There is much enjoyment working with people in different fields to come up with something new and different that you are proud of. We have just launched a new product called Poems to Share. This was a collaboration with The Red Room Poetry Company.

Poems to Share is a pack of cards featuring poems by Australian poets of all generations. Included are lines of verse along with activities to explore the poems for more enjoyment. There are 40 colourful cards to choose from. They can be read silently or explored by using the activities on each card.

The cards could be used at home, work, schools, training or universities.

We have plans to create a similar set using the poems and artwork of school children. We are always interested in contributions from others. If you have and ideas please contact Gillian at Corban & Blair or Johanna at The Red Room Company www.redroomcompany.org

On a recent trip to Hong Kong & China to check on products we have made here, Amanda and I were yet again astounded by the size and scale of China. Checking samples with the production manager

This becomes obvious in the hours spent getting from place to place, exhaustion and lots of road and train travel. It is nothing to drive 2 hours through fast heavy traffic to go to a meeting and spend another 2 hours going in another direction to a half hour meeting etc. . . . .  Stressful at times especially the traffic density but always interesting. There is so much to see and learn from this energetic nation.

Visiting the Guangzhou fabric Market to select fabric to print on

This season we changed from one supplier to another mid production. This was a big risk (it may have even been a bigger risk not to). Fortunately we decided to do this with the support of our Chinese business associate who managers our production in China. So far this decision seems to have been the right one.

View from the roof of the new factory where we are having our lifestyle products made

When reflecting on the challenges of manufacturing in China (or else where for that matter) it comes down to good relationships, trust, honesty, fairness, transparency, clear communication and having something in the transaction for everyone.

We are very grateful for the 3 major relationships with have developed in Hong Kong and China. We could not even attempt to work in this part of the world without the mutual understanding that has developed working with people who all share in the outcome.

Last night I attended an event of THE RED ROOM COMPANY to celebrate the conclusion of their SEA THINGS project.

Imagine five poems making a journey from five Australian ports; a poetic sea cargo carried by private, commercial and naval vessels. Imagine those five poems being opened up on board, and their readers jotting down an observation or illustration that happened as they read.

SEA THINGS has seen four new poems commissioned from poets in Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin, and from secondary school students in Perth, Darwin and Thursday Island, as the project charted a seafaring odyssey up the East and West coasts of Australia.
What Johanna and her team do is truly creative.

If you are interested in poetry or experiencing very high levels of creativity across many disciplines.

Click here to learn more

Cleverly written, attractive, even funny email communication can of interest to our clients (potential clients) and efficient for us.

This week I went to EMSA an Email Marketing Summit at Darling harbour. Masses of people attended from around Australia and New Zealand. The sessions were thoughtful and well presented with lots of ideas and case studies. It was certainly worth attending.

Above is an example of  an email we sent out recently. We will enhance the layout and words for future campaigns to hopefully capture a wider audience.

Current research and testing indicates that if you have genuine contacts, say who you are, where you are from, with a few words about what is in the email in a ‘clear” way, people will more often than not, open the email to read its contents- after that of course that are many more communication devices we all need to use.
For more information on Vision 6 and further summits see below
http://www.emsaustralia.com.au/2009/index.html

Our Christmas sale always looks gorgeous, but is hard work. We reorganise our studio and shop to accommodate large special frames, end of lines, samples, experiments, damaged stock and other bits and pieces.
It is also a team building exercise which all ‘enjoy’. The accounts person is a brilliant merchandiser, sales staff are great at carrying boxes to cars, designers are terrific blowing up balloons and we all contribute to the food (drinks and nibbles for the customers.) We can only manage this and keep the business still running with loyal cooperation from our staff.
It is also a wonderful opportunity for us to come face to face with our customers, see what they buy and hear what they say. This is valuable as all who work at Corban & Blair get to interface with real customers.

A big thanks to our loyal customers many of whom come every year.

As usual we are having our Christmas sale at our shop/studio at 2 Victoria Street, Lewisham, (near Leichhardt)  Starts Thursday 5th November at 8.00am and finishes Sunday 8th November  at 5.00pm For people out of town or who are busy we have a sale in our online store 1-9th November use Coupon No 1523 for the 15% sale discount. Let us know if you would like more information. All welcome.

