Thursday, October 5, 2023
3 PM
All Sessions are Scheduled in Eastern Time
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Artificial Intelligence (AI)
in the Creative Products Community
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Presented by Pyle Creative Studio
Speakers: Bridget Griffin, Director Marketing for Ampersand, Denzil Quick, VP of Business Development for Spellbinders, Erick Haskell, CEO of Arteza

How does AI intersect with the creative products community? In this panel discussion, we’ll speak with leaders across our community to explore the uses and cautions around this emerging technology. We’ll unpack the technical jargon so you can understand what generative AI is designed to do and the implications of incorporating it into your business. You’ll learn use-cases and how you might apply AI tools to increase productivity in customer operations, marketing and sales, and research and development. We’ll also discuss the threats to intellectual property and human originality. The era of generative AI is just beginning, so sign up and let’s get (machine) learning!

Bridget Griffin is a marketing leader with over 20 years of experience driving growth for top national consumer brands like Greyhound Bus Lines, and Rent-A-Center. As Director of Marketing at Ampersand Art Supply, she oversees all Ampersand branding and marketing initiatives across paid, owned, and earned channels. Bridget is passionate about developing insight-driven, integrated marketing campaigns that engage customers across both digital and traditional touchpoints. She is an expert in leveraging insights to optimize brand storytelling across all consumer interactions and most recently has become obsessed with exploring new AI tools that help build marketing efficiencies! A native Texan, Bridget earned her degree at the University of Texas in Arlington where she focused on advertising, journalism, and psychology. Outside of work, Bridget enjoys live music, and watching movies and her guilty pleasure is watching terrible reality Television shows.  

Denzil Quick will celebrate his 30th year in the craft industry in 2024. After eight successful years as a retail buyer who led the opening of 10 scrapbooking stores in the 1990s and early 2000s in the Midwest, he moved to California to help lead the start-up Sizzix brand with Ellison for 12 years. During that time, he led the marketing and brand by launching dozens of new technologies and literally thousands of in-house and licensed designs, including the BigShot, SideKick, Vagabond, Tim Holtz, Eileen Hull, and Brenda Walton. In 2014, Denzil moved to Arizona to work with Spellbinders, where he is today the Vice President of Business Development. He looks for new opportunities and continues to develop new products, such as the Platinum line of die-cutting machines, the Glimmer Hot Foil system, and last year's Namta Best New Product award-winning BetterPress letterpress system. Denzil embraces new ideas, thoughts, and opinions and welcomes the challenges of the arts and crafts industry.

Erick Haskell is the CEO of Arteza, a leading art supplies company based in Miami that has earned a reputation as an innovator and a digital disruptor in the industry. Before joining Arteza, Erick was President of EMEA and APAC at PopSockets and President of International at Allbirds, the Direct to Consumer eco-friendly lifestyle brand. Prior to joining the digitally native direct to consumer world, he spent over a decade in the athletic footwear and apparel industry. He was the Managing Director of Asia for Under Armour based in Shanghai and spent 8 years at Adidas in multiple senior management roles in China and India. Previously Erick held leadership roles with The Homeworld Group, Wells Fargo, Kmart, and Deloitte Consulting. Erick holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MA from George Mason University, and a BA from The George Washington University.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023
3 PM
All Sessions are Scheduled in Eastern Time
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Elevate Your Business
with Short Form Video 
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Presented by Pyle Creative Studio
Speaker: Erin Reed

Video marketing is expanding and reaching more consumers than ever before across the most popular social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and TikTok. This effect is occurring as a result of the explosion of short-form videos. And if you’re not already using these in your content strategy, it’s time to start.

By providing short bursts of entertainment, information, or educational content, you deliver a new way for consumers to engage with the world and with your particular brand. If you need another reason to use them, consider that short-form videos already have the highest ROI of any other social media strategy.

As attention spans continue to shorten, capturing the attention of consumers is becoming more challenging. That’s where short-form content can help.

