Rob Markoff
PFG, Picture Framing God
I did not see any other posts from the show, so I thought I would start one.
I have no voice left and I can hardly see straight.......this was quite a convention and a mind bogling trade show (however, it was NOT a framing related trade show, though there was a lot to see and many eye opening opportunities for new revenue streams for framers, especially in digital output.)
First of all, this was a CONVENTION in the truest sense of the word. Attending the WCAF is just not the same from a membership/social standpoint. And PMA/PPFA really knows how to put on a week long event where even the first time attendee would feel welcomed and right at home at the first event. I know that many new friendships were started (some of them global) and others renewed and reconfirmed.
Every day started with coffee and continental breakfast followed by excellent education that then led to a fully catered luncheon with an excellent keynote speaker followed with more educational opportunities and refreshments all day long. When the classes were not in session, it was great to have a large sitting area where framers could just rest and get to know each other. There was always an evening reseption with complimentary drinks and many with great food as well.
PPFA has always been an open and welcoming group of people. PMA has now provided the resources to make their events really special. If anything, PMA/PPFA are not "cheap" and the venue and ammenties that they provide are first rate.
When I checked into the hotel, the red "message" light was iluminated on my phone. The message was that there was an envelope waiting for me at the info desk, which contained a ten ride monorail pass courtesy of PMA. They gave them to all who were registered for the convention and staying at the hotel. So, in the morning (and evening), it was a fast, one stop (and free) monorail ride to the convention.
The Chinese dinner proved to be the largest yet, with an additional 20 peole showing up so we needed two limos, then a third was hired by an enterprising group of four ladies whose class responsibilities required them to stay at the convention center and join us late!
Ellen Collins must have been so spoiled by her prior participation that a cab to the restaurant just would not cut it! And, they phoned the restaurant ahead of their arrival so we could all look out the window to see them coming in their big black stretch limo
So we were 54 at the restaurant! OK grumblers, it is up to you at the next WCAF to do even better! The "average" tab was $20 with many Tsing Taos consumed! We had the Editor of DECOR, Paul Frederick, Canadians, Australians, Instructors, PPFA Board Members, and framers from all across the US join us. The conversation was wonderful and the last limo group stayed well past 11:00, which is also a new record.
The framing competition pieces continue to make me proud that I am part of an industry capable of producing framing of such caliber. Again, many pieces looked as if they were not touched by human hands! The competition judges really must of had a difficult time because the work really was "that good". And, kudos to the competition committee for displaying them to look like important pieces and not just a bunch of framed pieces on rented easels. The exhibit looked fantastic and it was right at the entry to the show where all attendees to the trade show (over 20,000 people) got to vote for popular choice. What an honor to win.
The trade show was again a glimpse into the future. I feel more strongly now than ever that the mindset of our client base is being directed to many other uses for their discretionary dollars and their "need" for custom framing diluted by the increased use of large (and small) screen displays that will change what they are displaying without the need to defit and refit. The large number of booths offering software to maniplualte images to a wide variety of uses substanciates this.
Just as film based processors were warned to think digital before the digital revolution, I feel that successful framers of the future need to identify new sources of revenue (reinvent themselves) and begin to identify, understand, and implement these additions to their business now, before it becomes the new standard.
Wide format output from a whole host of manufacturers is now easily affordable. And, if you don't want to do your own output, there were many vendors offering their services to do it for you. Don't be surprised if you begin to lose business to the corner camera store offering glicee output canvas wrapped so it does not require framing. And, I'm talking family portraits as well as art reproductions.
Think of how many large family portraits you frame in a year and know that you are going to lose some of that framing business because portrait studios are going to offer a gallery wrapped gliclee as an option that will be picked up from the photographer or corner one hour photo vendor. I have not seen the option at Costco yet, but I know it is coming and then the mindset of the "average" consumer will be changed forever.
In fact, glicee output is so mainstream at the show that DIMA had a display added to their "shoot out" where many a canvas was put next to the glicee copy and it was difficult to tell one from the other. I overheard one attendee on my tour say that thay actually preferred the gliclee to the original.
I'm not going to get into a debate re: whose education is/was better. The education at this show was top notch, covering a wide variety of topics, taught by people who not only really know what they are doing, but offer content approved by the association to count towards MCPF certification (continuing education credits). In addition there were opportunities to hear nationally reknowned speakers that we would not have otherwise had access to brought to the PMA/PPFA convention because of its size.
I think that the WCAF show this year was the best ever. I can honsetly say that for this year's PPFA Convention as well.
