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Katie Hunt

Tradeshow Bootcamp, founder

Kelp Designs, owner

Los Angeles, California

Tradeshow Bootcamp stemmed from Kelp Designs, how did that happen?

I launched into wholesale in 2008 [with Kelp Designs] and attended the National Stationery Show in 2009. After the show I did a blog post for a friend of mine. She asked for five things I wished I had known before I went to the show for the first time. I shared some concrete tips and after that I’d get a lot of emails from people who were thinking of going to shows who were small business companies like myself. I was taking a lot of time to thoughtfully respond to all these different people who had these questions. I thought, “Let’s get together and let’s answer these questions that everyone is asking,” in a more systematic way.

What do you hope to accomplish with the program?

Initially, Tradeshow Bootcamp’s focus was simply teaching people how to create a wholesale program and take their product to market. [But] it’s much more than trade shows; it was more about creating a profitable, sustainable business and working smarter, not harder.

Who is your clientele?

We’ve got people that have been selling stationery on their own website or on Etsy direct to consumer and have been curious about dipping their toes into wholesale. It’s a much different ballgame than retail, so it’s about educating them. We’ve also got companies that have been selling wholesale for a while and they’re doing OK on their own, but they’ve still got a lot to learn and a lot they could find to make things easier on themselves.

Walk us through the workshops.

Paper Camp is very much aimed toward the stationery industry and is our signature wholesale program. It’s a very thorough curriculum [where we] start out talking about product development – what size your cards should be and how you should package and price them. We discuss greeting cards, art prints, gift wrap, mugs, pencils and other gift items that are more common in the stationery industry. We go really in depth and talk about how much product is needed before they wholesale and how they need to be releasing new product on a regular basis. Not just how to do it, but why so they understand how it all works. [We discuss] sales tools, order forms, working with sales reps, marketing strategies and general industry etiquette. One the second day we go over the logistics of how to design and build your booth, covering everything from the walls and flooring to the lighting. We also have Q&A time with retailers there so everyone learn about their buying preferences and expectations.  Paper Camp is held each spring and fall, with both in-person and online options.

Business Camp was created for companies with at least three years experience across a range of industries.  This conference covers operational strategies, such as hiring staff, small business taxes, diversifying revenue streams, legal concerns and marketing strategies – strategies for working smarter, not harder.  For Business Camp I bring in a wide range of experts in different fields and industry.  Our 2015 program included Jen Gotch from Ban.do, Chelsea Shukov of Sugar Paper, Craig Hetzer of Knock Knock, business strategist Tara Gentile and Ellen Bennett from Hedley & Bennett, among others.  Business Camp is held in Los Angeles each summer.

Why are you so passionate about the bootcamp?

TSBC is a nice hybrid of my professional work experience, my education and allows me to work with an industry I love.  I’ve been coaching professionals for 16 years, and have a dual MBA in marketing and finance, and I have an invested interest in seeing the stationery industry thrive since I have a stationery line.  I feel very fortunate to do work I love with people I adore, everyday.