NAMTA Connect Schedule

We're in it Together: Crafting the Right Strategy for Partnerships and Sponsorships at Creativation

When:  Thursday, January 22nd at 3:00 PM ET
Speaker: Mary McLane

Sponsorship is an effective way for companies to connect with their target customers and an essential strategy in any marketing plan. Now it’s more crucial than ever to build stronger partnerships that will drive results. How can Creativation help you to build these partnerships? How will sponsorship marketing provide you with valuable connections and immediate steps to better visibility, exposure, and engagement? As you work toward your Creativation 2026 goals, we’ll answer your biggest sponsorship questions and give you insider secrets to make the most of your opportunities at Creativation 2026. 

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Creating Joy with paper: Meet My Creative Camp's Founders & Explore Their Paper Crafting Quilling Kits

When:  Tuesday, January 27th at 3:00 PM ET
Speakers: Zahra Ammar and Tasneem Kapadia

Join us for an inspiring session, “Creating Joy with Paper,” where you’ll meet the passionate founders of My Creative Camp and discover the art of paper quilling! Learn how their journey turned creativity into a mission to bring joy through hands-on crafting. Explore beautifully designed quilling kits perfect for beginners and seasoned crafters alike. This is your chance to connect, create, and be inspired!

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 February 2026

Beyond Brushes: Techniques That Inspire

When: Tuesday, February 10th at 3:00 PM ET
Speaker: Willow Wolfe

Go beyond brushes and discover what your tools can truly do for your customers. Willow Wolfe will walk you through how modern synthetic innovations translate into real-world applications, and why understanding brush design, shape, and form matters at the consumer level. She will cover new synthetic innovations and why they work in addition to opportunities to delight and engage your customers with insider knowledge. This session focuses on how to clearly show customers what a brush does through effective demonstrations and basic strokes, highlighting how unique shapes influence technique and outcomes. It illustrates what good performance looks like and why through actual demonstrations. Learn how to educate and inspire customers by connecting product features to visible results, helping them understand not just the brush but what it enables them to create.

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AI to dive deep into the data to optimize Assortment Planning and Inventory Management

When: Thursday, February 12th at 3:00 PM ET
Speaker: Steve Robinson 

I’ve run brick-and-mortar stores and know exactly how much time you get to do deep data analysis and strategy planning: ZERO. In this NAMTA Connect, learn how to use AI to crunch the numbers, assemble the results, and even give you some ideas to turn your analysis into an action plan. From prepping the data to creating an executive summary of your new assortment plan, this session will show you how AI simplifies data analysis across spreadsheets, income and accounting statements, inventory data, and more. By the end, you see the power of AI as your 24/7 research business analyst assistant who can turn your POS data into an action plan to increase sales, reduce inventory, and retain more customers

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Short-Form Video That Works: How Retailers Build Trust, Teach Customers, and Sell Without Selling

When: Tuesday, February 17th at 3:00 PM ET
Speaker: Heidi Kaisand

Short-form video doesn’t have to be complicated, trendy, or time-consuming to work — especially for retailers. In this practical, real-world session, you’ll hear directly from a retailer who actively uses short-form video as part of her everyday business. Rather than theory or best guesses, this presentation is built on real examples, real results, and lessons learned from showing up consistently in a retail environment.

You’ll learn how short-form video can help you connect with customers, build trust, and drive sales without feeling pushy or salesy. We’ll focus on what actually works right now: clear messaging, helpful content, and videos that feel natural, approachable, and sustainable. You’ll see how everyday moments in a shop — answering questions, unpacking products, making decisions — can easily become effective video content.

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Running a retail business in the creative industry comes with unique challenges. NAMTA’s new Retailer Peer to Peer series is the space for NAMTA member retailers to come together, share ideas, and support one another in real time. Each session brings together store owners and managers for facilitated, real-time conversation focused on shared challenges and actionable ideas.
This month’s topic is Education Success. You’ll experience live, topic-driven Zoom conversations, retailer-to-retailer insights and best practices, all exclusively for NAMTA member retailers. Registration for these sessions will be verified.

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