Printing and storing memories is now easy.

Store photos in a Corban & Blair photgraph album

Albums for special acassions include:
Amore, Belladonna, Destiny, Bridal, Baby Handprints, Black, Metal
* drymount acid free black pages with interleaving or slip in pages
* suitable for traditional or digital photos
* attach photos with photostickers or glue
* write on pages with gold or silver pens
• refills are available
Hand made in Australia

www.corbanblair.com.au/c-2-albums.aspx.

Print with one of Canon’s new high quality printers. See the range of PIXMA printers that print photographic quality in your own home.

These include:

PIXMA Mp 550, MP560, MX7600, MX860,iP100, MP640, MP990, iP4700. For more information go to www.canon.com.au/pixma/

Canon are also running a promotion with great gifts one of them is a Corban & Blair Wonderland album.

The campaign is now live on www.canon.com.au/milliondollarpicture

I used to go to some of the Lowy Institute lunchtime speakers program. Now I down load the talks onto my ipod and listen when I am the gym. This way I get to experience all the talks. I highly recommend them.
http://www.lowyinstitute.org/

The Lowy Institute is an independent international policy think tank. Its objective is to generate new ideas and dialogue on international developments and Australia’s role in the world. Its mandate is broad. It ranges across all the dimensions of international policy debate in Australia – economic, political and strategic – and it is not limited to a particular geographic region.

The Institute has two core tasks:
To produce distinctive research and fresh policy options for Australia’s international policy.
The Institute seeks to throw fresh light on issues of relevance to Australia through rigorous research, and then to generate workable policy ideas. The Institute also seeks to contribute to the wider international debate. We believe Australia can make a significant contribution to the global dialogue.

To promote wide discussion of Australia’s role in the world.
This is the Institute’s other vital task: to provide an accessible and high quality forum for discussion of Australian foreign policy and international relations, through debates, seminars, lectures, dialogues and conferences.

SEED is a customer of ours who create appealing in store environments.

SEED stores are located in most major shopping centres and sell fashionable apparel for young children attractively merchandised for the customer to enjoy a sophisticated, yet warm and friendly shopping experience.

Corban & Blair made the black and white frames that feature atmospheric lifestyle images. www.seedchild.com.au

The CEW (Chief Executive Women) annual fund raising Dinner last night was a great success. Huge numbers attended to hear Gail Kelly CEO of Westpac speak. Gail is a truly inspirational speaker whose message is always realistic – all about people and customers as well as the bottom line. Westpac’s aim is to DELIGHT their customers. A huge challenge but one they do have strategies in place to make happen. The customer matters- of course we all know this but how many businesses really have processes that support the customer. It is a shame not many large companies try to ‘walk this talk’ A great night – pity we did not win any of the raffles! www.cew.org.au

HOLLA ADVERTISING We had a meeting with David and Alex, their company focus is to deliver integrated thinking  – very professional, and interesting ideas on strategy. Visit their site. www.holla.com.au

DAVID JONES As it was Fathers Day last weekend, Amanda and I spent time in two David Jones stores talking to customers and assisting staff in the stationery department. If you ever want to know how a business is running spend a few hours at the ‘coal face’ It is interestingly revealing. How long since you did this in your business? Gail Kelly’s sentiments were clear – if you don’t interface often with your customer you will probably not know your customer (but will think you do) and therefore will have little knowledge of how to assist, let alone delight them.
www.davidjones.com.au

LUNCH at McGRATH. A lunch was held for Donna Rae Smith, a visiting business owner from US who runs a business called BrightSide. Their aim is to ignite leaders and accelerate the results of women in the workplace . Donna had many ideas of how to further women’s progress in the business sphere. This was a small group with stimulating and insightful lunch time conversation. www.bright-side.com

While all this stimulating socializing is going on, it is of course business as usual at Corban & Blair. Orders get dispatched, customers are looked after, and most of our new products are now designed for February and even some for Christmas 2010. Being out and about participating in other businesses, meeting people from different industries and cultures is a method we use to prevent ‘group think’ or as the big companies put it ‘ silos.’

Red and blue cushions from our Landscape fashion collection for Christmas.