Thanks to Sweet Shop USA!

We thank the Sweet Shop USA for sponsoring the favors for our Cabaret Event!  You'll be enjoying their rich chocolate truffles in gorgeous packaging.  Need we mention they're perfect for gift baskets?  Visit them online at www.sweetshopusa.com.

Welcome Constant Contact to the 2012 NGBC!

If you're wondering why staying in constant contact with your customers is important, then don't miss the lunch and learn seminar sponsored by Constant Contact.  In addition to the seminar, they'll have a kiosk to answer your questions AND, on top of all of that, they're offering discounts!

Did You Buy Your Tickets?

We sold seven tickets today just out of the blue and wow, how exciting!  This group of gals decided to surprise me and buy them altogether in one day.  Thanks ladies!  I appreciate your enthusiasm.  I might have a little surprise for you when you arrive :)

If you haven't bought your ticket, don't miss one very important fact....if you put $50 down, you can make payments on the remaining balance.  I'm not kidding. 

Get your ticket and get ready to attend the National Gift Basket Convention in 2012 in San Jose, California

The Gift Basket Industry Survey Yields AMAZING Results!

Last month, we asked you to complete an industry survey that asked you what you thought about the current state of the industry, your future and much more.  We thank you for completing it and will be publishing some results in the next issue of Trends and Tips Magazine.  But, the even better news is that know we can validate the results with our current and future plans for the conventions.  We've got a lot of work to do but are so eager to do it.

2013? What?

If you know Debbie Quintana, you know that she's a planner and very detailed oriented.  That being said, she's asked us to already start looking at locations for 2013.   So, in the spirit of support and collaboration, we'd like to ask you to complete our quick poll!  10 seconds of your time....

www.nationalgiftbasketconvention2013.com

Our Blog Goes MOBILE!

Our blog has grown up!  It's now available on mobile phones in an easy to follow format and we've gotten over 200 people that have checked it out already!  So excited that we're the first to bring this technology to the gift basket industry and even more excited that everyone is looking at it so far advance to the convention next year.

This blog is going to start to get busier as time goes on.  After the NGBC in Ohio in August, we'll be kicking off our main marketing program and its going to fun and exciting to see it grow from now until next year.  I hope you're going to join us and be a part of something amazing.

Oh, the mobile blog is at http://ngbc.wirenode.mobi/
Check it out!

New or Old, Expert or Beginner - the 2012 NGBC is for YOU

I recently talked to someone who has been in the industry for a very long time.  She basically told me she doesn't need to learn anything else, she's been doing this so long that she knows what she needs to know.  But, by the end of the conversation, I heard the woes and "falling short of their goals" story and how the economy has really hurt her business.  Sometimes it takes talking to someone else for the lightbulb to go on.  It was that discussion that we had that made her realize that she didn't know it all; hadn't kept up with the new marketing and sales concepts and even more important - knows she needs to be at the 2012 NGBC. 

Moral of the story - never think you know it all because you don't know what you don't know.