Always one to rise to an occasion, Sharon Little, the GCA’s ceo of the last 20 years is aiming to leave (to go travelling) on a high. Her last official day in the role is this Friday, 30 November, which coincides with Festive Friday, the GCA-initiative Sharon instigated to kickstart Christmas card sending.
However, it is her rather extensive collection of ‘bon voyage’ cards that Sharon will be collecting up on Festive Friday, officially bringing to a close 20 glorious years of sitting in the GCA ‘hot seat’ before she sets off on an extended globetrotting adventure.
Having missed the opportunity to say goodbye to many at the recent AGM and Conference (which Sharon missed due to ill health), PG Buzz asked her to share some of her personal highlights of heading up the GCA.
“When I joined we had six archive boxes of musty old papers, no online presence, not database as such and (once we’d weeded out who weren’t paying!) only 60 publisher members,” Sharon said looking back. “I knew nothing about greeting cards or the industry back then– just that I enjoyed making and sending cards,” she said.
Sharon explained how she always knew there was great potential to grow the membership: “there was a huge need for help and advice and industry-focused information.” In response to this she set about building the GCA’s resources. “And hey presto – the more info we provided the more we grew! In fact we grew so quickly that we didn’t have to increase the membership fees for 17 years!”
Another big step forward was widening the breadth of the association, bringing specialist suppliers, retailers and trade fair organisers into the GCA fold. Setting up this associate membership strand, as Sharon points out “has made the GCA truly representative of the entire industry.”
Sharon points out that developing focused events as well as supportive toolkits for Festive Friday, Thinking of You Week as well as PoS support for Spring Seasons has further endorsed the GCA’s pledge to support greeting card retailer stockists, reflected in its growing retailer membership.
While others may have recoiled from high profile media interviews, over the years Sharon has lapped up these PR opportunities, appearing on the BBC breakfast sofa twice, on outside broadcasts, as well as Channel 4 news, ITV news and Radio 4’s Today programme a few times and Radio London all in the name of promoting the industry.
When put on the spot and asked to select the ultimate highlight of her 20 year tenure at the GCA, Sharon is in no doubt it has been the people: “It has been a real honour to represent such a great industry – an industry like no other, full of positive, creative people, whose main remit is to help people express their emotions”.
Sharon officially hands over to Amanda Fergusson, as GCA ceo on December 1.
Top: Sharon Little giving a wave on the BBC Big Breakfast’s ‘red sofa’.