I have no voice left and I can hardly see straight.......this was quite a convention and a mind bogling trade show (however, it was NOT a framing related trade show, though there was a lot to see and many eye opening opportunities for new revenue streams for framers, especially in digital output.)
First of all, this was a CONVENTION in the truest sense of the word. Attending the WCAF is just not the same from a membership/social standpoint. And PMA/PPFA really knows how to put on a week long event where even the first time attendee would feel welcomed and right at home at the first event. I know that many new friendships were started (some of them global) and others renewed and reconfirmed.
Every day started with coffee and continental breakfast followed by excellent education that then led to a fully catered luncheon with an excellent keynote speaker followed with more educational opportunities and refreshments all day long. When the classes were not in session, it was great to have a large sitting area where framers could just rest and get to know each other. There was always an evening reseption with complimentary drinks and many with great food as well.
PPFA has always been an open and welcoming group of people. PMA has now provided the resources to make their events really special. If anything, PMA/PPFA are not "cheap" and the venue and ammenties that they provide are first rate.
When I checked into the hotel, the red "message" light was iluminated on my phone. The message was that there was an envelope waiting for me at the info desk, which contained a ten ride monorail pass courtesy of PMA. They gave them to all who were registered for the convention and staying at the hotel. So, in the morning (and evening), it was a fast, one stop (and free) monorail ride to the convention.
The Chinese dinner proved to be the largest yet, with an additional 20 peole showing up so we needed two limos, then a third was hired by an enterprising group of four ladies whose class responsibilities required them to stay at the convention center and join us late!
Ellen Collins must have been so spoiled by her prior participation that a cab to the restaurant just would not cut it! And, they phoned the restaurant ahead of their arrival so we could all look out the window to see them coming in their big black stretch limo
So we were 54 at the restaurant! OK grumblers, it is up to you at the next WCAF to do even better! The "average" tab was $20 with many Tsing Taos consumed! We had the Editor of DECOR, Paul Frederick, Canadians, Australians, Instructors, PPFA Board Members, and framers from all across the US join us. The conversation was wonderful and the last limo group stayed well past 11:00, which is also a new record.
The framing competition pieces continue to make me proud that I am part of an industry capable of producing framing of such caliber. Again, many pieces looked as if they were not touched by human hands! The competition judges really must of had a difficult time because the work really was "that good". And, kudos to the competition committee for displaying them to look like important pieces and not just a bunch of framed pieces on rented easels. The exhibit looked fantastic and it was right at the entry to the show where all attendees to the trade show (over 20,000 people) got to vote for popular choice. What an honor to win.
The trade show was again a glimpse into the future. I feel more strongly now than ever that the mindset of our client base is being directed to many other uses for their discretionary dollars and their "need" for custom framing diluted by the increased use of large (and small) screen displays that will change what they are displaying without the need to defit and refit. The large number of booths offering software to maniplualte images to a wide variety of uses substanciates this.
Just as film based processors were warned to think digital before the digital revolution, I feel that successful framers of the future need to identify new sources of revenue (reinvent themselves) and begin to identify, understand, and implement these additions to their business now, before it becomes the new standard.
Wide format output from a whole host of manufacturers is now easily affordable. And, if you don't want to do your own output, there were many vendors offering their services to do it for you. Don't be surprised if you begin to lose business to the corner camera store offering glicee output canvas wrapped so it does not require framing. And, I'm talking family portraits as well as art reproductions.
Think of how many large family portraits you frame in a year and know that you are going to lose some of that framing business because portrait studios are going to offer a gallery wrapped gliclee as an option that will be picked up from the photographer or corner one hour photo vendor. I have not seen the option at Costco yet, but I know it is coming and then the mindset of the "average" consumer will be changed forever.
In fact, glicee output is so mainstream at the show that DIMA had a display added to their "shoot out" where many a canvas was put next to the glicee copy and it was difficult to tell one from the other. I overheard one attendee on my tour say that thay actually preferred the gliclee to the original.
I'm not going to get into a debate re: whose education is/was better. The education at this show was top notch, covering a wide variety of topics, taught by people who not only really know what they are doing, but offer content approved by the association to count towards MCPF certification (continuing education credits). In addition there were opportunities to hear nationally reknowned speakers that we would not have otherwise had access to brought to the PMA/PPFA convention because of its size.
I think that the WCAF show this year was the best ever. I can honsetly say that for this year's PPFA Convention as well.
So I missed the Face-To-Face and Rob's Chinese Dinner.
