compliance, retail and studio operations, and more. This year, the Art Glass Show and educational conference will be held July 18-20 in conjunction with the Association of Crafts & Creative Industries (ACCI) show in Rosemont (Chicago), Illinois. Show dates are July 18-20, with education seminars beginning July 16. ROLODEX. P.O. Box 3388, Zanesville, OH 43702-3388. Call 740-452-4541 or 888-866-2472; fax 740-452-2552; visit www.artglassassociation.com.
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THE CREATIVE NETWORK: JOB OPENINGSTo see a sampling of the current job openings and to contact The Creative Network, click on the "Jobs" button in the left hand column.
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THE CLN RETAIL INDEXA. C. Moore (ACMR). Last*: 13.93 ... Change**: -0.07Hancock Fabrics (HKF). Last*: 16.80 ... Change**: -1.13 Jo-Ann Stores (JAS.A) [a]. Last*: 26.18 ... Change**: -0.17 Michaels (MIK). Last*: 33.75 ... Change**: -1.75 Rag Shops (RAGS). Last*: 3.10 ... Change**: UNC Wal-Mart (WMT). Last*: 47.80 ... Change**: -2.12 CLN Retail Index. Last*: 141.56 ... Change**: -3.6% Dow Jones Index. Last*: 8,053.81 ... Change**: -6.2% *Jan. 31 ** from Jan. 17 [a] voting share Prices are exclusive of dividends
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DON LUMADUEA fixture at HIA shows since before many of us were born, Don died of a heart attack as he drove to the airport to attend this year's show. A big, burly, grizzly bear of a guy with an enthusiastic, kind word for all. Usually a poem, too.Don had attended 40-some consecutive HIA shows -- to our knowledge a record. Somehow it seems appropriate that he died on his way to yet another show. He was the owner of Hobby Crafts, a wholesale operation in New London, CT. But his true love was poetry and speaking his mind. One thing you could always count on at HIA's annual business meeting was Don speaking his mind, and often reading a poem. He was one of the many people who truly make this industry special, memorable. And he will be missed. Casey Casebolt, Sales/Marketing VP at Gerson, sent the following note: What a shock. I sat and thought about this for a long time that night and composed a little lyric I would like to share with you. I have never written a poem in my life but thoughts of Don at the microphone at the end of each business meeting compelled me to do so. It ain't great but the intent and feeling are there: He was a guy known to us as Don, Who loved his crafts business for fun. We will always remember his face, As he stood at the mike to state his case. His poetry was legendary and usually long, And I guess sometimes we wished for a song. But now, with him gone, poetry is blue, And I sure do miss Don Lumadue!!!
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REMINDERS1. For more information on how your business can be the subject of a "Business Profile" or have products/photos included in the "CLN's Online Product Preview, call Mike Hartnett at 309-925-5593 or email mike@clnonline.com.2. Paid subscribers are invited to have their website evaluated by Lynn Carlisle of Carlisle Communications. She'll check the site and provide a confidential assessment and suggestions for improvement. Just email mike@clnonline.com or ljc@carlislecommunications.com. 3. If you want a hard-copy of this issue, click on "Printer Friendly version". 4. If your company is a paid subscriber, everyone in the main office is welcome to register, free. Just click on "Current Subscribers Click Here To Register." 5. If you want to recommend CLN to a friend, use the "Tell Your Friends" box on the home page. 6. Creative Leisure News is published on the first and third Mondays of each month. Your next issue will be Monday, February 17.
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