Just back from the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Chantilly, VA. The Internet Gods weren't with me this weekend but no matter, the days were one long scrapbooking party!

No matter what your crafting niche I highly urge you to attend consumer shows whenever possible. There is nothing better than seeing the industry through these customers' eyes. When crafting is your business there is a danger of getting jaded when it comes to products and projects. A short trip to a consumer show is like a shot of adrenalin.

My favorite part was seeing scrapbookers of every age, color, size and level of expertise. We saw three generations of scrapbookers visiting the show together and plenty of new moms looking to start a baby book. The crops were packed. Over a three day period, hundreds of scrapbookers dragged all their stuff in for the fun of scrapping with friends and soon-to-be-friends.

Chantilly is in the Washington D.C. metro area. We had a lot of Department of Defense family folks there looking for products to record memories of tours of duty but also home life while family members are off serving our country.

Vendors who do these shows actually lift the entire industry through class sponsorship and being a part of an event that promotes the hobby. These grassroots events draw people from many surrounding states. So ... attention retailers in Pennsylvania, NJ and North Carolina and...New Zealand, we got some folks pumped up and are sending them back your way.

I'll post again later today to talk about some interesting ideas and products that came up at this show.

But if you want to learn more about GASC (they are a sister product to CNA, Scrapbook Retailer and Memory Makers) visit them online. The Grand Rapids, MI show is right around the corner.--Beth