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GCA Conference and AGM Below: The packed room at the top of Manchester Hall where this year’s GCA Conference took place.
The bee is the emblem of Manchester, an industrious grafter, who collectively is a superorganism, being a lifeforce for good, just like the greeting card community - making the city the perfect location for the recent GCA Conference and AGM. PG joined the honeypot of greeting card publishers, retailers and trade suppliers at Manchester Hall to listen, learn, be inspired and just enjoy bee-ing together!
Bee-ing Together “We are really, really good at pulling together in this industry. We all work together to protect and promote card sending, and it grows our industry,” said Amanda Fergusson, ceo of the GCA in her welcome speech, setting the tone for the day. “I reflected on this when I listened to the England Lionesses football team speaking after their win in the recent Euro Championship. They all spoke
Above: GCA’s ceo Amanda Fergusson (right) and Danielle McCarthy, events and marketing coordinator.
about the strength of pulling together as a team, as it was entertaining. It went from the realities of working together for the greater good, and that is the ongoing challenges at Royal Mail and rife what we are so great at in our industry too. This copying on Temu to the changes in consumer year has seen more members than card buying habits as revealed by Waterstones’ ever step forward with Hazel Walker, Thortful’s Pip Heywood, Kantar’s initiatives, activities and get Jon Hendy as well as from the GCA’s UK involved in the work that the Market Report (see News). GCA does on your behalf.” As Nettl’s Raj Aurora and McDaniels Law’s she added: “If we all do just a Kelly Hudson put on a great double act little bit it adds up to a lot. So, with a thought-provoking presentation let’s work together Team Greeting about the AI rollercoaster that is making Card Industry to ensure that we its way into our lives and our industry. remain a nation of card senders!” But there was nothing artificial about the Certainly ‘Team Greeting atmosphere and sense of togetherness in that Above: The agenda Card Industry’ scored lots of which featured room in Manchester Hall. The following pages Manchester-centric feature just a flavour of some of the winning goals at the graphics, created by Conference with the packed Paper Salad. presentations. A full report appears on the GCA agenda being as enlightening website (www.gca.cards)
An emotional ballad Providing a fitting finale to a stupendous day, Karen Wilson, owner of Paper Salad and new president of the GCA shared the ‘Ballad of Paper Salad’.
Above: Paper Salad co-founders Karen Wilson and Claire Williams share a heartfelt hug. Even though Karen bought Claire out of the business a year ago they remain close friends.
Starting by paying tribute to her home city of Manchester, Karen then opened up about the highs and the lows of the now very successful brand that she started with her friend Claire Williams, 20 years ago, but now owns it wholly with her son Jack stepping up as operations director. “In the early years a business mentor once told us that we didn’t have a real business, and that we were just playing at it. At the time, it really wounded us. We knew we were working all hours, not earning any money and putting everything into making it work,” revealed Karen. “He was right though. We thought we were saving money by doing everything ourselves managing stock, chasing invoices, even sweeping the floor. And in reality, it was holding us back. We're designers, and we needed to spend our time designing, not involved in logistics!” she added, sharing one reason why the business, has gone from strength to strength. With the Conference marking the start as her
two-year period as GCA President, Karen concluded with: “My heartfelt thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President for the next two years. Thank you to the council for placing your trust in me. I will give it my absolute best and intend to lead with integrity and vision and help take the GCA forward.” Above: Man U fan Karen Wilson, owner of Paper Salad was presented with an appropriate card for becoming GCA president while Brainbox Candy’s Ben Hickman gave her the ‘red carpet treatment’!
PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 27