The Greeting Card Association (GCA) has opened bookings for its new GCA Academy, while tickets for the popular Dragons Speed Dating event will go on sale on Thursday 12 November
Designed to support new and growing publishers, the Academy combines eight expert-led webinars with two individual mentoring sessions from experienced GCA Council members, a dedicated peer WhatsApp community and a VIP guided tour of Spring Fair.
Topics will include business essentials, working with retailers, branding, print production, cash flow and preparing for trade shows. Places are limited to 15 participants, although individual webinars will also be available for GCA members to book separately.
Meanwhile, Dragons Speed Dating 2027 will take place on Monday 15 March at London’s Business Design Centre. The event gives greeting card publishers the opportunity to pitch directly to retailers through a series of one-to-one meetings, gaining valuable feedback and making new industry connections. Tickets go on sale at 12pm on 12 November.
The GCA is also continuing its work with Royal Mail to encourage card sending and improve Christmas deliveries. Royal Mail has recruited 22,000 seasonal workers and is pausing the rollout of its new delivery model over the peak period. The GCA has also welcomed Ofcom’s proposal to extend the Second Class safeguard cap until March 2028.
Elsewhere, members can access further online resources, including a recording of Raj’s Excel for Creatives webinar, a six-part intellectual property blog series produced with Briffa, and sustainability features highlighting the experiences of GCA members.
The association is also hosting two free Virtual Coffee Mornings: Ashton Duckitt of UK Greetings on 17 November and Nick Carey of Abacus Cards on 8 December, offering members the chance to share experiences and discuss business challenges.
For more information about the Academy, events and member resources, visit www.gca.cards.
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