A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT
NSSEA Members Change
The World!
Jim McGarry | National School Supply and Equipment Association
S
itting in Washington and watching the dysfunctional non-negotiations of our elected officials it may be
hard to accept that NSSEA is making a difference in
this complex world. We could never be more wrong. As
an industry we have touched almost every student in the
education system for nearly 100 years. The products and
ideas that have come from the minds and imaginations of
NSSEA members have made learning fun, exciting, and
accessible to students from all socio-economic backgrounds
and learning abilities. We make the products that allow our
teachers to be heroes.
Now is the time to celebrate the industry that creates
the innovative
environments
that facilitate learning
and the tools
that give
teachers and
students the
opportunity
to thrive. The
amount of innovation that occurs every year in the product
introductions at EdSpaces and Ed Expo is phenomenal, and
NSSEA is going to recognize and celebrate this innovation
much more visibly at our industry events.
Starting with EdSpaces, we have partnered with the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) to create the
EdSpaces Innovation Award. IIDA is the world’s recognized
leader in design competitions, holding over 12 per year
across many disciplines. This will be the industry’s most
important product design competition for innovation targeted to the learning environment. A panel of distinguished
interior designers will meet in San Antonio to judge the
new product submissions from the exhibitors at EdSpaces in
categories ranging from classroom furniture and seating to
specialty products and finishes. The winners of these awards
will be recognized at the Wednesday General Session,
on the NSSEA web site, in Essentials and other industry
publications, and on the IIDA web site. (Deadline to enter:
November 20. Visit, IIDA.org.)
At Ed Expo we will continue to work with our sponsor
Educational Dealer magazine to make the New Product
Showcase one of the most popular destinations on the exhibit floor. Dealers will vote on what products they believe
will brighten the days of students and teachers. We will also
have the Share the Show breakfast roundtable to continue
the discussion among the dealer community about what
was hot on the show floor and what could be the next year’s
best sellers.
New this year at Ed Expo is the Teacher Trendsetter
Program. Through this program we are going to bring up
to 30 well known teacher bloggers to Ed Expo on Sunday
to walk the floor and vote on what catches their eye. These
teacher bloggers will be clearly identified and we can’t
wait to see
the industry
buzz that they
create as they
tell the world
about the innovation that
is only found
at Ed Expo.
One of the
many benefits of this program is the message to the teacher
community that the unique and exciting products are available to them by visiting their local parent/teacher store.
These are exciting times in our industry. The innovation on display at both shows will totally outpace anything
we have seen in the past. There is only one way to be part
of this revolution in the tools and environments for learning and that is to participate. See you at EdSpaces and Ed
Expo.•
“These are exciting times in our industry. The
innovation on display at both shows will totally
outpace anything we have seen in the past.”
CONNECT
WITH US
FACEBOOK, TWITTER, LINKEDIN:
NSSEA
essentials | WWW.NSSEA.ORG 27