Friday, January 29, 2016

What I learned from my trip to the AmericasMart in Atlanta

I recently met my agents ArtsDG.com in Atlanta at the AmericasMart. I didn't stay very long. I was there Thursday afternoon and left Saturday morning. I only saw parts of building 2 where there were a lot of gift manufacturer's show rooms. There are 3 very tall buildings in downtown Atlanta that make up the AmericasMart. If you are looking for trend information - scroll down to the link for Joan Beiriger's blog post, under "Humongous!"

People are just People - The importance of chatting.
I do SO MUCH of my business through email. It is great and efficient. BUT there is value in sitting in on a meeting and hearing a manufacturer's perspective. You can read about it on blogs etc. but listening and watching really brings it home. In my short visit in Atlanta, there were 3 times when I went into a show room just to admire their products and I struck up conversations with the person who approached me asking if I needed help. (Note: I let them know I am an artist and didn't want to keep them from a sale). We swapped business cards and have now sent them art to consider (Julie, my agent sent it :-) . That doesn't happen as easily in a sea of emails.

My agents works their butts off!
We met with a manufacture on Thursday afternoon and I got to see Julie & Mary Ann in action :-) They also let me sit in on a couple of meetings with other manufactures the next day. That day, Julie had back to back meetings. I am very grateful for the opportunity to sit in on meetings and have a much greater appreciation for all that she and ArtsDG.com do! You just can get a sense of that kind of commitment through email updates with each other.

Cheaper!
I think I have been to Surtex 3 times (art licensing show in NYC). It is expensive to go to Surtex! My hotel in Atlanta (near the airport) was only $72 a night. I used Uber for the first time and loved it. A ride from the hotel to AmericasMart ranged from $15 - $18. Depending on how heavy traffic was. That is half a cab ride! I tipped, but it says on their website that tipping isn't necessary.  I like the door to door service, but you could catch the train (MARTA) for even more savings. There is a MARTA station across the street from the AmericasMart.

Humongous!
For a bit I was frustrated that I wasn't staying longer in Atlanta. I realized I just wasn't going to be able to see much of the show. Then it dawned on me - there is SO MUCH to try to see, that taking it in and only seeing a much smaller chunk was so much better than day after day of show room looking and overload. No way I could absorb it all. --Joan Beiriger has a wonderful post if you are interested in market trends here.

Good for the soul
Friday night in Atlanta I hung out with several artist in a nearby hotel bar. I had a diet coke because I was pooped and in serious need of caffeine! :-D I realized that I need to find or start some sort of artists hangout group in my city. It is great to hang with people who don't think it is weird to discuss a certain shade of a particular color. ;-) I am already thinking of going to Atlanta again this July.

Do you go to trade shows? Were you in Atlanta? How was your experience?

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for the information. Glad you had a good time.

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    1. Leslie!! You most welcome and Thank YOU! for stopping by the blog and commenting - Happy Friday!

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  2. Glad you found it to be a worthwhile trip and I'm grateful that you shared this post. I plan to share it with other artists who have been on-the-fence about going! :)

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    1. Howdy Leah! Happy Friday! You know, I was on the fence about going and in many ways found it to be better than Surtex. Even though that is comparing apples to oranges :-) Thanks so much for sharing the blog post!

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  3. So glad you had a good time. The Atlanta show can be really good or really a waste of time. I used to go to the January show every year, and one year I had about 10 appointments with company principals, some of them back to back. I really ran through the slow-moving crowds in the aisles to either the elevators or the escalators to get to the next appointment, all appointments were very encouraging, but when all was said and done, nothing ever went to license and zero money resulted from all that work and expense flying down from Boston.

    Yes, it was good to meet people face to face, and yes it was great to see their lines, and later to make my way from showroom to showroom, seeing what was on the market and meeting companies I hadn't known, but as polite and seemingly-interested everyone was, their attention was really on (a) who might be coming into the showroom to buy something or become a new client, (b) getting ready for the next meeting, and/or (c) getting through the day. And probably wondering why they were spending time with an art licensing agent when they should be out walking the showroom floor...

    One of these days, though, I'm going up there again, spending more time, hitting all the halls and connecting with new potential licensees.

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    1. Hey Lance! Really appreciate your perspective and sharing it with all of us here. You have so much more experience with show than I do. Thanks so much for stopping by the blog!

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  4. Glad we got to spend a few minutes together, Annie! It's a really overwhelming show. I make a list and try to stick to it- but there are a lot of distractions. I like to ask salespeople about best sellers- and what they feel might be missing.
    I noticed a lot of acorns, pinecones, mini garden scenes, charms, treasure boxes….and also decor items that appeared to be vintage and up-cycled- but are being mass produced- shelves, lighting, coat racks, small furniture.
    Hope some of my connections lead to licenses, I'll keep you posted!

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    1. Rose! I hope your connections do lead to licenses! While others mentioned new trends - I really didn't notice anything except very little chalkboard. Then again, I didn't see much, only about half of Building 2. Thanks for the list idea - that is smart! Please do keep me posted, Thanks :-D

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  5. Oh, Annie.... Thanks so much for your insight! I agree with you about the difference between being with people vs working online. It sounds like your agents are terrific, and that hopefully you've made some excellent connections. So good that they took you along on some of the meetings etc. This way they know you much better and you know the way they work. Awesome. Are both shows the same? The one in January and the one in July? :) Thanks again for sharing... Love your Uber version of your VW..:) WTG...

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    1. Hi Jo!
      I assume both shows are the same (January & July). My guess is there are fewer people in July - it will be HOT outside :-) I am thinking I will go in July - I will know when the time gets closer. THANK you for stopping by the blog! <3

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  6. you got a new illustration out of this…uber & pup! would be nice to hear from your agents about the show, thanks for sharing

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    1. Hi Judith! I did speak with ArtsDG.com on Friday. They are really excited about the show and are very busy with follow up. In fact this is busy season for most agents with up coming shows etc. I am thinking they will be guest posting in March. Cross your fingers and toes! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog :-)

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