Pitch Programs at *Noted+Gifted
April 17th and 18th, 2024
Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, San Francisco
Pitch Programs get you face-to-face with buyers – so you can WOW them!
Our Pitch Programs give exhibitors the opportunity to each pitch their line in a brief session with a panel of invited retailers. (Shark Tank style!) The first six editions—live in Brooklyn in 2019 and San Francisco in 2022 and 2023, the virtual Black Makers Pitch Program in 2020, and at the virtual *Noted events in 2020 and 2021—generated significant business growth for makers and retailers alike, so, at the request of makers and retailers alike, we are once again offering Pitch Programs in San Francisco.
The 2024 *Noted+Gifted Pitch Programs will take place LIVE on the show floor the morning of Wednesday, April 17th and Thursday, April 18th, 2024 before the show floor opens. A group of retailers will be walked to your exhibit space for you to give your pitch in-person. As an event by the community, for the community, the Pitch Programs are unique to *Noted+Gifted and one of the most beneficial opportunities for exhibitors.
Applications for the 2024 Pitch Programs are now closed! Signing up for a Pitch Program does not guarantee you a Pitch. While we do everything we can to allow as many makers to pitch as possible, if we receive more applications than spots available, qualified Pitchers will be chosen via a lottery system. If you are not chosen, your $250 fee will be refunded.
Pitch programs are available only to all *Noted+Gifted exhibitors. The cost to participate is $250. Scholarships are available for makers applying to the New and Makers of Color program.
2024 Pitch Programs:
- General Pitch Programs – This is it – your opportunity to pitch your vision, your brand, and your cards. Your story is what makes your cards stand out, so prep that elevator speech and get ready to tell your story and make a splash. Receivers of this pitch program will be from a variety of sizes and geographics – key accounts, individual retailers, and reps. The cost to participate is $250.
- Find New Makers – Retailers are always looking for a fresh selection of cards from up-and-coming new Makers. If you’ve been in business for three years or less, this program is for you. This pitch program will be scholarship-based, so the winners of the scholarship will have the $250 fee waived.
- Discover Makers of Color – GCA recognizes the systematic boundaries that have limited the voices, impressions, and reach of Makers of Color. As a community, we must continue to learn, adapt, and highlight these Makers to push industry inclusion, belonging, and representation. This pitch program will be scholarship-based, so the winners of the scholarship will have the $250 fee waived.
2024 Pitch Program Confirmed Retailers:
See below for the list of confirmed retailers who will participate in the Pitch Program. 5-6 will be walked to your booth for your pitch. We are adding more names everyday, so keep checking back!
- American Greetings
- Anthropologie
- Awesome Brooklyn
- Barque Gifts
- Bas Bleu
- Boston General Store
- Daisy’s Mercantile
- Design House Greetings
- Excelsior Rep Network
- Flax Pen to Paper
- Meijer
- Paper Caper
- Postmark’d
- Rock.Paper.Scissors
- Sky of Blue Cards
- Smitten on Paper
- Sugar Paper
- Wild Cat Gift and Party
2024 Pitch Program Timeline:
- January 19, 2024: Applications open (scholarships AND others)
- February 16th, 2024: Applications close (scholarships AND others)
- Week of March 4th, 2024: All pitchers contacted and announced
- Week of March 18, 2024: Virtual training/Q&A sessions
- April 17 and 18, 2024: Live pitches between 9-10 am
Questions about our Pitch Programs? Email us!
