The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) announced last week that they’ve added a new membership category specifically for bloggers.
Founded in 2004, CHA is an international, not-for-profit trade association consisting of thousands of member companies engaged in the design, manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the nearly $30 billion U.S. craft and hobby industry. Each January they hold a trade show, termed the Mega Show, in Anaheim, California. It’s the largest craft trade show in the world and is intended for manufacturers and retailers to write orders and make connections with one another. Membership to CHA gets you free admittance to the Mega Show, a subscription to Craft Industry Today magazine, plus other benefits.
Until now, the two membership categories were Suppliers and Retailers. The new category, Industry Professional, is offered at a lower membership price ($13/month) and is specifically designed to welcome bloggers into the association.
“We are very excited about the blogger membership type added to our offerings this year,” says Andrej Suskavcevic, President and CEO of the Craft and Hobby Association (who, by the way, took my call and talked to me for nearly half an hour late last week). “Professional bloggers are a valuable asset to the craft industry and this is our way of recognizing their contribution and welcoming them. As the industry evolves, we need to evolve with it. Given that blogging has become part of the social fabric of the craft industry we felt it was time to highlight this community with its own membership category.”
Each applicant will be vetted before they’re approved for membership. The criteria dictate that a blogger member must post on their blog at least once a week with content that extends beyond “personal diaries” and have a blog that’s been in existence for at least six months and gets over 1,000 pageviews per month (Google Analytics screenshots are required as proof).
“We are looking for bloggers to be multipliers and influencers for the industry and not go to the [CHA Mega] Show for free stuff,” Andrej explained. “We are additionally developing Show guidelines to help blogger members better understand the do’s and don’ts of networking and business development at the Show.”
Andrej told me that even before the new blogger membership category, bloggers would join the CHA as Suppliers (supplying information to the craft community through blog content). He says a few hundred bloggers already attend the CHA Mega Show. With the lower priced membership tier, the association expects that number to rise.
Jennifer Perkins has been blogging since August of 2005 and has attended the CHA Mega Show multiple times as a demonstrator for companies like I Love to Create or as a host for HGTV/DIY Network. “Each time I have attended CHA I have walked away not only inspired by the vendors and my fellow crafters, but also with an arm load of new contacts and possible crafty business partnerships,” Jen said. “Attending CHA has always been good for my career as a crafter whether I was promoting my book, my jewelry line, my TV show or my blog. If you want to truly learn about your industry and network within the handmade community there is no better place. The after parties and informal meetings at the hotels in Flagstaff bars are almost as much fun as the event itself.”
Jen is not actually a member of the CHA, but she says she should be. “I love attending CHA and would go to every one if I could.”
What’s motivating the CHA to welcome bloggers?
I think it’s two-fold. First, the CHA is working to produce a blogger directory of its blogger members to help connect them with brands, and vice versa. Providing a list of vetted bloggers to brands for sponsored posts, giveaways, and other marketing opportunities is a valuable asset to member companies that don’t have the time and resources to search through blogs on their own. And second, bloggers are paying members to the association.
Not everyone is so welcoming
Another established industry institution and host of trade shows has gone in the opposite direction when it comes to blogger relations, however. Last year, Quilts Inc., the trade show company that owns and runs Quilt Market, decided to tighten their credentialing process with the effect of weeding out bloggers who might attend the show.
Prior to last year, all that was needed to prove your credentials as a member of the trade was a business card and a URL, both things any blogger could easily provide. With the tighter credentials you now also need to show either a business license or proof that your work has been published. Instead of creating a place for serious bloggers at the trade show as CHA did, Quilts, Inc. seems to have gone in the opposite direction. The two Quilt Markets that have taken place subsequent to the tighter credentialing have been described by attendees as quieter and more business focused.
Quilts, Inc. is not a membership-based association and bloggers aren’t attending the show to place large orders with manufacturers. Perhaps there was a feeling that bloggers were there to meet-and-greet, but not to do business, and therefore didn’t belong at the show. Was that the best move? Was there a missed opportunity here for shop owners and manufacturers to meet bloggers and set up mutually beneficial partnerships?
I reached out to Bob Ruggiero, Director of Publications and Public Information for Quilts, Inc., to find out how whether the new credentials were indeed intended to keep bloggers out. “Bloggers are certainly not barred from the show floor,” Bob explained. “Some are able to attend Market under the new ‘Industry Professional’ category.”
“We also credential a smaller number of bloggers as media – after looking at and monitoring their blogs to see if they are offering consistent legitimate editorial coverage, and not simply writing about quilts as an addendum to their personal blogs or just covering the products of any sponsors. Or using their blogs as their own commercial endeavors exclusively.”
