NAMTA Connect Schedule

            January NAMTA Connect 2025

Since Namta Connect is all about learning and listening, we’re going to light that up for Q1 2025. Join us for live sessions January-March and be entered in a drawing for an Apple Airpod Max that will help you catch every detail, every nuance, every earth-shaking, business driving idea. Every time you join us live, your name will be entered for the Airpod Max drawing. Second prize will be for Apple Airpods 4.

The Creative Pitch with Sarah Hurley

When: Tuesday, February 4th at 3:00 pm ET
Speakers:  Sarah Hurley

Join Sarah Hurley as she introduces the Sarah Hurley Pavilion at Creativation 2025. This platform will spotlight a carefully curated selection of creative entrepreneurs and small businesses from around the globe, providing them with the visibility and resources they need to thrive in an ever-evolving industry as well as introducing new unique products into the marketplace. Sarah will go through the ins and outs of the opportunities awaiting you at Creativation.

About Sarah Hurley - Multi award winning Entrepreneur Sarah Hurley, established the Sarah Hurley creative lifestyle brand and company in 2010 with her last £40 ($50) and a dream to create beautiful, creative products. Using that last £40 to buy a train ticket to a buyer meeting at a TV Shopping Channel, she secured hours of airtime to launch her first two products. Over the next five years Sarah grew the company to a multi-million-dollar global brand with offices in the UK and USA.

​Now, almost 15 years later and having created over 50 unique brands and sold 30 million licensed products, Sarah now leads a global team, designing every product and creating every brand under the Sarah Hurley banner - as well as advocating for small businesses and Entrepreneurs with her digital education programme, Sarah Hurley Academy.

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Earth Shaking Presentations: Keep Them on the Edge of their Seats
When: Thursday, February 13th at 3:00 pm ET
Speakers:  David Pyle

Are you teaching at Creativation? Are you doing presentations for your staff? Are you doing workshops in your store? Here are the essential skills and techniques for creating a dynamic, energy boosting, and unforgettable presentation.

David Pyle has been developing and managing successful marketing campaigns in the art and creative products community for over 35 years. He’s served as a leader in retail and branded consumer products. He also spent 15 years in media as an executive leader and Group Publisher for the largest media brands in the fine art-making and crafting categories. In 2020, he launched a new marketing services group called Pyle Creative Studio. David is also an accomplished artist and image maker - and he teaches at Colorado State University in the Arts Management program.

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Maximize Your Success at Creativation!

When: Tuesday, February 18th at 3:00 pm ET
Speakers: Georganne Bender

Creativation is the ultimate playground for creative minds! It’s a chance to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, chat with exhibitors, dive into hands-on workshops, party like a true creative pro – and that’s just the beginning! But hey, while Creativation is packed with fun, it’s also a lot of work. To make sure you get the best bang for your buck, you’ve got to hit the show floor with a plan.

Join Georganne Bender and learn the insider tips and tricks that’ll have you cruising through Creativation like a rockstar. You’ll walk away with everything you need to make the most of your experience, including:

What to do before you even step into your first booth, the perfect order to schedule those all-important vendor appointments, key questions you need to ask so you don’t miss out on golden opportunities, how to tap into vendors’ sales-building wisdom to fuel your success, smart networking strategies to boost your productivity with fellow retailers, and more. Whether you’re a Creativation pro or this is your first time, this NAMTA Connect session is a don’t-miss for making the most of your time in Seattle.

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For the Love of Art Materials 

When: Thursday, February 20th at 3:00 pm ET
Speakers:  Jeff Olson, Art Education Director, Royal Talens North America 

A love of art materials is one of the primary reasons many of your associates are attracted to the idea of working in your store. Feeding that passion and encouraging continued learning not only rewards their enthusiasm but helps to grow your business. It is a proven fact that meaningful product knowledge training builds staff and customer loyalty, satisfaction, and trust, not to mention sales. Join Royal Talens Art Education Director Jeff Olson, who will share successful strategies for creating a product knowledge program that will contribute to a culture of learning and selling in your store.

About Jeff Olson

Jeff Olson has been in the art materials industry for over twenty-five years. His roles include being a retail store manager, multi-store manager and vice president of retail store operations. Since 2017, he has been the Art Education Director for Royal Talens North America. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing and has been exhibiting his artwork for over thirty years. He also has more than a decade of college and university teaching experience in studio art. His product expertise spans a variety of mediums, and his talks and demonstrations deliver meaningful insights into the history, development, and application of artists’ materials and product education.

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