Celebrate the Season

Crafting is now a $31 billion dollar market in the U.S., fueled by consumers that turn to crafting as a means of self expression and gift-giving.  September is the perfect month to get consumers thinking about holiday crafting.  Each September, CHA sponsors a national retail promotion called Celebrate the Season.  The promotion begins in the fall and focuses on craft products and project ideas for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas.

CHA retail members are encouraged to participate in this annual event to help drive consumer crafting across all segments of the industry.  CHA makes it quick, fun and easy for you and your customers to participate.

So how do you get involved in the Celebrate the Season promotion?  It’s easy.  All it takes is some planning and promoting.

Spread the Word
Celebrate the Season can be a fun and exciting event for your business....but only if people know about it!  Tap into your local press to help spread the word.  Provide lifestyle editors at your local newspaper and magazines, and producers at local TV and radio stations with a quick and easy make-it-yourself holiday craft project.

If you are planning a crafting event for the holidays post fliers at the library, local day care centers, coffee shops and community centers.  Contact local teachers and art instructors to help you spread the word.  Be sure to include the Celebrate the Season logo on all of your communications – download it now by CLICKING HERE.

CHA Retailers can utilize the CHA Local Retailers Press Kit where you’ll find press releases, media alerts and Public Service Announcements to help generate local media attention around your holiday craft promotions. 

Local Retailers Press Kit

• Sample Press Release
• Sample Media Alert
• Sample 60 Second PSA
• Sample 30 Second PSA

Tis’ the Season For Holiday Crafting Ideas
You may already host in-store classes and demonstrations, but why not use Celebrate the Season as an opportunity to develop new and exciting classes that people can take with crafting ideas for the holiday season.  Hold a class on how to make simple Halloween costumes or on different handcrafted gift ideas (knitted scarves, all-occasion ornaments, baubled bags, greeting cards, embellished trays, plates and storage boxes – the list is endless)!  Need a new project idea?  Visit www.craftplace.org for a wealth of holiday projects for all skill levels.  Need new instructors?  Solicit volunteers from your current customers- they’re a great resource (and they’ll probably bring their friends to the classes they host).  Offer small store gift certificates as a thank you for their time and expertise.  And make sure all of the products used for the project are readily available.  Try offering a one-day discount on these supplies to encourage customers to purchase everything they need to go home and make it on their own.

Host a “Friends and Family Day”
Celebrate the Season is an opportunity for family and friends to spend time crafting together.  Sponsor a Friends and Family Day where 2-for-1 classes are offered.  Classes should target gift ideas and holiday decorations.  Provide special Friends and Family Coupons for your employees or loyal customers to distribute.  Try offering “You and a Friend” coupons that can only be redeemed when shoppers make purchases in groups or pairs. 

Partner With Your Favorite Charities
September is a great time of year to start promoting a cause that you support.  Customers will be excited to participate, you’ll be giving back to your community, and it looks good for you ─ a win, win, win!  Hold in-store classes and events to support your charity- make greeting cards for the troops, sew blankets or stuffed toys for children’s charities, craft holiday decorations for a local hospital or library. You can even set up a collection box for craft donations- completed projects or lightly used supplies for children’s groups.  There are endless ways that crafts can provide a service to the community.  Provide a charitable outlet for consumers and they’ll keep coming back to participate (and to stock up on supplies while they’re there!)

Everyone Loves Free Stuff
Generate excitement over holiday crafting by offering a small give-away.  Hold a raffle─ for every $20 spent in your store give the customer one entry.  Entice them back by pulling the winner’s name at an in-store Celebrate the Season event and require the winner to be present to receive their prize. 

Host a crafting competition.  Pick a holiday theme and have customers submit entries.  Or make it an in-store extreme crafting event by providing an array of craft items and limited time frame─ you might be surprised with what your customers come up with, not to mention the fun and excitement it will generate.  Don’t forget to reward the winning entries.

Even give-aways as simple as a jar of candy at the cashier or free holiday project sheets and patterns will keep shoppers happy.  Make sure you post that its all about Celebrating the Season with Crafts!

Share Your Space
Open your doors to local quilting circles or craft clubs.  Allowing these groups free studio space in your store is a great way to keep your target market coming back.  Reach out to local scouting groups.  Help them develop a craft related badge and then invite the troop (with their leaders and parents) into your store to complete the project.  You might just find that you’ve inspired a new younger generation of crafting consumers!

