Our 2022 Trade Show Journey

Follow our team’s journey through two New York City trade shows last week: iconic gift show NY NOW and fast-growing, visionary Shoppe Object!

Attending a trade show is fun, but it’s also a lot of work! We don’t just show up and pick out our favorite things. Work begins weeks before the show, when we figure out which vendors are coming, plan for visiting our old favorites, and research newcomers to see who catches our eye. The trade show is so big that it’s impossible to shop every booth, so we have to make a game plan to give ourselves enough time with our top vendors and make sure we have a chance to see some new faces, too.

We pack water and sneakers to prepare ourselves for miles of walking! At the end of each whirlwind day, we debrief and share notes on the vendors we’ve seen and plan for the ones we want to visit tomorrow. And of course, we can’t make a trip to New York without having some fun, so we always schedule time for plenty of delicious eats.

Check out the photos below from this year’s journey!

Day 0: We ❤️ NY (and NJ)

We may be on a business trip, but the first order of business is always a meal. This year, we headed toward the New World Mall food court in Flushing. The shows don't start until Sunday, so we spent Saturday wandering the city. It was a day full of stationery, plants, and more treats, ending in a stroll through Guttenberg, NJ's waterfront parks.

Lunch at the New World Mall food court	There's always something delightful at Yoseka	The reason why there are so many plants in the shop
Books and stationery, a winning combo!	A large mouse	Dinner at Mitsuwa Marketplace
This looks vaguely cultlike. Maybe stationery is a cult...	Say carrots!	Hello and goodbye!

One last shot of the city skyline before we go...

What's that in the corner?

Combined steps: 41,392
Approximately 18 miles among the four of us! And with that, it's over to the hotel to prep for tomorrow.

Day 1: Shoppe Object

Shoppe Object has grown every year since we first attended in 2018. We always find something new at this independent gift show. The hardest part is practicing restraint when we want to take everything home! Sometimes we even meet friends along the way, also hunting for treasure.

Korean BBQ before a late night reviewing the day's findings, deciding what we can actually order, and getting ready for tomorrow.

Combined steps: 22,237
We were surprised to find that there wasn't much walking on show days. Most of Sunday was spent standing in booths, browsing through displays and placing orders. It's a combined 9.6 miles at the end of the night.

Day 2: NY NOW

Victor and Jenny have been attending NY NOW since before the shop opened in 2015. It's a huge show with gifts, books, home goods, stationery, and enough else to put stars in our eyes (and an ache in our feet). We usually check in with the booths we know on the first day and search for new things on the second.

Arrival at NY NOW	First stop: Kaweco!	Uh oh... their booth has new stationery
The Ferris Wheel Press booth, complete with rotating ferris wheel	Therapeutic rice pack from Even Keel	Stocking up on Nakabayashi notebooks
New items coming soon from Blackwing	Hightide's wooden booth is so fun!	These look familiar...
New balsa animals, anyone?	Long day...	Heading out
Dinnertime in Fort Lee	We all scream for... soft serve

Victor lays claim to his fort

Combined steps: 29,132
We got a few more steps in between booths today for a total of 12.7 miles.

Day 3: Finishing up

The last day is about tying up loose ends, looking at new booths, and spending more time in the city. We started at NY NOW and visited Harper Group / Chronicle books. It takes about an hour to order all our books (and a few other things) from this giant booth. After wrapping up there, we went out for lunch, returned to Shoppe Object, and then went out to see the city.

Books, books, books!	And other things	Glow stickers are returning soon
Distracted by mooncakes on the way to lunch	Can't go wrong with noodles	First visit to Fountain Pen Hospital. Amazing!
Rocks? Or soap?	Colorful vases for your colorful flowers, by Block Design	Temporary tattoos coming soon
Incredibly intricate pop-up cards by UWP Luxe	So many J. Herbin inks and pens	What's going on here?
It's Calliope Paperie and The Paper + Craft Pantry, at the end of the show!	We go here every time	Can you blame us? So cute!
Mmmm, dinner	Dessert?	After dinner stroll at Little Island

A relaxing end to the night.

Combined steps: 57,503
Trip total: 150,264
And it's an active day to wrap up the trip. That's 25 miles walked on Tuesday, and 65 for all four days. There are a few hours' drive left before a good night's sleep, then it's up bright and early for a new morning at the shop. We can't wait to show you all the great things we found!