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While COVID-19 has spurred the Greeting Card Association to cancel Noted: The Greeting Card Expo in San Francisco this year for the safety of the community, it will still hold its best new product competition, “Noted @ *Noted,” albeit in amended form, which will accept entries now through April 3.

The program is part of a larger effort to expand opportunities for recognition for new and established greeting card makers. The program first debuted at the inaugural Noted in Brooklyn in May 2019.

“The GCA is always looking to promote greeting cards and provide enhanced visibility for our members, regardless of their location or resources,” noted George White, president of the GCA. “Noted @ *Noted will do just that, recognizing the best new cards in a variety of fun design and copy categories.  What’s also exciting about this program is that it is open to non-members and non-exhibitors, providing exposure opportunities for all greeting card makers. Now we hope, too, that it allows publishers to still be recognized for extraordinary cards.”

The Paper Chronicles is sponsoring the program for 2020. “With the unfortunate cancellation of *Noted, the fact that we opened up the competition to exhibitors and non-exhibitors alike means that we can still celebrate stellar greeting card design as a community this spring. If you were not planning to exhibit at *Noted, you can enter up to four entries for $30 each. Meanwhile all confirmed *Noted 2020 exhibitors still get a free entry, and can submit four additional paid entries at $25 each, for a total of five,” added Sarah Schwartz, editor of The Paper Chronicles and editor-in-chief, Stationery Trends.

The program details and link to submit card entries may be found by clicking here. The deadline to submit is April 3.

Judges include Schwartz as well as five industry movers and shakers most publishers would love to get their work in front of. The group includes: Daniel Callier, Daniel Richards Showroom (Atlanta and Dallas) as well as the Archer Paper Goods and The Merchant Atlanta stores; Barbara Mooney, Daisy’s Mercantile, Alameda, California; Chelsea Shukov, Sugar Paper, publisher with three California stores in Brentwood, Newport Beach and Marin; Audrey Woollen, Urbanic Paper Boutique, Venice, California; and Tory Wright, Paper E. Clips.

Judges will determine the top 3 finalists in each of 10 categories via online judging. The top three finalists in each category will be contacted April 15 and be asked to mail samples so that they may be physically mailed amongst judges. And, plans are being made for a virtual awards presentation that can be shared with the community.

In addition to bragging rights, finalists and winners will be featured prominently in GCA communications, the *Noted website and social media channels. This year’s winners will join an impressive list of companies who took home top honors in 2019, including Inklings Paperie, CharmCat Creative, Up With Paper and Ramona & Ruth.

“The GCA’s growing membership continues to design products that appeal to today’s engaged shoppers. And of course, the support that we provide to help make new and diverse products as accessible as possible to new and established retail markets through Noted: The Greeting Card Expo, the GCA Village, and through our awards programs will benefit makers and our consumers, not to mention cards as a category,” said Peter Doherty, executive director.