A report on P. Graham Dunn's dealer conference from Peter Dunn, president

Tuesday and Wednesday, March 24-25, completed our 9th Annual Dealer Conference. For the first time in our history, we co-ventured with Barbour Publishing, who in turn brought in (author of Amish fiction) Wanda E. Brunstetter for a book signing. The number of dealers attending was the most in our history, with 500 guests attending the culminating banquet, and over 800 stores represented altogether.

P. Graham Dunn featured its spring 2009 introduction. In addition, the SIS-store within a store, with a laser engraving system installed in a dealer's store-was featured for the first time at a Dealer Conference. The concept of cloning our manufacturing processes inside stores by empowering them to create their own gift line along with personalized products was received very well by established accounts.

Two seminars were presented each day. Training sessions on the laser engraving machines were ongoing.

Tuesday evening was an event open to the public. Our guest speaker was the Rev. Alistair Begg of Parkside Church of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Alistair is heard on 1,000 radio stations across the country (through his program, ‘Truth for Life'). Wednesday evening, the Rev. Begg challenged the retailers attending the banquet.

Next year, the conference will be held March 23-24. Tony Evans will be the guest speaker.

Friday and Saturday after the Dealer Conference, the event was opened up to the general public. Wanda E. Brunstetter was available for a book signing. Barbour Publishing had a full complement of books available for sale. Literally thousands of consumers stormed the P. Graham Dunn facilities for the two-day event. It was called Spring Fair, complete with cotton candy, face painting, helium balloons, popcorn and Kool-Aid.

In addition: Barbour Publishing announced the winners of its drawings held at the P. Graham Dunn Dealer Conference.

Drawings were held for a $250 gas card, several $50 gas cards, a perpetual calendar spinning floor display and a Life's Little Book of Wisdom acrylic counter display. Retailers received one drawing ticket for every $100 of wholesale product they purchased from Barbour at the conference.

The winner of the $250 gas card was Stella Brock from 3-D Bible Bookstore in Bedford, Ind. The $50 gas cards went to Margaret Umble from J.O.Y. Bookstore in Sinking Springs, Pa.; Barb Tyson from Aunt Bee's Blessings Shop in Maggie Valley, N.C.; Ann Kardos from Logos Bookstore in Kent, Ohio; Sarah Sink from ABC Christian Store in Berrien Springs, Mich.; and Fred and Carol Kliver from Mustard Seed Bookstore in South Point, Ohio. Mustard Seed was also the winner of the perpetual calendar spinning floor display, and 3-D Bible Bookstore took home the Life's Little Book of Wisdom acrylic counter display.

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