NYIGF: Recap

There are few things one can say to adequately describe what happens at the Jacob K. Javitz Convention Center during the New York International Gift Fair. It is, well, indescribable. The crowds, the booths, the lighting, the displays, the crowds, the lines, the crowds... You get the picture.

Luckily for me, I decided to set up the first day, Wednesday. This was a great decision, since Thursday and Friday were a complete mayhem of activity. My handcart and I would not be able to compete with some of the machinery that subsequently landed on the exhibit floor.

And this was the final result:



All the furniture came from the local Ikea, the wardrobe, the shelves, and even the canopy. The really are friendly on the budget. The crib was a hand-me-down from my uncle. And the sign came from 48HourPrint.com. For internet-based printer, I was really surprised at the quality. They followed my directions to a T. The delivery was even better, since the sign came a few days before it was promised. All in all, great experience.

As far as how Woolly Boo fared at the Fair (sorry, couldn't resist the rhyme), well, the general consensus is: GREAT! Everyone who walked by our booth smiled, everyone (well, almost everyone) loved our products. The interior designers were so excited that there is an Eco-luxury customizable option on the market, I couldn't kick them out of the booth. And I think that almost every online drop-ship retailer wanted to carry our products. So, yeah, I'd say great.

In the end, after all the press and awards (more on that later), I still had to get out of my designer clothes, put on the Gap jeans, pack up and haul up the product and the display, mostly by myself.



It was a little sad to leave, because after spending a week with the same booth neighbors, we made friends. Also, the lessons I've learned from all of them are truly invaluable, and I really hope to see them again soon.