About spring fair - Brief Article

DEAR READERS,

In case you hadn't noticed, easy is out. Isn't it fun to look back at the halcyon days of the late '90s and get all misty for a stock market gone ballistic and a business cycle that seemed to run on steroids? Of course, the alarm clock was going off before Sept. 11. It was ringing gently in our ear in April and May when Nasdaq was tanking and layoffs were piling up. On that terrifying day, and in the days since, we've been bolted out of our collective comfort like the backlash of a bungee cord.

So what are we to do? From our vantage point, success now comes to the stout of heart. There's always opportunity for those who will go farther, work harder, and, as our British friends say, "keep a stiff upper lip" In a way, there's a Darwinian dynamic that's taking hold--those who will do what their competitors won't will gain larger advantage now more than ever. When times are flush, it's easy to throw open the doors and count the money. But, as we know, easy is out.

That gets to the point (eventually) of this special supplement. Our organizations have a great deal vested in the global marketplace. We believe that when goods and services travel freely around the world, there's more choice, more competition and more opportunity. Spring Fair Birmingham is widely recognized as the leading gateway to Europe for the art and framing industries. Art Business News is a leading source in North America for news and trends in art and framing. So we're bringing you this special supplement to help plan your trip to one of the world's leading trade events.

We'll be in Birmingham this February to see innovative products, meet distributors and artists from around the world, and find out where our business will be heading for the next year. We know it's a long journey. We also know easy is out.

We hope to see you in Birmingham.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Pfingsten Publishing, LLC
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group