“We also had a number of complaints from exhibitors because some bloggers were very aggressive about asking for either samples for review or free items, then threatening to write negatively about them if they didn’t comply.”
His statement makes me wonder if, in the long run, Quilts, Inc. might be missing out on possible marketing and partnership opportunities for their exhibitors by not recognizing the the power of reach that bloggers have. Bloggers might not have $25K to spend on bolts, but they do have the audience to buy up those $25K of bolts in the coming months.
It’s interesting to note that over the past six months the two largest and most established trade shows in the craft and sewing industry have had to confront how they want to interact with craft and sewing bloggers and have updated their policies accordingly.
Why is this happening?
Craft blogging is certainly not a brand new phenomenon. The first craft blogs appeared nearly 15 years ago now. But over the past five years there’s been a huge surge in the number and popularity of craft and sewing blogs. Although it’s very difficult to pinpoint exactly how many craft blogs there are currently, what can be quantified and not easily denied is the tremendous followings that popular bloggers have amassed, and the tremendous power of their reach and influence.
A craft blogger’s influence over their community is an attractive commodity for many craft companies. That’s why we’ve seen such a flood of companies paying for sponsored posts and offering bloggers free product in exchange for a review. We also see calls for “design teams” like this one put out by Glue Dots, searching for bloggers who are willing to work for free (Glue Dots is a CHA member and I hope that this is not the model that the CHA is condoning when it comes to companies working with bloggers). It’s become clear that traditional advertising models are now much less effective than a more organic recommendation from a trusted blogger friend.
The powerful influence of bloggers can also feel threatening to some sectors of the industry, though, who see things changing and would prefer that they didn’t. Quilt shop owner Karen Montgomery of The Quilt Company, a local quilt shop in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, perhaps see bloggers in a different light. Karen wrote in the June issue of FabShop News, “Is it possible that in this age of technology, some businesses are so concerned with blogs and tweets and other up-to-the-minute online access points that they have lost sight of what we here in the trenches see as common sense? After 20 years as a shop owner, have I become a dinosaur? I find myself asking these questions again and again.”
Do bloggers belong at industry trade shows and in industry associations?
We are now a critical mass and, as Andrej mentioned, part of the social fabric of the industry. In fact, I would argue that we make up a sector of the craft and sewing industry that’s all our own. We’ve built our own communities on platforms that we own and we are influential. Just as these established institutions are having to figure out how they’d like to interact with us, we need to think about how we will interact with them.
I think that, as bloggers have become one of the principal marketing channels for craft industry companies, those companies – and eventually, the associations that serve them – have had to come up with policies for us. And I do think it’s appropriate for associations to be reaching for ways to get some ROI out of the merchandise that changes hands in a show setting.
I think shows are very productive in terms of forging new relationships, but you do have to know how to target the right people and reach out appropriately. I get that many bloggers are new at that skill, and that their presence could be seen as disruptive to shows where, let’s face it, more traditional players are trying to get a whole lot of business done.
Maybe CHA and Quilts, Inc. should mount blogger shows, where the industry can converse with us alone, and everything’s aimed at our role as marketers/disseminators. As bloggers, how much would we be willing to pay to attend such a show, I wonder?
Now that’s an interesting idea, Diane. Or what if they came to our shows? To Sewing Summit and Craft South and Craftcation?
Wow! I think this is a conversation that needs to take place within associations. I agree with Diane’s comment that bloggers help with marketing and demonstration of products.
As a quilter and reader of many blogs, I will really miss the Quilt Market wrap ups many used to post. What were some of the trends they saw, new things, and really building excitement around new lines. Many of the people I follow on Instagram were in attendance but did not have the same feel as previous years.
I don’t see a big deal with bloggers being in attendance at Quilt Market. They should be part of the marketing plan, meeting designers, and meeting industry professionals. “Perhaps there was a feeling that bloggers were there to meet-and-greet, but not to do business, and therefore didn’t belong at the show. ” How is networking not part of business? Business is about connections and growing your network to reach new people. That should go for both the blogger and brand. Maybe a blogger track should be considered for future events.
Just because someone is a blogger, doesn’t mean they don’t have other aspirations like fabric design. Take Jeni Baker from In Color Order. She has built quite the online presence. She was a blogger, Etsy shop owner and vintage sheet lover; now she is designing for Art Gallery Fabrics and still blogging regularly. Not sure how she met them, proposed her line, etc, but Quilt Market could have played a role.
