Stationery Show Debuts New Layout.

Organized by category, new sections will make it easier to shop for product.

The National Stationery Show (NSS) returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, Sunday, May 16, to Wednesday, May 19, for its 53rd annual run. Moving to meet the challenges of this growing industry, the NSS presents some exciting changes this year. For the first time, the show will feature five distinctive sections. They are organized by product category and are intended to make it easier for buyers to source product. The first and largest of the new sections is "Take Note," which focuses on greeting cards and social stationery, including invitations and imprintables. "Home Work" is devoted to desk top and personal office accessories, both functional and decorative. "Celebrate" presents party and special occasion product. "Indulgences" includes fine lines and luxury items in all media that are considered luxurious because of price-point, design, or craftsmanship; and "Presents" is the section devoted to gift and novelty items, including stickers, rubber stamps, T-shirts, mugs, and much more.

Also new is a full-day program, "Independents' Day," for independent stationery retailers. Scheduled for Saturday, May 15, the day prior to the opening of the show, it is co-sponsored by George Little Management and Gifts & Dec. (See box, opposite page).

The NSS will present nearly 1,500 exhibitors, including a strong representation from all over the world. There will be five government-sponsored international pavilions, as well as companies from several countries (Canada, England, France, etc.) exhibiting independently.

SEMINARS

In addition to the "Independents' Day" all-day program, the NSS will present a regular program of seminars during the show.

Sunday, May 16

* New Buyer Orientation. 8:30-9:30 a.m. Receive "New Buyer Handbook." Includes continental breakfast. $10 pre-registered; $15 on site.

* "Paper vs. Technology: The Internet's Impact on the Stationery Industry." Noon-1 p.m. Includes lunch. $15 pre-registered; $20 on site.

Monday, May 17

* "Stationery Trends '99." 9-10 a.m. Trends shaping the stationery and gift markets, with a special emphasis on greeting cards and social stationery. Includes continental breakfast. $10 preregistered; $15 on site.

Tuesday, May 18

* "Christmas in May." 9-10 a.m. Predictions and statistics for Holiday '99, and how to ignite holiday spirit through a Web site. Includes continental breakfast. $10 pre-registered; $15 on site.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Opening Night Party at Pier 60. Sunday, May 16, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Get together at the newly renovated Pier 60 and enjoy good food and good company. There will be an open bar, dancing, and a patio overlooking the Hudson River. Complimentary shuttles run from the Javits Center. Tickets are $45 per person.

Retail Tour. Monday, May 17, and Tuesday, May 18, 11:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Take a guided tour to check out the Big Apple's exciting gift and stationery stores. Includes lunch. $25 pre-registration; $30 on site.

Gift for Life Cocktail Reception. Monday, May 17, 7-10 p.m. The Copa Cabana is the site for this industry party to raise funds for American Foundation for Aids Research (AmFAR). Enjoy cocktails, a buffet, a live band, and dancing. An auction, which will include a stay at the Felissimo chateau in France, will be held. Tickets are $100 per person; reserved tables for sponsors may be purchased. Contact Ursula Katayama at AmFAR, (212) 806-1736.

International Greeting Card Awards Dinner. Monday, May 17, 7 p.m.-midnight. Join the Greeting Card Association (GCA) at New York's Roseland Ballroom to honor creative efforts in greeting card design at the "Louie" Awards. This black tie event includes dinner and dancing. For tickets, call the GCA at (202) 393-1778.

To register for seminars, the retail tour, the opening night party, or the Independents' Day program, send a non-refundable check, made payable to George Little Management Inc., to GLM Registration Services Dept., NSS, 10 Bank St., White Plains, NY 10606-1954. Please indicate for which events you are registering.

DISPLAY AND DEMOS

Best New Products Display and Awards. This display, located at the rear of the Level One show floor, will serve as a resource for spotlighting and previewing what's new at the show. Products will be presented and judged in five categories: cards and social stationery; desk top and personal office; party and occasion; fine lines and luxury; and gift and novelty. Winners in each category will be presented on the concourse near the Level One escalator.

GLMmarketplace.com. GLM has introduced a new e-commerce system connecting retailers and suppliers electronically. There will be free introductory seminars and hands-on demonstrations to familiarize attendees with this new medium and its benefits. There will be a GLMmarketplace booth in the lobby of Javits Center. Or for pre-show information call (877) 99market or visit the Web site at www.glmmarketplace.com.

Free demonstrations by industry experts will be presented from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on the show floor. Scheduled are: Sunday, paper techniques; Monday, scrapbooking ideas; Tuesday, imprinting.

