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Great American Media Services, publisher of Party & Paper Retailer, has announced it’s renaming the 31-year old magazine to Party & Halloween Retailer beginning with the November/December 2017 issue. The name change is a more accurate reflection of the direction of the industry, as well as the magazine’s core audiences, largely comprised of party stores, balloon retailers, Halloween and costume stores and haunted attractions.

“The change to Party & Halloween Retailer is a natural and necessary transition to make, as the Halloween and haunt segments of the industry are turning to this magazine and its online resources more frequently than ever,” CEO Matt McCallum said. “We’ve always had a strong focus on these categories and are excited to further solidify our commitment to addressing their needs both in print and online, while remaining committed to our party and balloon retailers.”

Founded in 1986 and purchased by Great American Media Services in 2004, Party & Halloween Retailer will continue to be devoted to helping retailers in the party, Halloween, costume and balloon industries succeed in today’s competitive retail environment. It will continue its tradition of providing timely and relevant information focused on the latest products, emerging trends, industry news and more. Additional information about Party & Halloween Retailer can be found online at www.partyandhalloween.com.

The inaugural Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 Awards, presented by leading specialty retail magazines Gift Shop, Stationery Trends and Museums & More, revealed its Class of 2017 yesterday during a ceremony at the Las Vegas Market.

Nearly 140 young professionals were nominated for the first-ever Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 Awards, with 40 honorees selected by representatives of Gift Shop, Stationery Trends, Museums & More, the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) and GHTA’s Young Gift Executives Program (YGE). Honorees represent all facets of the industry – from retailers and manufacturers, to designers and sales managers.

“This has been an exciting awards program to launch, with a tremendous amount of industry support from the very beginning,” said Kim Baker, COO and Specialty Retail Division Publisher of Great American Media Services. “The selection process for this first year was difficult, with so many deserving candidates among the nominations. I congratulate each honoree and look forward to seeing how they help shape the industry over the coming years.”

The Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 Class of 2017 is:

• Caitlin Abshier, Owner & Founder, Cait & Company
• Joanna Alberti, Founder & Owner, philoSophies
• Lisa Ball Ponder, Fourth Generation Owner, Henry B Ball West
• Steven Broukhim, President, Brouk and Company
• Chad Corzine, Owner, The Urban Agriculture Company
• Paul Cosaro, Managing Partner, Picnic Time Family of Brands
• Jessica Dean, Guest Experience Manager, Oklahoma City Zoo & Botanical Garden
• Leslie Dickinson, Territory Sales Manager, Mud Pie Sales Division, OneCoast
• Christa Dyer, Director of Operations, The DoSeum: San Antonio’s Museum for Kids
• Courtney Fogarty, Account Manager, Incipio
• Lauren Gryniewski, Owner & Creative Director, Old Tom Foolery / Modern Lore / Greater Goods
• Molly Hatch, Designer & Potter, Molly Hatch Designs
• Lindsay Henry, Founder & Creative Director, Inklings Paperie
• Katie Hunt, Founder, Tradeshow Bootcamp
• Kyle Johnson Smith, Design Manager, Coton Colors
• Davidson Lewis, CEO, Eco Brands Group, Makers of Alchemy Goods
• Inger McDowell-Hartye, Chief Curator, With Love from PDX
• Lauren Miller Brekke, Vice President of Merchandising, Mud Pie
• Carina Murray, Principal Sales Rep, Crow & Canary
• Esther Ossei-Anto, Marketing Manager, Las Vegas Market
• Elizabeth Olwen, Contributing Artist, Madison Park Group
• Gina Peterson, Owner, Graphic Designer, Ginger P. Designs
• Sarah Reed, Owner & Designer, Dodeline Design
• Bridgette Reed, Owner, Olivia Sophia Stationery
• Leanne Scanlon, Owner, Hardscrabble Gifts
• Dylan Schauben, Vice President, J.Grob Associates
• Serenity Shanklin, Store Operations Manager, Mill City Museum
• Beth Snyder, Owner/Creative Director, 1canoe2
• Kate Strzok, President, Broadway Paper
• Virginia Thomas, President & CEO, Ann Page
• Sarah Walsh & Erin Miller, Co-Owners, Haute Papier
• Megan & Cedar Watson, Co-Owners & Operators, Paper Goat Post
• Jessica Werner, Gift Shop Manager, Marketing & Event Coordinator, Long Island Science Center
• Jacqueline White, Owner & General Manager, African American Art & More
• Kristin Wilson, Designer, Grace and Serendipity
• Kelly Wilson, Visitor Experience Assistant Manager, Mingei International Museum/The Collectors’ Gallery Museum Store
• Christopher Wornom, Director of Business Development & Acquisitions, Evergreen Enterprises
• Charlene Wright, Sales Manager, Emily McDowell Studio
• Lawrence Yeh, CEO, Paper Pop Cards
• Alaina Young, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Q Squared

“The Gift & Home Trade Association wants to extend its warmest congratulations to the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017,” said Allison Barrows, president of GHTA’s Board of Directors. “We are dedicated to fostering the growth of our industry and are proud to be a part of this program.”

The Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 Awards were sponsored by Mud Pie, held in partnership with the Gift & Home Trade Association and its Young Gift Executives Program, and hosted by the Las Vegas Market. Nomination details for the 2018 awards will be available online beginning January 2018, at www.giftshopmag.com, www.stationerytrendsmag.com and www.museumsandmore.com.

About the Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 Awards

Launched in 2017 by Gift Shop, Stationery Trends and Museums & More magazines, the Gift + Stationery 40 Under 40 Awards recognize the next generation of specialty retail industry leaders. The awards are open to all segments of the industry – from retailers and manufacturers, to designers and industry associations – with honorees selected based on leadership qualities, creativity, innovative thinking and commitment to the industry. The awards are presented in partnership with the Gift & Home Trade Association (GHTA) and its Young Gift Executives Program, and hosted by the Las Vegas Market.

About MudPie

Founded in 1988 by current CEO Marcia Miller, Mud Pie is an award-winning manufacturer of innovatively designed and affordably priced gifts. Based in Stone Mountain, GA, the company is comprised of three divisions – Mud Pie Baby, Mud Pie Living and Mud Pie Fashion. Mud Pie is a favorite brand of style-conscious consumers and is available in over 16,000 specialty retailers and department stores around the world.

About the Gift & Home Trade Association

The Gift and Home Trade Association (GHTA) was formed in 2000, as the gift and home industry’s non-profit professional trade association. The Association was designed to help and encourage vendors, sales agencies, industry affiliates and retailers to work together, improving relationships and making business better by providing members with the opportunity to exchange ideas and network with industry leaders. Essentially, the GHTA is a place for members to connect, to learn, and to contribute.

About the Las Vegas Market

Since its launch in the Summer of 2005, Las Vegas Market has become the most comprehensive furniture, home décor and gift market in the Western United States, presenting a unique cross-section of 4,000-plus resources in an unrivaled market destination. At the Las Vegas Market you will find the only home furnishings market in the west; the fastest growing gift & home décor market in the nation; THE national bedding market, new category launches including casual/outdoor, and housewares/gourmet; and a 5 million-plus square-foot, state-of-the-art venue.

GPN (Greenhouse Product News) magazine has announced its 40 Under 40 Class of 2017, a group of exemplary horticulture professionals nominated by their peers for the impressive accomplishments of their young careers. The 13 women and 27 men who comprise the Class of 2017 are featured in the May issue of GPN, online at www.gpnmag.com, and will be honored at a special reception during Cultivate ’17 in Columbus, Ohio.

This year’s multi-faceted class represents a wide spectrum of the horticulture industry, growers, breeders, garden center retailers, educators, scientists, technology developers and so much more. These young professionals are making great strides for their individual businesses and the industry as a whole.

“This year’s class is made up of 40 young men and women who are the rising stars who shine in their careers as well as their personal lives. These down-to-Earth superstars have established themselves as current and future industry leaders,” say Tim Hodson, GPN’s editorial director

“It is a diverse and distinguished class. These men and women represent the future of the horticulture industry,” Hodson adds. “And the future is bright!”

For more information on each member of GPN’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2017, visit www.gpnmag.com/40-under-40. Nomination forms for the Class of 2018 will be available online in November.

Published by Great American Media Services, GPN is the print, digital and online resource for commercial growers, with a 100 percent requested subscription base of 19,000. Visit www.gpnmag.com for additional information.

Four magazines published by Great American Media Services have been named finalists in this year’s Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards. The Folio: Awards honor excellence in editorial and design for the nation’s publishing industry, with awards spanning 31 categories from Cover Design to Editorial Team of the Year.

Great American Media Services represents three of the seven finalists in the B-to-B Full Issue Eddie Award Agriculture/Farming category:

• November 2015 issue of Fruit Growers News
• May/June 2016 issue Spudman
• July 2015 issue of Greenhouse Product News

Gift Shop, redesigned in 2015, is one of six finalists in the B-to-B Redesign Ozzie Award category and the sole honoree in the retail market. Published quarterly by Great American Media Services, Gift Shop delivers the latest product trends, retailer interviews and more for the nation’s specialty gift shops.