In terms of joining an association, I can see some perks. Until I read this, I had no clue there was a CHA. Hopefully the idea that brand would go through the blog list does happen. A vetted list would be helpful to readers as well. These are some some blogs that are creating and engaging with the readers.
It comes down to everyone working together for common goals: education, creativity, and of course profit. Brands need shops and bloggers alike to reach the end customer. Shops and bloggers need brands to continue to innovate and have new things to drive their business.
I just attended my first Quilt Market this past weekend, and it was nowhere near as crowded as I expected. There were bloggers there, but naturally they may have had to jump through some hoops (like getting a business license) that they may not have chosen to bother with otherwise. Getting the credentials doesn’t seem to be as hard as it is tedious and slow.
Most exhibitors I spoke to were friendly regardless of the fact that I’m wasn’t placing orders. I wasn’t trying to take up their time though, and I tried to be unobtrusive so they could do real business with clients.
I think one solution would be to designate one day of Market as a blogger/social media day where bloggers are allowed in and can get to see the show without such strict credentials.
That’s an interesting idea that hadn’t occurred to me!
Felice is on to something there. I come from the library world, where I’m a book reviewer specializing in comic books. As more librarians have begun to get savvy about comics, many comic book conventions have started to do something similar to what Felice mentioned — have specific days for librarians (and teachers!), with programming targeted towards them and their specific interests. It works well to help promote comics to the library world, which in turn promotes those comics to their patrons. I see the craft blogging world as offering the same sort of service — bringing information about new products to customers who might otherwise not know about them. Just as a reader in a small town in the middle of the US might not be able to get to San Diego Comic Con to hear about the newest comic from a mid-level publisher, but could find out about that book from their local library, so to might a sewist in a small town be alerted to a new fabric line because of a blogger’s post about Quilt Market.
I’ve noticed that the craft/DIY world seems light years ahead of the quilting world in terms of paid blogger/company relationships. There seems to be an expectation in the quilting world (although this is somewhat changing, I think) that bloggers are willing to design/make projects in exchange for “visibility.” The same fabric companies that have paid opportunities for DIY bloggers often expect quilt bloggers to do the same for “exposure.” This attitude seems to be reflected in the way the two big associations’ decisions regarding bloggers recently.
That’s interesting! Perhaps it’s time for quilt bloggers to stand up and ask for compensation and to be treated like professionals? I honestly hadn’t noticed a difference, but I will confess to not reading many quilting blogs.
I absolutely agree. On my blog I deal with both companies related to the fabric world and those in the DIY and craft world. In my opInion the craft bloggers have done a better job saying “no, I don’t work for glue!” Most craft companies that contact me know there is a fee involved and ask what it is upfront. I have not had the same success with regards to compensation from companies in the quilting world. I think it will catch up but not until the bloggers consistently say no to working for just exposure. I truly believe that what we offer as bloggers is valuable, relatable and high quality content. that content makes people WANT to make and buy something – which is why all the companies are here in the first place right ?
I hope that’s true, with the exception of a few, like this call for the Glue Dots Design Team: http://www.gluedots.com/consumer/glue-dots-2014-2015-design-team-call/
As promised, I wrote a fairly lengthy missive on professionalism and trade shows, pulling to a great extent from my own experience as a blogger back in the day, at TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association trade shows) – http://www.kimwerker.com/2014/10/29/on-where-bloggers-might-fit-among-established-craft-businesses/.
Oh, your post is so good, Kim. I don’t have any interest in working with brands or writing sponsored posts. I’m not really sure I would consider myself to be a professional blogger because, as you point out, I don’t earn any direct income from this blog. And yet, all of the income I do make comes from this blog in a tangential way. Both book deals, every magazine contribution and licensing deal and class and speaking engagement – it all came from writing this blog. A blog is a powerful thing and once you’ve got that platform it’s important to think carefully about what you do with it.
I’m a blogger who attends Quilt Market and I really think that Quilts Inc did bloggers a favor by tightening the credentials for admittance. It doesn’t weed out “bloggers” it weeds out *casual* bloggers. I’ve discovered that actually helps me, a blogger, because as far a manufacturers are concerned, I’m pre-screened, so we can have a conversation about working together without them fearing that they will later find out that I’m just starting out and not able to bring much to the table.
I also really like the color-coded badges. At previous markets, I was constantly having to explain that I wasn’t a shop owner, now there’s a clear visual sign that I’m an industry professional and vendors can decide how to spend their time/energy without being rude. I’ve seen too many bloggers demand and monopolize folks’ time in a selfish way, I thick the steps Quilts Inc. has taken are smart given their focus.
