Hollywood, Here I Come!

I have always loved the annual Hollywood awards season. I love watching the red carpets - all that glamour! Just fabulous. It's so much fun to see what the top movie and TV stars are wearing, what will be trends and what, um, may not... This weekend brings the Primetime Emmys.

A big part of the awards season revolves around fashion - so many top media professionals are there, from mainstream outlets to the coolest fashion bloggers - they all turn out in force. An important piece of the awards process are the gift lounges. They attract both stars and press and are an amazing opportunity for businesses to show off their products. The Artisan Group works in conjunction with GBK Productions - exclusive, invitation-only lounges for celebrities and press during the awards events.

This year I get to be a little part of the process. I have been with The Artisan Group for a little while now. It offers handcrafted businesses the opportunity to gift their unique products for use on various TV shows, to celebrities, to charity and to movie costume departments. It also offers the opportunity to gift products for press and celebrity swag bags that form part of the annual Hollywood awards season collection of events.

So - I'm sure you're thinking "who wouldn't love to get free stuff - how is this a good deal?". Well, here's the deal - for a small business, it's financially cost prohibitive for this kind of exposure.
There are several gifting groups out there - but, when you look into them, they're absurdly expensive - thousands of dollars for an entry-level gifting opportunity. That's where The Artisan Group (TAG) are different. They offer the opportunities to participate in events from just $50, which is much cheaper than even print adverts and actually gets your business in front of a great group of industry professionals. I am so excited for the opportunity it grants.
Not only that, but, GBK Lounges are top-notch. What a great partnership!

So, I actually get to say -

Dragon Glass is participating in an exclusive celebrity Gift Lounge event, hosted by GBK Productions in Beverly Hills, California, leading up to the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast!

How amazing is that?!!

I opted for a small press gifting option for this event - where I send 10 items for distribution amongst media attendees to the gift lounge. I chose my dichroic studs - they are some of my biggest sellers and are always popular at the events I attend. They fit a variety of ages and add just a little bit of sparkle without being overwhelming. They are perfect for day wear, from running errands to being in the office, but they easily transition to night, offering a touch of glamour for all manner of events.
I hope they're a big hit!

Want to hear more about this event? Please see the official press release.

Want to see the gifting guide produced by TAG for this event? Right here!

* Dragon Glass is not in any way affiliated with The Primetime Emmy Awards, or The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

My Gifting Submission!

Following on from my previous post, I finally came up with my gift submission for "Jane the Virgin". I hope they like them! They are an amazing purple kaleidoscope effect in dichroic glass, with sterling silver ear wires. Fingers crossed!

Celebrity Gifting!

I have finally taken the plunge and signed up to do a 'Celebrity Gifting'. I was accepted into a really cool group last year, called The Artisan Group. They work to promote small handcrafted sellers in Hollywood, by gifting products for use on TV shows by stylists and also through the gifting lounges at award ceremonies and through the press that are in attendance.

The group I am a member of is a juried group, so you apply and they either accept or reject based on your brand and product.
The group operates as a networking group also and some of the other sellers are super helpful with marketing tips, as well as other business information.
Then, they offer opportunities to 'gift' your product for use. Some might say "hang on, why would you gift your items?". Well, it's about exposure. There are so many sellers out there, so many talented artisans and this is just another way to reach people you might not otherwise, unless you know someone! It's also about a little bit of personal pride - that someone thought your creations were cool enough for TV!

So, the gifting I'm doing is for "Jane the Virgin" and of course, just because you send something, there is no guarantee they will use it. It just might not fit with the wardrobe, or the characters they are styling, but, it's a great opportunity!

Now, I need to figure out what to send! One tough thing about making one of a kind items is the difficulty in reproducing items that make it onto a TV show, so, I will just have to do the best I can on that front, but, again, that's also a beauty of not mass producing items either....

Super excited! I am so lucky to be able to do what I do! There is nothing better for the soul than creating something you love and then getting to share it with others.