CHA Media

Society of Creative Designers Join CHA

Elmwood Park, NJ, USA; July 17, 2006 —The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is pleased to welcome the Society of Creative Designers (SCD) into its membership family.

The SCD, which is composed of the industry’s leading artists and product developers, unanimously decided to join CHA’s membership, ultimately dissolving the SCD organization. The unification of the two groups will effectively unite these designers within the creative industries as CHA designer members.

In making the announcement, Steve Berger, CHA Chief Executive Officer, said, “With the unification of all industry designers under the CHA umbrella, SCD members will benefit from the accessibility and connection to other segments of the craft industry, which our association offers. These include manufacturers, publishers, retailers, wholesalers/distributors, service providers, institutional buyers and professional craft producers. Additionally, the joining of SCD with CHA will create an ideal platform for designers to interact with each of these essential industry categories.”

Cindy Groom-Harry of Craft Marketing Connections and a CHA Board of Directors member, stated, “With this unification, designers can look forward to taking from the best of both the SCD and the CHA sections and combining them to create a new entity. This group will be one that supports education and networking with designers along with providing an excellent forum for connecting with the rest of the industry. It truly does appear to be the best of both creative worlds!”

Designers have always benefited from taking an active role in the CHA community and SCD’s decision to become a full part of CHA is the final step to this exciting collaboration. CHA recognizes the integral role of designers within the industry and has demonstrated this commitment by providing expanded opportunities to support business growth. Past events include the sponsorship of a Press Day held in New York City, CHA designated floor space called the Inspiration and Design Faire and organized a special Designer Showcase at the last CHA Winter Convention and Trade Show held in Las Vegas.

The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 6,000 member companies engaged in the manufacture, distribution and retail sales of products in the $30 billion craft and hobby industry. The Association offers a broad range of member services, including market research, education and consumer branding initiatives, as well as operates two annual trade show events, the CHA Winter and CHA Summer Shows that attract industry professionals from all over the world.

Craft And Hobby Association, 319 East 54th Street, Elmwood Park, New Jersey 07407 USA
phone: 201.794.1133 fax: 201.797.0657 email: media@craftandhobby.org