Nuts & Bolts – Noted Greeting Card Expo 2024

Nuts & Bolts – Noted Greeting Card Expo 2024

Better late than never, here is my trip report from attending NOTED Greeting Card Expo & Gifted held 4/26 – 4/28.

This expo is the West Coast sister of NY NOW and NOTED. For the past few years, it’s been such a thrill (and horribly convenient) to attend a show practically in my backyard plus to be a tourist in my own city – the beautiful city by the bay, San Francisco!

Again, hosted at Fort Mason Center between the iconic Ghirardelli Square at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina District, the view from this waterfront venue never gets old with a view of both the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

Here are some photos of the event which included catching up with familiar artists and industry contacts, meeting new artists and always a highlight, meeting in person any of our GCU artists.

This year I met with GCU Artist David Meeker who joined GCU back in 2007 and is also a SF Bay Area local. We discussed the early days of GCU, the many changes since 2007 as well as the changes in David’s art being more abstract and how to leverage his new portfolio for greeting cards.

Another wonderful meet up was with 2023’s GCU Founders’ Choice Best New Artist and Hottest Selling Birthday card – TMS International, represented by Kim Spanjersberg, Sales Director, and Saskia van Wingerden, Art Director, from the Netherlands.

We also caught up with the oh so colorful Andrew of That’s So Andrew, who we hope to have join GCU’s artist community soon. 

Noteworthy Trends:

– profuse, heavy & lush floral designs

– the trade and charm of letterpress craft still shines

– pops of neon colors – lime, orange, highlighter yellow

– sweeping brush script designs as art not just text

– lots of puns – bananas galore

– more niche designers than last year – LGBTQ, adoption, Eid, Ramadan, Native American Indian, CNY (it’s taken them a while to serve the niche markets)

– strong female empowered voice and force – i am woman hear me roar

My role at the show can sometimes be awkward, straddling the role of e-tailer looking for artists to join GCU but at the same time looking at artists whose work competes with GCU’s. However the conversation gets easier every year as more and more artists understand the concept of community content and print on demand technology. They see the benefit of a passive source of income in parallel with their traditional brick and mortar retailer efforts. I always leave this show with a positive outlook that there is room for everyone in the greeting card space. Like art, there is something for everyone. The “paper people” here are a creative, supportive, and welcoming community.

See here re: GCU’s attendance at the GCA’s 35th LOUIE Awards night and other posts re: NOTED and the LOUIE Awards.

As part of the LOUIE Awards, there is a Consumer’s Choice Award which has just been announced.  The people have voted and the Consumer’s Choice Award winner announced this year is this Friendship/Encouragement card by Cardideology.

Sadly, NOTED 2025 is being hosted in Las Vegas in July – yes, Vegas in July where the average high is 105 degrees. We will have to decide next year if we make the trip.

The difference is made in the details!

Mindy

GCU Community Manager