Greetings’ Dragons Postmark, Cardfactory and Presentation roar fresh from the den
Fast-paced hours of positive pitching at the GCA’s Dragons Speed Dating session last week saw 72 greeting card publishers pitching to 24 top retail buyers.
And the Dragons flew in from across the country to make the most of their time in the den – before being tamed by PG for their views on the day and which publishers had slayed them.
Kicking off the series, the first to roar are Postmark, Caradfactory and Presentation…
Mark Janson-Smith, managing director of Postmark
Dragon flying: “What an exhausting, but amazing, event, the best one by far! And the quality of the products I’ve seen so far is exceptional.
“I’ve been to quite a few Dragons events and they just get better and better. The early ones were largely about giving advice and feedback to new publishers, but the standard now is so high there’s very little feedback to give on the actual product and it comes down to whether the cards are the right fit for your stores or not.
“Yes, it was exhausting but so incredibly rewarding and catching up for a social afterwards was a brilliant way to end the day.”
Den delights: “I’ve yet to go through my wonderful bag of samples but from my face-to-face meetings, I really liked Lovely Paper Stuff and Lucky Ink. Hood Greetings was also really interesting and I look forward to exploring this brand a bit more. In Real Life was great too. We already stock the stationery, but I can definitely see us stocking their cards soon too.
“I will 100% be placing orders as a result of the event – I have come away with at least three new suppliers just from my meetings and who knows how many more after I go through my bag of samples!”
Sam Bradley, buying manager of Cardfactory
Dragon flying: “It was a fantastic day with such a wide variety of styles from some very talented publishers. There was a good balance across all genres and some lovely finishes coming through. Having the opportunity to be a Dragon is great as you’re able to meet so many publishers in one afternoon.
“Having not participated for a couple of years I certainly saw a difference as the event has grown significantly and there was such a buzz in the room.”
Den delights: “I really liked the meaningful messages from LoveLossDiscoballs. I also particularly liked the illustrations from both Sharon King-Chai and the repeat print patterns from Pear Tree Press.”
Jess Dransfield, assistant buyer of new formats, Cardfactory
Dragon flying: “It was my first time being a Dragon and I was so excited to experience it all. It was a brilliant day with a great range of talented publishers. It’s really refreshing to be introduced to a wide variety of publisher styles all in one place. It was a great space to network and connect before and after the event.
“Having the opportunity to be a Dragon was great as it meant I was able to meet so many publishers in one afternoon and for me to gain more knowledge!”
Den delights: “I liked the meaningful messages coming through from LoveLossDiscoballs. The illustration style of Sharon King-Chai and the pop-up innovation from Ink & Ivy with their Wallypops designs also stood out.”
Andrea Pinder, owner of Presentation Cards & Gifts, Barrowford
Dragon flying: “Being chosen as a Dragon is such a great feeling of privilege and honour. Knowing what a difference you can make to a publisher’s future is incredibly important and satisfying, especially as you see them grow within this fairytale industry of cards.
“Having emptied out my goody bag of samples my kitchen is now full of cards, envelopes, boxes, wrapping, tissue, tags and ribbons!”
Den delights: “Publishers that caught my eye on the day, include:
- KDeeDesigns – the lovely Summer Blossom range with beautiful little icons.
- Santoro – Pop & Build cards with fantastic illustrations that are cards to keep and enjoy.
- Lovely Paper Stuff – colourful and bright humour cards.
- The Curious Pancake – the Retail Shopping collection with great illustrations will appeal to everyone.
- Versed Aid – its Tarp As A Shack and Nobody’s Perfect ranges were bold in design and colour.
- Paperlink – the Fifty Shades Of Green collection will really appeal to customers.”
