Good Morning Fellow Stampers -
Happy Hump Day! I'm really quite excited today -- the moment has arrived. We are loaded up, packed, checklists have been double and triple checked, and it's time to head off to Salt Lake City for Stampin' Up! Inspire! Create! Share! Convention. This year I am driving -- yes, you heard that right! Turns out it's really not that far from Denver to Salt Lake City, and I'm taking one of my Paper Pups (downline) with me this year. So when you have a companion in the car, it makes the trip fun and easy!
So, I have been asked what is Convention like; what do we do there; and what do I like most about Convention. Oh, those are wonderful questions and I'll do my best to give you all a little insight and sneak peak at what the Demonstrators gather to do every year in Salt Lake City.
I love Convention! I love the way it rejuvenates me, inspires me, and sends me home excited to share with all of you the events and products that are coming in the months ahead. Convention has an undercurrent of expectation to it. When all these creative minds gather in one room, anything can happen! Stampin' Up! makes this a wonderful weekend for all of us, and are generous to a fault with all their Demonstrators. Convention is just simply not an event to be missed!! There is a reason Stampin' Up! calls it "Inspire! Create! Share!"
So, what do we do for 3 days? Well, we spend time together in "general sessions" where we get to hear from the executives and leaders of Stampin' Up! They share with us the status of the company and what the future plans and direction are. We get the new catalog release -- in this case, the new Holiday Mini Occasions catalog -- whoo hooo :-) I'm looking forward to seeing what new products we will have to play with this Fall and Christmas season. And many of our top directors and trainers will actually "demonstrate" projects and stamping from main stage during these sessions. My favorite time!!
We also sit through workshops and training where we learn how to better run our businesses, and we learn new techniques in crafting. Most fun, this is our chance to actually sit down and create -- make-n-takes, and projects -- instead of having to plan them for our classes and customers. This is our chance to actually be the "students" instead of the "teachers." And that is something I probably enjoy the most.
Probably the most special event, is Awards Night. This is the time when Stampin' Up! takes the time to recognize and reward Demonstrators who have achieved milestones and titles, and have set themselves above the "crowd" so to speak. I am honored to be part of one of the top Demonstrator Groups in the entire company -- Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty Pals. Last year Mary walked the stage over 9 times with her spectacular achievements. I look forward to seeing her and others again this year. And maybe even get my first chance to walk that stage having achieved a few milestones myself this year. We shall see ;-)
After the Awards Ceremony, we will have an "after party" which is always a fabulous and fun event. This year's "theme" is The Roaring 20's - and I have actually bought a "flapper dress" and accessories so I can dress up for this fun event. It should be a ball! ;-)
We'll be exhausted by the time we return from this event. But I know it will be a rewarding and wonderful time. There is so much I like about Convention -- but probably paramount is the time spent with my Pretty Pals, and getting to know folks from all across the country. It is what makes us the Stampin' Up! Family!
I look forward to sharing with you as this week progresses; and bringing home fresh new ideas and the excitement of the months ahead.
Until Next Time . . .
