• ATTENDANCE: Up by Nearly One-Third!
• LIGHTS!  ACTION!  CAMERA Roams the Show
• BUYERS: Who Was Who in the Aisles
• Meet the Press (they were impressed)
• First-Timers Shine Like Old Pros
• How Tweet It Was!
• Up Next: SURTEX 2010

SURTEX 2009 OVERTURNS GLOOMY FORECAST:
ATTENDANCE – AND EXPECTATIONS – RUN HIGH

Who’s afraid of the big, bad economy?  Judging from the activity in the aisles of SURTEX 2009, not the manufacturers of the world who depend on licensed artworks for the products they’ll be selling in 2010. 

As GLM Vice President and Show Manager Penny Sikalis observed, “The activity we saw at this stage of the supply chain bodes well for an up-tick in manufacturing.  We can expect manufacturers to produce more product, which calls for more licensed art.” 

Despite the gloomy economy that clouded some expectations, the number of registrants for SURTEX was actually up a rousing 29 percent over last year’s show, Penny reported.  She credited the strong turn-out, in part, to the new location on the main level of the Javits Convention Center, directly adjacent to the National Stationery Show® (NSS) and closer to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair® (ICFF).

“There was great synergy between the shows,” Penny said.  There were 230 exhibiting companies at SURTEX, plus some 800 in NSS, and another 560 in the ICFF.  Many of the latter two are potential business prospects for SURTEX exhibitors, she pointed out.  “We saw a lot of cross-traffic, which is why we’ve been struggling since l997 to get things on one level.”

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HOW TO DRAW A SHOW CROWD? HERE’S ONE DOGGONE GOOD IDEA

Never share the stage with a dog?  SURTEX exhibitor Johanna Purmort up-ended that old theatre tradition with great success, crowding her booth wall-to-wall with dogs…which soon led to crowds of people, too, she reports happily.

A “new-age artist,” indeed, Johanna uses computer technology to turn photos of animals into paintings printed on canvas with archival inks.  Dogs are her pet subjects – “I don’t do people,” she explained. “The computer makes human beings look weird!”

Occasionally, there’s a horse, cat, or another species of sitter, but dogs rule in the Designs for Hire studio Johanna set up in Newport Beach, CA, just a few years ago after a two-decade career in advertising.  “I was always interested in art, but my mother worried that I’d never make a living!” she reported. 

One serendipitous class in digital media did the trick, said Johanna, who’s now loving her “dream-life come true.”  Which can be even larger than life, thanks to computer technology.  She’s working on a 40 x 40-foot portrait of a black lab to go in a four-story-tall Laguna Beach entry hall.

Her stack of other commissions now includes a portrait of a shih-tzu named Coconut Crème, the beloved “third daughter” of Michelle and Jerry Kurtzweil of Illinois.  Vice President of Publications International, Ltd., in Lincolnwood, Jerry won the raffle Johanna set up to help drive traffic to her SURTEX booth, a $3,000 value.  Lucky dog!

A WORLD OF BUYERS BEAT A PATH TO SURTEX ‘09

They came from businesses of all types and sizes, from countries all over the world, and in numbers strong enough to boost attendance figures an impressive 29 percent higher than last year’s show.

Attendees at SURTEX 2009 represented some 25 different countries, among them, Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, The Netherlands, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and Venezuela.

Companies who sent agents to shop for new art and design ideas literally ran the gamut from A, as in American Greetings, to Z, as in Zak Designs.  Others on the (partial) list, were:

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EXHIBITORS BASK IN INTENSIFIED MEDIA ATTENTION

Spurred by an intense media campaign led by new public relations consultant Kay Degenhardt, key editors from the art, design, and business press turned out in record numbers to cover the news from SURTEX 2009.

The PR push is an important element in GLM’s support program, aimed at increasing interest in the show and garnering media exposure for individual exhibitors, said Penny Sikalis, vice president and show manager.

A well-known public relations professional – as well as a long-time licensing agent herself – Kay has an insider’s understanding of what makes licensing news and how to get it published, broadcast, Twittered, and blogged.  The increased press attention came as an exciting surprise to SURTEX exhibitor Kate Spain:  “It seemed that several of the style editors really saw the possibilities laid out in my storyboards.  That was a lovely surprise!”

Added Monica Dietrich, PM Design Group, Inc., “Kudos on efforts to get the press to pay attention to what we are trying to show.”

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Don’t even think the phrase, “beginners’ luck” around artists Betsy Cordes, Pamela Nudel and Amy Suther.  Together, they represent more than four decades of experience in graphic design and art direction.

Besides, for them it’s the number 13 that’s lucky, as in February 13 Creative, their San Francisco art and design studio that made its debut at SURTEX 2009.  Named for their birthday in common (all three are Aquarians), February 13 Creative came to the show planning “just to introduce ourselves to a wide audience of manufacturers,” as Betsy explained.

But they came with “plenty of fresh and delightful new art in our portfolio,” and they went home with one contract already in their pocket – for Robert Kaufman Fabrics 2010 holiday line – and a “knee-deep” stack of contacts to follow up.

“Frankly, we didn’t expect to sign any contracts at the show,” Betsy explained.  “We were prepared to wait weeks, or even months before evaluating whether the show was successful for us….”

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First-time exhibitor Ariana Massouh was ‘surprised at the variety of different industries represented by visitors to SURTEX.’


Developed to encourage new talents, the designext™ space for beginning artists attracted buyers on the hunt for fresh ideas.


If at first, you do succeed, celebrate!  The artistic trio behind newly formed February 13 Creative, Pam Nudel (left), Amy Suther, and Betsy Cordes, won their first contract from their debut showing at SURTEX. 


Gone to the dogs – and delighted about it – artist Johanna Purmort of Designs for Hire uses computer technology to paint pet portraits.


Blogger, artist Kate Spain reported that ‘licensee interest and requests were up markedly…with requests from SURTEX translating into contract discussions and contract addendums.’

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SURTEX 2010:  SAME MONTH, SAME PLACE, NEW IDEAS?

With SURTEX 2009 wrapping up, can SURTEX 2010 be far from mind?

Already looking to the next show, set for May 16 – 18, GLM’s advertising and public relations agencies are working on strategic planning, and exhibit space agreements will be going out in July, according to Vice President/Show Manager Penny Sikalis.

What’s new, what will change? 

• The location will stay the same, on the main level of the Javits Convention Center, next to the National Stationery Show®.
• The Conference will get a broader focus, adding more for experienced members of the industry.  “Art licensing has grown up,” Penny explains.
• Trends reporting will continue, with top analysts bringing news of top trends in color and design from around the globe.

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