April 2019
Dear GCA Member:
“I’m always in your corner.” This was one of my father’s favorite phrases. He said this to me many times and more importantly he always showed me he was. Always. In. My. Corner.
I thought about this as I was asked back into this President’s Corner. I’m here (again) because our association and our industry recently lost an incredible supporter of our category and our industry. Christy is not truly “lost”. She’s made a move to a different and much more important corner. An accomplished leader in our industry, a fervent supporter and champion of our category and a mother of three—she is now taking some time to be solidly in their corner. Our industry, our association and those of us who got to work alongside her are all better for the time we got to spend with her.
Christy asked me to step back into this role at a great time. The year-long work on *Noted is about to culminate in a completely, truly-new gathering of all the stakeholders in our industry. It will be a place where our community will come together to connect, discover and celebrate our category. Envisioned, planned and executed, from the ground up, by the greeting card community for the greeting card community. We will have an opportunity to gather as never before, and it is only possible because small publishers have teamed together with large publishers and Associate members to design, plan and launch a truly new kind of “trade show”. The re-envisioned LOUIEs will also take place during *Noted, adding to our three-day celebration. As is the case with most of the work that the GCA does on behalf of our industry, these two events are possible because time and time again, someone raises their hand, volunteers, contributes, supports and steps up to be in your corner.
That mentality of collaborating and cooperating, in an industry where we are all competitors, is palpable when a brand new publisher shows up at a show and finds every neighbor is willing to help them. It’s present when a larger publisher steps up to mentor a smaller publisher. And it’s evident when our members come together to share experiences and help educate one another at our annual convention. This will all be on full display during Noted.
I hope you plan on joining us in Brooklyn where I know you will immerse yourself in everything Noted will offer. I think you will discover how incredible it is when you see what the supportive members of our community can accomplish when we all work together.
Carlos Llanso
P.S. – Looking to feel that support first-hand? There are still a few booth spaces remaining. Just contact Juana Anderson for details!