These are just a few hints and tips to help you have a fun and successful Celebrate the Season promotion.  Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.  Happy Holiday Crafting!

Be a part of the summer’s largest craft and hobby event! The CHA 2009 Summer Show is moving to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The dates of the event have been adjusted to avoid interfering with weekends and will run from Tuesday, July 28 through Thursday, July 30, 2009. By moving to this premier destination and adjusting the show days, we hope to build attendance and enhance exhibitor participation.

Sign up to exhibit by December 5, 2008 to take advantage of our special Early Bird Rate and Priority Points Positioning.

CHA will be debuting it’s first-ever consumer show, the CHA Craft SuperShow, on Friday, July 31 through Saturday, August 1, 2009, in Orlando, Florida. CHA is committed to promoting the growth of the craft and hobby industry and doing what we can to help your business succeed. While most consumer craft shows are focused on one or two segments of the craft industry, the new CHA Craft SuperShow is designed to educate and inspire attendees about a wide range of crafts. The goal is simple – to get consumers excited about crafting, drive more traffic to retail, and increase the frequency and amount of craft purchases.

Who Can Exhibit
All CHA members will be allowed to exhibit at the CHA Craft SuperShow. To avoid complexities and competition between retailers and manufacturers, exhibiting manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers will NOT be able to sell products for cash at the CHA Craft SuperShow. Other categories such as retailers, designers, professional crafters will be allowed to sell products at the show.

Make-N-Take Complimentary Booth Program
Educate consumers about your products! When you buy one or more booths and commit to hosting a Make-N-Take, you will get one additional 10 x 10 booth free. See the CHA Craft SuperShow Exhibitor Contract for more details on this program.

Sign up to exhibit by December 5, 2008 to take advantage of our special Early Bird Rate.

» CHA Craft SuperShow Exhibitor Contract
» CHA Craft SuperShow Floor Plan

For questions regarding exhibiting in either of the upcoming Summer Shows, contact Anthony Licata, Senior Sales Manager, at alicata@craftandhobby.org or 201.835.1203.

Crafting is currently an over $30 billion industry and the education market makes up a large part of it. Why? Because teachers know the educational value of teaching with crafts! The education industry spends $1.3 billion annually on craft supplies and teachers spend on average $250 a year of their own money on craft supplies. They know that hands-on assignments stimulate the imagination of their students and reinforce learning. As such, making your store “teacher-friendly” is an excellent way to build your customer base as well as develop positive community relations.

In 2002, the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) released the groundbreaking study, The Academic Value of Hands-On Crafts Projects in Elementary Schools. It was one of the first studies ever to investigate the impact of hands-on projects and learning. The findings confirmed what teachers have known for years, that through crafts, students retain more information and learning is made easier. It was then that it became quite clear that educators are important promoters of crafting and they need to be targeted and catered to.

In response to the study results, CHA began outreach to the teacher community. The first step was implementing www.teacherplace.org, a special online resource site developed just for educators. The site is chock-full of information including creative project lesson plans, craft tips, educational research, testimonials and information about how teachers can work with local craft retailers. The site is an invaluable resource in giving practical ways educators can incorporate crafts into the classroom.

CHA has published the Making the Connection to the Educational Marketplace booklet that outlines how retailers can effectively market to their local teachers and leverage the power of hands-on learning. This step-by-step guide offers CHA members a range of suggestions and practical advice to reach the education arena and increase sales. The booklet is complete with ideas for setting up a store environment, staff training for educator's needs, sample letters that illustrate ways to reach out to teachers, and promotions that help build teacher and administrator support. The Making the Connection to the Educational Marketplace is a wonderful guide for retailers who would like to tap into this specific market. CLICK HERE to download the booklet.

You may also use the step by step guides and "fill in the blanks" media aids provided below to effectively plan and promote your in-store promotions and cater to the education market. Leverage the power of CHA's "Teacher-Friendly" branding campaign by incorporating the "teacher-friendly" logoin your promotional material. Most importantly, as you get ready to head back to school, keep an ear open for your customers" needs; this will help drive teachers to your store and keep them coming back all throughout the school year!

Guides and Media Aids

• Promotion Idea Sheet
  (ideas for organizing in-store events)
• Making the Connection to the Education Marketplace
  (tips for planning your in-store promotion)
• Sample Press Release
• Sample Media Alert
• Sample 60 Second PSA
• Sample 30 Second PSA