Hi there! My name is Kerri Wickersheim and I’m the marketing director for SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™. I’ve worked in the scrapbooking industry for many years and am excited to be here today as a guest blogger for CK. Since this is CHA Week, I’d like to tell you a little story about my experience at the first ever CHA Craft Super Show (the consumer side of CHA).
It’s a bit after 9am on Friday morning, July 31. There was quite a bustle of excitement as I walk into the Orlando Convention Center, where just yesterday I was working, to now observe the 1st ever CHA Craft Super Show. Women, children & men (more than I’ve ever seen at a craft show) crowd around and line up, anxiously awaiting entry.
Shortly before the doors open, CHA Board Chairman Michael McCooey and the Orlando Mayor open the ceremonies with a welcoming speech. I can feel the crowds’ excitement as their conversations drown out the speakers.
The doors open and bright and smiley faces are quickly flowing through the entrance. The line almost looks endless from the glass doors at the end of the long hallway. As I enter the show, I’m happily greeted by an area that looks like a craft café along with aisles of Craft vendors lining the hall. The first sign I see is the chart of events that happen at Craft Boot Camp, hosted and taught by CHA Spokesperson, Terri Ouellette.
That’s just the way my day began at the CHA Craft Super Show. “Super” is definitely an accurate description.
We, as exhibitors may be used to seeing cameras and productions crews all around, but these craft convention goers are more accustomed to small booths and cashiers collecting their money for everything from scrapbooking embellishments and ribbon to jewelry kits and quilting notions. But this show is different. CHA has set up the floor to really excite our crafting consumer. Besides offering a one-stop-shop for crafters of all mediums, they also experience free make ‘n takes (which was a welcome surprise to most), demos from their favorite manufacturers, inflated jumping castles, face painting and kid friendly crafts in the Kid Friendly Zone. In between all the activities you can enjoy capaccinos, pizzas, hot dogs and all other fun foods even while you’re watching special craft demos in the craft cafes!
Some big box craft chains like Michaels & A.C. Moore were front and center, offering many tables to teach and inspire the crafter with talented designers. There were even TV shows being filmed where you could join an audience watching Jo Pearson from Michaels teach some of her favorite tips & tricks!
I also stopped by the Pioneer Press & Zutter Tools booth where I found Donna Salazar, seasoned designer extraordinaire. Her newest endeavor is a line manufactured by Pinecone Press called Vintage Nostalgia and Winter Wishes. I asked Donna what the Craft & Hobby Super Show means to her. “I’m excited about doing make ‘n takes here because it allows me to speak one on one with the crafter who is actually using my product, that immediate feedback is an invaluable opportunity,” she replied.
I meandered up and down each aisle running into big name designers and some new found friends such as Lauren Ferguson, Margot Potter, and Kathy Cano-Murillo (The Crafty Chica). Upon leaving the hall mid afternoon, I was surprised and happy to see the registration area still filled with newcomers excitingly waiting to get their tickets to the Super Show, Education Workshops and Seminars.
Here’s a shot of the lovely and talented Lauren Ferguson at the CHA Craft Super Show.
CHA planned this out perfectly to ensure no crafter would be left wondering what they should do next. Any visitor’s day would surely be filled from morning to evening and be the new standard of what a Craft Expo should be.
Even after I left, more than an hour after I had arrived, I still saw cars flowing into the parking garage as I was wondering how there was still room in there to fit any more cars! So good job CHA, I think the 1st CHA Craft Super Show is an amazing opportunity for all of us in the Craft & Hobby industry and a catalyst for even more successful and inspiring shows in our future.
-Kerri Wickersheim, Marketing Director, SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™
Thanks, Kerri. We love reading your view of this crafty extravaganza. For more from Kerri and SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L™, check out their Facebook page, their website and Kerri’s blog.
GIVEAWAY
Did you attend the CHA Craft Super Show? If so, we’d love to hear what you thought of it. If not, we’d like to know what you’d like to see most from a craft show. As is our theme this week, we’ll pull a winning comment to receive a CHA prize package.
I did not get to attend the show because we began preplanning at my school that week! I would have given anything to be able to go – I hope they may consider doing it a week earlier for those of us who go back to school earlier.
I did not attend but would of love to.
I didn’t get to go, but I would love to have seen all the new products!
I love to see classes offered, lots of demos, and room to move around.
I didn’t get to go. Besides all the great prodcuts, it would of course be fun to have giveaways or samples!
I did not attend but have been to a CKC once. Tops on my list at an event like this are space to move around, short wait times to get a seat at a make-and-take, enough help/supplies and variety. It’s nice to try new tools you may not have at home, but also to try a new technique or way of using a product you might have at home but didn’t think of. That’s what matters to me. Thanks for asking!!
I would have loved to have been there to see all of the latest and the greates as well as all of the craft ideas!!!
I’m hoping they do this on the West Coast!!!
I never attended but I would love to. The make and take especially sounds like something I’d be very happy to do! Talking to designers would also be great!