Hi Rossie,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience at Quilt Market as a blogger. I haven’t ever been myself and I totally missed that the badges are now color-coded. That’s very smart.
I do see your point about pre-screening! It’s a way to prove that you’re serious about being at market. It’s not particularly hard to get the credentials required to get in, but it does take enough effort to show you are committed. It helps separate the people who would like to attend from those who are willing to take the time and make it happen.
Great article. Thx
You’re welcome!
Great write up! Thanks for the comparison for CHA and the Quilt group.
As you said, bloggers are very influential across the globe and need to be included into the industry mix!
In the UK the CHA UK is holding a special event for bloggers next year so perhaps like someone suggested earlier that could be the way to go. I used to request a press pass to attend shows as a blogger, given that I would then blog about it afterwards. I use the trade shows for networking and business meetings even though I don’t buy/sell products.
Industry Professional has always been a CHA Category, consisting of designers, demonstrators, and now, bloggers. Bloggers could get into the show as media and pay nothing prior to this but weren’t members unless they qualified in otger ways. Great article.
I see. That wasn’t clear to me. So Industry Professional isn’t a new membership category, what’s new is that bloggers have been added to the list? Do you feel that by adding bloggers CHA is trying to get more memberships, and thus more dues? If previously bloggers could get in to the show for free as members of the media, but now are being ushered into becoming paying members, that might make sense. What do you think?
Just a thought, and maybe I’m wrong, but shouldn’t bloggers that receive any sort of income from their blog have a business license anyway? When applying for quilt market credentials, one is not asked what type of business., and one can easily obtain a unique URL for $10 a year. So, it seems like the door is still wide open to serious bloggers who consider themselves a real business. Maybe it is just a different type of pre-screening?
Oh, and I meant to start with interesting article! I often think about where bloggers fit in and how important is a blog anyway! Thanks for all your informative posts! I look forward to reading more!
I agree with you that the hurdle is still not very high and if a blogger is serious about blogging as part of a business then they probably already have a business license. At the same time, I would say that it feels like CHA is really welcoming bloggers, and training them on how to interact constructively at a trade show. Perhaps, though, some of that is motivated by seeking membership dues. Some bigger questions are where do we fit in the already established craft and sewing community, what do we have to offer that special and different, what do we value about what already exists.
love this conversation…..it’s a huge topic, with so many subtopics.
1. business license – I’d be careful with that. In my experience, once you get a business license, some municipalities will try to guestimate how much you owe them in perceived income tax and you get to prove otherwise. not fun.
2. plenty of industries have B2B only shows. I’ve worked NACS – one of the biggest shows there is: North American Convenience Stores – we’re talking petrol companies, soda companies, candy, phone cases, mobile devices…everything that would be tied to it is there and a TON of money. Only buyers, sellers and distributors go…minimal press passes allowed. Point being there’s plenty of B2B, no B2C differentiation out there…and it’s a good thing.
3. oh, gawd, deliver us from “you’ll get exposure” pitches. See also: podcasting, photography, painting, IT, etc. As long as there is someone willing to work for nothing, employers will pay nothing. This goes for any employment, anywhere. In regards to blogging, specifically, for all the good and all the bad: this is a saturated market.
4. I agree that the associations themselves need to evolve now. Sure, I can join the MQG, that’s great. my local chapter is full….but like with any industry, shouldn’t there be associations that are strictly professional? is this good? bad? are we taking this away from the self-taught? has this become so saturated that now we are becoming elitist and requiring a crafter to be vetted? To what end? For what purposes?
This goes back to B2B vs B2C; ties into compensation, licensing….this, if it’s all to be lumped together as an industry, it has grown like the surprise mom’n’pop shop that has gone public – there was no planning, but here we are!
Catching up on comments tonight. I attended Quilt Market for the first time last year as a blogger, and again this year under the Industry Professional badge. I didn’t feel either year that the companies didn’t want to talk to me as a blogger – everyone I met with was kind and excited to spend a few minutes with me. However it was less crowded this year, and like and earlier commenter noted, the new credentialing had the effect of weeding out less serious bloggers. I do think guidance about working together would be great for both bloggers and the businesses at Quilt Market.
Perhaps a Schoolhouse about how to work with bloggers, aimed at businesses attending Quilt Market would be a good addition. And Quilts, Inc. could do a series of guest posts on blogs with wide reach about how bloggers should best approach businesses while at the show. Basically opening up the lines of communication and helping everyone to collaborate instead of squeezing bloggers out and missing the opportunity to work with them. I would love to see work in this direction.