An Overdue Trip to BEANTOWN

Every year our trade association (NAMTA) hosts its annual convention. NAMTA is the acronym for National Art Materials Trade Association, and this year the convention was held in Boston.

Like most people these days, I'm less excited about travel, long lines at the airport, delays, and long flight times from Portland. I become even less interested when the travel involved takes me to a tradeshow. The NAMTA show is like many typical trade shows, its open to the trade only (art supply stores and distributors) its days are usually wrought with early mornings, late nights where dinners are late and drinks are plenty. Usually there are days at a time without breakfast or lunch (at least in my case I pass on breakfast in trade for extra sleep).

Our booth at Boston NAMTA

Travel and tradeshows sound fun but living out of a suitcase can be a very unglamorous business. Attending a tradeshow and "working the booth" at the tradeshow offer two entirely different experiences. Personally, I prefer to attend the tradeshow rather than work it; although there are some here at Iwata-Medea that contest my tradeshow participation and say that even when I'm supposed to be "working" a tradeshow, I've really only "attended" it. At a tradeshow your booth becomes your home away from home for a few days. NAMTA is no different than any other tradeshow in this respect. During the show, slow times can mean the constant retelling of old stories and the bantering of bad jokes. And missed meals throughout the day are often supplemented with Snickers bars, Hershey's Kisses and Starburst Fruit Chews. During slow periods, the combination of sitting for long periods of time and only eating candy makes for a very fattening situation. The alternative is eating overpriced tradeshow fair. Trust me when I say, the choice of eating "tradeshow food" isn't really much of a choice; stick with the candy.

With all that griping aside, this year I was looking forward to attending the NAMTA show in Boston. Perhaps it was because it was in Boston! Being originally from Chicago I've always felt that if Chicago had a true sister city, it would be Boston. Although Boston is a smaller city, it has the same neighborhood charm as Chicago, great architecture and history. Its a great sport town and is littered with great restaurants. Boston is also an intellectual hotbed with great Universities and Museums sprawled out in ever direction. Its also well know for its political discord and perpetual downtown construction - aaahh the sound of jackhammers and the bombastic cussing of union workers - all music to my ears. But the people of Boston, like in Chicago, take the cake. Some of the most entertaining conversations you'll ever hear are accented in that unmistakable Bostonian tone. I'm very comfortable in Boston and feel very much at home there.

It should be said that I haven't attended a NAMTA show in the last 3 years. The thing I was looking most forward to was catching up with my friends and acquaintances from NAMTA shows in years past. Being able to visit with most of our customers and spend good time chatting with our field sales representatives always makes this show a worthwhile business expense. For the most part, NAMTA is the only opportunity we get to see most of these people. After the grind of the tradeshow day there are some benefits. I was treated to a Red Sox game by my friend David "the Mayor" Ingraham from Artist Mercantile. Also during the stay I enjoyed some great dinner at some of Boston's great restaurants with fellow Iwata-Medea staff Brooke Cedros, Joanna Chan and Robert Paschal. Best of all was watching Robert Paschal tear up the dance floor at the hotel bar. It was like watching Dancing with the Stars, except better.

Its too bad, but it seems every year the industry gets a bit smaller (people just aren't in a hurry to open up art materials supply stores any longer) and NAMTA attendance is dwindling. NAMTA has tried its best to do its part in making our yearly pilgrimage a fun and prosperous experience. With the many mixers and parties and open forums for debate and great access to its directors and staff, I believe that consistent participation by our fellow members can really help our little industry flourish in years to come. SO, if you are in the Art Materials business and you didn't attend NAMTA, rethink about attending in the future. The industry needs its members to participate. Like with anything you'll get out of it what you are willing to put in. Besides, you missed out on some great moments that will be new material for your future story telling sessions.

Some photos of Airbrush Industry Big-Wigs who attended the show...

David Ingraham and myself. Vince "Createx" Kennedy and me.









Brooke, Dixie Art Don, Joanna.