The Analog Renaissance, Episode 2: The Trade Show Gamble

When Bonnie Christine gathered her team together in April 2025, she asked a question that would change everything: What if the biggest innovation isn't digital at all?

The data was undeniable.
Vinyl sales hitting 18 consecutive years of growth.
Barnes & Noble opening 60 new stores.
Eleven million Americans are raising backyard chickens.
80% of Americans now garden, a 5-year high.
Etsy’s reporting a 40% surge in analog-themed shops.

This wasn't nostalgia; it was a coping mechanism.
A collective reaching for things we can touch in a world that feels increasingly untouchable.

Welcome to The Analog Renaissance, Episode #2. 

In this episode, Bonnie tells the story of attending the world’s largest licensing expo in Las Vegas for the first time, arriving with only six appointments on the calendar and a minivan packed with fresh flowers, fabric swatches, and real garden beds. While nearby booths shimmered with LED lights and polished displays, her team built something tactile — something you could smell, touch, and feel. A space rooted in texture, scent, and real-world beauty.

She walks through the decision to invest massively in face-to-face connections when everyone else was optimizing digital strategy. But more than that, she reveals the unexpected ripple effect, including a potential partnership with a company that works with talent like Ellen DeGeneres and Martha Stewart, all because they noticed the birds and flowers.

"The world is zigging digital. Maybe it's time to zag."

Key Takeaways

• Face-to-face meetings are 34x more effective than email in today's digital-fatigued world.
• When everyone zigs digital, showing up in real life becomes a superpower.
• You don't need a trade show booth,you need direct, human, memorable moments in your world.
• Surface pattern design is alive and thriving as a multi-billion dollar industry.
• Every brand at the show said the same thing: "We want human-made. We want to know the artist." 

Resources

• EXPO DOCUMENTARY & HANDBOOK | https://www.bonniechristine.com/tradeshowhandbook 

•  PRINT & PATTERN REVIVAL WORKSHOP: https://www.bonniechristine.com/revival 

•  SURFACE DESIGN  IMMERSION: https://www.bonniechristine.com/immersion 

•  ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR | https://adobe.prf.hn/click/camref:1011luXb5

FOLLOW, RATE, OR REVIEW! 

Review of the week: 

EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED!

I am on episode 5 and I am so motivated and on fire! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and making room for more! Your truly an inspiration.

—Jstewart61321

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