Erin Reed brings a fun, romantic, and sometimes funky feel to her projects. She is a military wife, a stay-at-home mom of 2 boys and 2 girls, and a Canadian transplant who lives in Texas. Her first love is family. Her second love is crafting in all forms including scrapbook layouts, art journals, cards, mini albums, mixed media, altered items, home decor, and DIY. She has been published in many magazines, books, and websites since she started her professional crafting career in 2015. She has worked with and created products for many companies. She loves to create video content for her social media channels, and you can even catch glimpses of her kids in them from time to time!

Thursday, October 12, 2023
3 PM 
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Digital Marketing
Tips and Tricks for the Fourth Quarter
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presented by Kizer & Bender

According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales during November and December 2022 grew 5.3% over 2021 to $936.3 billion. That’s a lot of money and we want to make sure you get your share of the 2023 holiday pie. It’s time to start creating digital campaigns and testing and tweaking! Join KIZER & BENDER and learn holiday digital marketing – think email, mobile, coupons, holiday-specific copy, social media – smart techniques to impact your holiday business and beyond.

Tuesday, October 24, 2023
3 PM 
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Sketchbook Traveler
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Meet James Lancel McElhinney: Author of Sketchbook Traveler New England, as he discusses his latest book.

Keeping visual journals has been popular for centuries among artist-travelers as topographical drawings were essential to knowing what destinations looked like so voyagers would know when they arrived. Carrying this concept to the next level, Sketchbook Traveler New England expands plein-air painting beyond the range of easels and backpacks, providing educators with instructional concepts, giving professional artists new (and old) ways to hone mobile sketching skills.

Inviting readers to explore their surroundings through drawing and writing, Sketchbook Traveler New England is a field guide to mindful engagement with personal experience in ways that make every day an adventure.

Tuesday, October 31
3 PM 
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My Biggest Success
with Gail Pasquier
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Speakers: David Pyle and Gail Pasquier, Chief Commercial Officer for Colart

Guess who’s coming to NAMTA Connect? This regular series features conversations with key figures within the industry - this month with Gail Pasquier, Chief Commercial Officer for Colart. Gail has proven success in marketing globally, including local market Business Units and Brand teams as well as E-commerce and Group Marketing functions. We’ll open the door to discuss memorable and pivotal moments: what’s been learned over the years in the creative industry? What opportunities does she see ahead for the community? What are Gail’s most memorable experiences (names changed to protect the innocent!)? You’ll walk away with deeper insights about the creative products landscape. We can’t wait to see what she brings to this discussion!


Gail Pasquier has served as Chief Commercial Officer for Colart since 2015 and is responsible for sales and marketing globally, including local market Business Units and Brand teams as well as E-commerce and Group Marketing functions.  Before joining ColArt, she served as Regional General Manager at Twinings (part of Associated British Foods) for a number of markets across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to that, she served at Diageo in a variety of commercial and marketing roles across their UK, European and African businesses.  Gail began her career with Coopers and Lybrand (as they were then) in their Management Consultancy Division, before then joining CarnaudMetalbox/Crown Cork and Seal in Paris.  Gail holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and French from the University of Bradford Management School.  She's married to Franck and has a 22 year old daughter called Chanel and a 6 year old Cockerpoo called Lucie!

NAMTA Essential Manager's Toolkit Video Series
The Essential Manager’s Toolkit Video Series:
What do YOU wish that you'd known when first starting as a manager?!?!

How do you create a dynamic, creative culture across your organization?  How can you cultivate deep community engagement that drives sales? 

NAMTA is proud to offer this video education series, The Essential Manager's Toolkit; Management Skills for the Creative Products Community, as a benefit for our members.  Created in partnership with long-time industry leader, David Pyle and his team, this 4-part series was created based upon consultation with dozens of managers in the creative products community.  We asked, "What do you wish you'd known when first starting as a manager?" This is the result...and it's all specifically tailored to the creative products community. 

Check it out - and more- in THE STUDIO