Last week, I made my usual trip to New York to exhibit in at the New York International Gift Fair. This was my eighth time participating in the show, and as a result, it’s starting to feel like one big reunion as I connect with friends and buyers. This show, more than any other, has [...]
One of the big misconceptions I see surrounding wholesale shows is that showing up is enough to have a good show. The thought process is, “I’m here. I spent the money. I traveled.” That should be enough. And while you may occasionally get lucky, the truth is that this type of mentality is what leads [...]
Last week, I exhibited at the Buyer’s Market of American Craft with a group of students, faculty, and alumni from the university where I teach. One of the things we did was set up hard walls for out booth. Because we were all showing jewelry, hard walls certainly weren’t necessary. In fact, we were the [...]
On Sunday, I walked ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair with a small group of faculty and students from where I teach. While there, I bumped into Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge. Grace mentioned that she was pretty disappointed with the lack of innovation at this years show. I felt the show was pretty lackluster, considering [...]
On Tara’s recommendation, I started listening to Simon Sinek’s Start with Why. The basic premise is that people don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it. If you only focus on what you do or how you do it, you’ll have to resort to manipulations such as price or promotion to get [...]
I’m on a plane home after a fantastic 24 hours in Providence to speak at the Rhode Island School of Design, but today I’ve got a guest post to share from Kitty Vogen. Kitty talks about how even with the rise of the Internet, trade shows are still a really valuable way to grow your [...]
Today I have a few announcements of some exciting stuff going on. On Thursday, I’m off to Philly (off is stretching it as I don’t live that far away) for the Buyer’s Market of American Craft. I’ll be exhibiting, and I’d love to meet anyone who will be there exhibiting or walking the show. I’m [...]
I’ve been asked to speak at the annual board dinner for the American Craft Council in a few weeks about the DIY movement. Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m not a fan of labels, but I am excited for the opportunity to talk with the ACC board about the needs of the [...]
I’m exhibiting at the California Gift Show in Los Angeles this week as part of the Beckman’s West Handcrafted division, and I made this little video to showcase some of my favorite booth design secrets. My booth has evolved a lot since I started doing trade shows, but I’ve finally settled on a display that [...]
Dear American Craft Council, On Friday I attended the Crafting a Nation conference in Washington, DC. And while I know you didn’t organize the conference, your presence was certainly felt throughout the day. One of the recurring themes for the day was the lack of “young people,” followed by complaints about the DIY craft movement. [...]
Megan Auman is a designer, maker, educator, and entrepreneur who has built a multi-faceted business around her passion for great design and sustainable business. Her eponymous jewelry line is sold in stores across the US and online. In 2009, Megan founded Crafting an MBA to help designers and makers develop their business skills. In 2011, the site name was changed to Designing an MBA.
Learn more about Designing an MBA.
