After an all-too-brief three-day turnaround from last weekend’s excellent Arkansas Pen Show, we’re off to San Francisco tomorrow for the inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest. We’ll be teamed up with Vanness Pens and On the Paper Trail for a three day weekend focused on stationery beyond pens! We’re currently busy packing up Roterfadens, Lochby, Rickshaw cases, Graphilo paper, and much more!
Where you can find us this weekend!
What Is a Stationery Fest, and How Is It Different From a Pen Show?
The biggest difference is the merchandise you will find at a stationery fest as opposed to at a pen show. While the range of available wares has expanded in recent years, pen shows still focus on - well, pens - whereas stationery fests/shows/festivals tend to target an audience interested in a wider variety of paper goods. This includes not just notebooks but stickers, washi tape, planners, and more. If the idea of attending an analog-focused event appeals to you, but pen shows seem too high-dollar or collector-focused, consider attending a stationery show. Those interested in reading more on the experience can check out the vendor list and exhibitor map for this weekend’s event! The organizers did an excellent job of curating a diverse group of vendors who offer a little something for everyone, whatever your core area of interest.
While TGS will not be selling pens this weekend, focusing instead on notebooks and notebook systems, I do plan to bring a bunch of fountain pens (including specialty nib grinds) to share after-hours.
One thing I personally enjoy about stationery fests and other paper-oriented shows is more of a community focus. While out-of-town vendors certainly do attend, stationery events are usually organized by local pen stores, clubs, and other groups of enthusiasts with ties to the local community. The events themselves also tend to be slightly smaller and navigable than pen shows - and certainly smaller than the largest multi-ballroom pen shows - though stationery fests can seem larger than their physical footprint as they draw large and enthusiastic crowds. Most shows focus heavily on in-person meetups, classes, after-hours gatherings, and other non-shopping events to round out the attendee experience.
Come by our table this weekend and pick up an On The Paper Trail Sticker! We also have a few of these left in the Nashville shop. First come, first served!
An On the Paper Trail Live Audience Recording!
Friday night, Lisa Vanness and I will be hosting a live recording of our podcast and video series, On the Paper Trail! We have some special topics picked out for this week that we think stationery fest attendees will enjoy, and we are also in the process of uploading a series of short vendor video profiles from last week’s Arkansas Pen Show. There are still a few seats open for the Friday night event, and if you’d like to get caught up on podcast episodes beforehand, be sure to check out our new landing page which has links to stream the audio content. We hope to see you there!
The T.G.S. Nashville store will remain open this weekend, with only slightly modified hours on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page or Google profile before coming by.