I’ve never attended a show, but when I finally get to, I’d like to see the newest product and latest trends in scrapbooking and crafting!
What a great way to wrap up a busy week! I hope the lucky folks who got to attend had a great time.
I would love to see the new products and how they are used
I would have LOVED to be there! It looks amazing! Something I would love to see, and am glad they had, are make and takes. I love make and takes, and to be able to do them with the designer standing right there, coaching you along, would be AWESOME.
I didn’t go, but it’s the new products that I love seeing!
Thanks for the pics! I went to a small show and loved the booths with tutorials…using their wonderful products. If I went to CHA, I’d spend all my time sighing over the goodies and the projects.
I didn’t get to go– maybe next year when it’s on the West Coast– but I would LOVE to do all of the make and takes!!!
I attend CK’s convention in Manchester so I’m used to the booths, make and takes, and the classes. What I find most interesting is seeing the people behind the products. I met Melissa Frances this past May and had a chance to talk to her. I now look for her products. I think that’s the best part. Maybe even a blogger’s met-up would be fun!
It is my dream to attend CHA one year and get to see all the amazing new products in person!!!
I would love to attend CHA someday!!! I think it should be right here in Utah, this is where most of the movers and shakers are!!!
What I like to see most from a craft show is the latest and greatest at VIP prices. I also most get an overflowing amount of samples samples samples that I can copy copy copy. LOL!
I’ve never been to a show, but if I did I would check out all the new lines/product.
I wish I could go to CHA, I continue to hope the next one it will be my time. What I want to see most from CHA? Too much to speak of really. I would want to see all the booths of my favorite manufacturers, Basic Grey, OA, G45, you name it, I plan to bring really great walking shoes
would have loved to go… but did get to. it would be awesome to see all the latest and greatest before it hit the shelves
I didn’t get to go but love to see all the new produts and do the make and takes and of course have a change to win goodies.
would have looooved to go! the new lines/products from everyone are so fantastic
sigh….I so wish I could get there….what I would like to see at a CHA show is…..one in Australia!! HA HA!
I wasn’t able to attend the super show, but from this post, it sounds fabulous. From such a big name in scrapbooking, I’d expect the CHA consumer show to be one of the best: make-and-takes, attention-getting displays and examples of products, as well as plentiful supply of the products – hopefully the newest releases! – for sale.
I have never been to a craft show … but I would want to see new techniques with old products AND new products and surprising ways to use them. Free make and takes? Now that’s what I’m loving! Wow!
I was unable to attend, but if I did go I would be looking for versatile stamp sets and inspiration!
I didn’t attend but I sure would like to and get to see all the new products…that I just couldn’t live without!!
I love getting to see all the new products that will be coming out since I could not attend.
I did not attend, but would love to. I would mostly talk to the people working the booths to get their perspective on their product.
I did not get to go. I have gone to CHA one time and loved it! I love seeing all the new product!!
i would definatley go to the classes and browse booths for inspiration!
Thanks
I’d love to take part in the make ‘n takes!
I didn’t attend it because it’s to far from where I live! LOL But it does look like a lot of fun… I would love to see make and takes… and lots and lots of classes….you can never have to much training in CREATIVITY!!!
I wasn’t able to attend CHA, but I do love seeing all the new collections from all the paper crafting vendors. I saw alot of wonderful Christmas collections online and I can’t wait to start making Christmas cards.
I did not attend but everything discussed here, specifically the demos and make and takes would definitely be what I’d like to see.
I didn’t go… but I would love to see all the new products, and ideas on how to use the products I already have!
I went to cha last summer in chicago but didn’t get to attend this one in orlando. I was really interested in how the consumer show was going to pan out. Thanks for the tour!
I didn’t attend the show, but would love to someday! I’ve been to the CKC in NH a few times (which I love!) my favorite part is spotting and meeting “celebrities” from the industry
I did not get to attend. I do like the CKC at Valley Forge. I am guessing this would be like that in a much grander scale. I love the idea of the free make and takes though. Sounds like a fun day. Thanks for a chance to win.
I didnt get to go this time, but I love seeing all the new stuff and of course the giveaways!
Sadly, I did not get to attend, but there is always next year! I love to see all the new products and new tools! But I think my favorite is all the new paper lines! I’m such a paper junkie!!
If I were able to attend CHA I would love to be on the floor seeing and experiencing hands on all the innovative ways each manufacturer is using their new products (I’d be the make-n-take girl).
I wasn’t able to attend CHA because of the location. I would love to see CHA in the midwest where it is more centrally located for more people to be able to attend.
I think I would most enjoy the samples!
I didn’t get to go, but I really enjoy seeing how the different designers use the products. So much inspiration!
Well, I’ve never been but if I were there I would love to see demo’s, make and takes and product samples. Fun stuff!
I wasn’t able to attend but had a friend that was there. She said it was great; just would have loved to seen more vendors.