BUYER AMENITIES

Fax-on-Demand. Dial (800) 842-0028, ext. 333, for an automated menu of services to receive fax-back registration forms, show information, and details on hotels, travel, events, and seminars.

Shuttle buses. Complimentary shuttles will transport buyers between Javits and designated hotels.

Travel/hotel accommodations are available through Travel Planners by calling (800) 221-3531, from outside New York. In New York, call (212) 532-1660. Or fax, (212) 779-6128.

SHOW INFO

Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m., May 16-18; 9 a.m.-3 p.m., May 19 Address: 655 W. 34th St., New York 10001 Call: (800) 272-SHOW

IN THE SHOWROOMS ...

The showrooms at 225 Fifth Avenue and in The Marketcenter at 230 Fifth Avenue will welcome buyers during the New York Stationery Market. Enabling early bird shoppers to get a head start, 225 has extended its show days for this market, adding two preview days -- Preview Friday, May 14, and Preview Saturday, May 15, and continuing through Thursday, May 20.

Not all showrooms in both 225 and 230 Fifth Ave. will be open on the weekend. Buyers are advised to check at the registration desk first or call the showroom in advance to make a special appointment.

A special display of cross-merchandised vignettes, "Seasons of Stationery," can be viewed in the lobby of 225. It will feature a wealth of product and merchandising ideas.

SEMINAR

On Monday, May 17, there will be a special East Coast Hospital Gift Shop Forum presented at 225 Fifth Ave. This event offers hospital gift shop buyers an opportunity to network. The program runs from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and includes a complimentary catered breakfast and lunch, a featured speaker, and an opportunity to shop the showrooms. Reservations are required. Call (828) 298-1322.

BUYER AMENITIES

Free 225 canvas tote to the first 50 registered buyers at 225 on Preview Friday and Saturday.

Complimentary breakfast. At 225, continental breakfast is served in Cafe Atomico beginning on Preview Friday and continuing through Tuesday. Buyers can pick up breakfast tickets at the front desk. At 230, refreshments are served in the Buyers Lounge.

Shuttle service between the showrooms and Javits Ctr. on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Discounted parking. A $5 parking rebate is available in the 225 Buyer's Lounge in exchange for a same-day receipt.

SHOW INFO

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Address: 225 Fifth Ave., New York 10010 230 Fifth Ave., New York 10001 Call: 225 Concierge, (800) 235-3512 or (212) 685-6377, ext. 290 230 Fifth Ave., (212) 532-4555

RELATED ARTICLE: Independents' Day

On Saturday, May 15, The National Stationery Show is debuting Independents' Day, a full-day, pre-show educational program for independent stationery retailers. The program, sponsored by Girls O Dec and show management George Little Mgmt. (GLM), will be moderated by Gifts & Dec editor-in-chief Quinn Halford, and will include presentations by Gifts & Dec contributing editors Laurie Karzen and Charlotte Morrill on trends, Linda McKendry on visual merchandising, and George Matyjewicz on Web technology. Afternoon roundtable sessions will explore personnel/hiring and training, marketing and promotion, and expansion. The event kicks off with a breakfast, includes lunch, and concludes with a cocktail party at the new uptown location of Kate's Paperie, the noted NYC craft and paper store. The ticket cost for the full-day event is $99, and registration is limited to 200 retailers. For more information, call (800) 272-SHOW.

RELATED ARTICLE: Kids to Benefit From Show Samples

At the close of the National Stationery Show on May 19, exhibitors may choose not to pack up all their samples and to help children's charities at the same time. Exhibitors may donate products to Companies for Kids, a stationery and gift industry non-profit organization that collects merchandise from manufacturers, distributors, reps, and retailers. Appropriate children's merchandise is distributed directly to charities nationwide, while nonjuvenile merchandise is used to raise operating funds for the organization.

George Little Management (GLM), the show's producer, is providing a convenient drop-off point just off the show floor on the main level of the Javits Convention Center in New York. This is the third year that GLM and Companies for Kids has provided this link between exhibitors and the children's charities. Notes Hillary Taylor, founder of Companies for Kids, "Thanks to the nearly 300 members of the gift industry who have so generously donated their products and services to Companies for Kids, we've already brought merchandise to more than a quarter of a million children! We owe much of our success to GLM and to the generous donations of exhibitors at the National Stationery Show."

For more information contact, Hillary Taylor, Companies for Kids, 847 Jacob Rd., Southbury, CT 06488; (203) 262-8903.