This year’s National Stationery Show is just a few weeks away! I seriously look forward to the National Stationery Show ALL year long! Even though this will be my 8th (!!) year attending the show I still get excited to wander the aisles, catching up with old friends and discovering new-to-me talent. I’ve been browsing the exhibitor list and the NSS Planner to prepare my walking list for this year’s show, and I’m particularly excited to see the exhibitors in a special juried section of the show called #fresh that features new and up-and-coming companies. Some of my favorite discoveries from the #fresh section in the 2015 National Stationery Show included Fox & Fallow, Katie Leamon, and Tack and Ward!

Katie Leamon (booth #1552)

Fox & Fallow (booth #1545)

Tack and Ward, who “graduated” out of #fresh this year – they’ll be in booth #2270!

#fresh has been my first stop at the National Stationery Show since it made its debut two years ago. Now in its 3rd year, #fresh features approximately 100 emerging businesses in stationery and lifestyle gifts, with a focus on original and creative product design and packaging (so important!). Companies in #fresh can only have been in business for a maximum of five years and cannot have exhibited in the National Stationery Show for more than four years, which means it’s a great way for retailers and folks like me to discover new talent! Some #fresh exhibitors will already be familiar names to OSBP readers – like Ashkahn, AHeirloom, and Hartland Brooklyn – but others are still waiting to be discovered at the show!

Hartland Brooklyn (booth #1556)

AHeirloom (booth #1259)

Meeschmosh (another #fresh graduate – they’ll be in booth #1854 this year!)

Hartford Prints! (booth #1346)

Printable Wisdom (booth #1356)

I think what I love most about #fresh (other than discovering awesome new stationers, of course!) is that it reminds me of the reason I started OSBP in the first place, all the way back in 2008: to connect people with a stationery community that was bursting with fresh energy and new ideas, and to make sure that all the new artists and designers I was discovering wouldn’t get lost in an already rich crowd. I can’t wait to see who will be there this year, and I’ll be sure to report back here in May!

The National Stationery Show is a once-a -year experience. Click here to register for your buyer badge or inquire about a booth. 

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