MSA Forward 2025 Recap
My little 4-foot table display. Figuring out how to display all of our offerings was a feat and required some panicked late night shopping. Quite proud of myself.
The Museum Store Association (MSA) is a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes museum stores by providing resources, networking, and professional development opportunities. Elements2 started off as products that can only be found in museum stores. We decided to attend MSA Forward this year because the new Next Generation program made it financially possible for young businesses to join this established market.
MSA Forward May 5-6, 2025.
When people come across our products in the wild, it’s often at a museum store. Museum stores, after all, are a natural choice for people looking for unique gifts that can’t just be found at big box stores. MSA Forward was an opportunity to show our products to buyers from institutions in the US and abroad. Being a good student, I looked up every single organization on the attendance list so I would know something about each and every one of them. My conclusion? Each museum is a hidden gem.
Museum people are a special breed of supportive folk. I came home with pages of notes containing leads and ideas on where to take this business next. So many excellent conversations. We also received four orders during the 2-day show! Make sure to look for us next time you’re visiting these following institutions:
Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Washington, D.C.
Frist Art Museum in Nashville, TN
Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, OH
I even managed to allocate space for my talking head!
To qualify as a Next Generation vendor, our business needed to be less than 5 years old and have never participated in a national trade show. An assigned mentor came as a bonus. I wasn’t sure why I needed a mentor at first, but I am a woman of many questions. Specific questions that Google can’t answer, like:
How many catalogs should I bring? How many postcards should I print?
It’s recommended that businesses show up regularly at these events to signal dependability. Is it okay to show up every year with virtually the same products?
Tina Rohatsch from Art Is has been so helpful as my mentor. It was very thoughtful of MSA to provide this connection.
Find Tina’s work at the Chautauqua Institution as well!
By the end of two days, I could have easily become a spokesperson for Timeside on my left and Quantum Cream on my right. It was such a supportive environment with no competitiveness. Just a bunch of entrepreneurs trying to grow their business.
The 2025 group of Next Generation vendors. We’re all eager beavers with “come talk to me!” energy.
Blind Date was a Buyer’s Choice finalist in the toy category. Free opportunity for more eyeballs!
Thank you, MSA, for organizing the event!