Guest blog post: Jess Hogarth on SURTEX 2016

We are thrilled to share this guest blog post from Jessica Hogarth a surface pattern design and textile designer and contributor to the Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design e-course who recently exhibited at Surtex, New York…

by Jessica Hogarth

Surtex is an art licensing show held at the Javits Convention Centre, New York in May each year. I exhibited under the name The Pattern Social alongside my friend Jules McKeown, but any licensing deals or sales that come as a result of the show will be under our own names.
I had been thinking about the show for about a year before I actually went there, and preparation was ongoing from August 2015, ahead of us exhibiting this May. There was a lot to think about, most importantly how we were going to present our work. A lot of artists in the licensing section tend to showcase their designs in blurb books, as that gives a real feel of the designers style. We were looking at the possibility of selling artwork outright too so we opted to use iPads, and also to print out each and every design in our current portfolio, and put them in to collections. This worked really well, and people loved to look through our designs.

I was thrilled with how the show went. The reaction to my work was really positive and I made a lot of great contacts. There was a real buzz, particularly on the Monday, and I look forward to developing working relationships with some key new clients over the coming months.

It was a thrill to see Lilla Rogers again, and Flora Waycott – one of her super talented artists, and then to randomly bump in to Elizabeth Olwen who has a lovely collection of designs. A couple of colleagues were also working at the show so it was fab to catch up with them in the evenings. We managed to eat at some gorgeous restaurants and enjoy a cocktail or two as well!

Most people filled their booths with beautiful long printed banners and some (including us!) showcased products from existing licensing collaborations. This worked well and was eye catching for visitors to the show.

There are small things that I might alter going forwards, but I was generally really happy with how the booth looked. I returned home, after an extra few days in the states and my attention has been focused on following up with contacts made and getting in to discussions regarding licensing my art. Once I am on top of my inbox and admin I intend to get stuck in to designing some more patterns to add to my portfolio.

5 Top Tips for a first time exhibitor:

Preparation is key – Do as much as you possibly can before flying out to the states, whether it’s making up promo packs, labelling artwork or preparing iPad slideshows. Setting up a booth always takes longer than you think so it’s good to keep these kinds of tasks to a minimum when you get there!
Smile and chat to everyone – Even if it’s just a ‘hello how are you doing?’ People love to work with people who are approachable, so appear happy and on the ball at all times!
Jot down conversations – If you get a business card from a prospective client, write down as much info about your discussion as you can. Did they like a particular piece of work or make any specific comments? It will help with the follow up process.
Mingle with everyone – Don’t just mingle with buyers, other artists are great contacts to have too! It makes for a much more pleasant three days if you get on with your booth neighbours. If you’re exhibiting by yourself, you may want them to watch the stand whilst you run and grab a drink etc, so it’s nice to be friendly and introduce yourself early on. The industry is huge, and I didn’t really feel in competition with anyone exhibiting near me, as we all have our own unique look. It’s great to be able to share information with like minded people, and chances are you can both help each other out with something!
Enjoy it! – You have put in the hard work in the lead up to the show. Now is the time to reap the rewards, so enjoy the show and the fact people are wanting to talk to you because they love your work!

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Jess Hogarth is a surface pattern designer based in sunny North Yorkshire, UK. She spends her days designing collections to license as well as selling products on a wholesale basis. She loves to create architectural and coastal illustrations and patterns, and her seaside upbringing has undoubtedly had an effect on her work. Her work begins as linear illustrations in black pen, before being digitally enhanced with colour palettes that have a nostalgic twist. Jess has worked with some fab clients including; The Wall Street Journal, Florette Salad, Dashwood Studio and Oxfam and has had her designs go on to many products from deck chairs to children’s clothes.