“We are extremely proud to be honored alongside such incredible magazine titles and fellow publishers,” said Matt McCallum, CEO of Great American Media Services and publisher of the Agriculture Division. “Having four of our publications within the lineup of finalists is a testament to the dedication and talent of the Great American Media Services team.”

“We are beyond proud that Gift Shop has been named a finalist in the B-to-B Redesign Category,” said Kim Baker, publisher of the Retail Division. “This was a long-term collective effort of our Retail Team, and I’m pleased that the attention to detail and forward-thinking design elements are being recognized industry-wide.”

The winners of the 2016 Eddie & Ozzie Awards will be recognized at a celebratory luncheon on Oct. 31 during The Folio: Show in New York City.

About Great American Media Services

With more than 50 years of experience in business-to-business communications and marketing, Great American Media Services is a leading source of industry information for the agriculture, horticulture, retail and sports industries through its 14 print magazines, related digital communications and supporting industry events. In addition, Great American Media Services offers a number of additional marketing solutions for clients to engage with prospective customers on a multitude of platforms. Visit www.greatamericanmediaservices.com for additional information.

Business-to-business media and event management company Great American Media Services has expanded its Custom Marketing Services in an effort to further support client needs. The newly established Custom Marketing Team, along with publishers from each group, will evaluate, propose and implement strategic customized solutions tailored to each individual client, capitalizing on the extensive multimedia resources of the company’s 14 individual brands and industry expertise of its staff.

“Each industry we serve — whether specialty retail, team sports, horticulture or agriculture — comes with its own unique set of needs and challenges,” said Matt McCallum, CEO of Great American Media Services. “Our goal is to serve as a strategic partner for each and every client, allowing them to grow their businesses through our many channels, extensive databases and strong position within each industry.”

Custom Marketing Services offered through Great American Media Services include custom e-blasts such as case studies, e-newsletters, digital catalogs and product announcements; social media management and sponsored posts; video production and promotion; YouTube Channel development and maintenance; brand surveys and research; event planning and promotion; blog content and posting; integrated editorial in print and online; website consultation, development and launch promotion; website content; custom print and digital publications; and custom marketing campaigns.

“In a less formalized way, we have already successfully demonstrated the impact of custom marketing solutions developed for clients,” said Courtney Coon, Custom Media & Content Manager. “We’re excited to formalize the process, add to our services and assist clients in ways that will help grow their businesses and increase sales.”

To date, Great American Media Services has successfully implement customized marketing solutions for such clients as Agro-K; BASF; Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO; ePlantSource; EuroAmerican; and Nufarm.

For more information regarding the company’s custom marketing services, contact Coon at 616-520-2141, or email ccoon@greatamericanpublish.com.  Current and prospective clients interested in custom marketing services should contact their individual Integrated Marketing Consultant to initiate the process.

Matt McCallum, owner and CEO of Great American Media Services was honored at the 2015 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO for his dedication to the agriculture industry.

McCallum was recognized by Michigan State Horticultural Society with its Distinguished Service Award and by the Michigan Vegetable Council with its Master Farmer Associate Award.

“It was a great honor to receive these awards from the industries I grew up in,” McCallum said. “Our mission with our publications is to engage, educate and inspire growers every day. You make it easy to love our jobs!”

He grew up on a family farm in St. Clare County, Michigan. McCallum’s Orchard grew fruits, vegetables and operated a farm market. At age 12, McCallum began working at the market and learning the value of hard work.

McCallum purchased Great American Media Services in 1993. The company currently employees 42 professionals in seven state and produces 14 national trade magazines. Great American first specialized in print, but has since expanded to include digital media and social networking.

“My staff does all the heavy lifting to put our publications out on time,” he said. “I need to thank the MSU Research and Extension folks who really help support us through writing columns, being expert sources for our stories and providing excellent field days and education programs where we get many of our story ideas.”

“The growers have always been gracious enough to have us on their farms and let us do interviews and take photographs,” McCallum said. “ Without the growers there is no industry — without their dedication to the boards they serve on and the ideas they bring to make the industry better — this industry would never survive.”

Matt and his wife Julie have been married for 25 years and are parents to four children, three girls and a boy. They currently live in Sparta, Michigan on 64 acres. The family grows pumpkins, gourds and fresh-cut flowers.

In his free time, McCallum coaches the Sparta High School varsity girls’ basketball team. He’s seen success on the court and in business.

Visit fruitgrowersnews.com to watch a video interview with McCallum.