For those who have never attended a planner event, here is
some information on what to bring with you to a planner event or planner meet up.
This is just my list suggested items and keep in mind that everyone has their own favorite
list of items to take to an event.
Also,
what you bring to an event can vary.
I
recently went to the
My Prima Planner Launch Event in Temecula, California, which
provided us with our choice of their new
My Prima Planners.
So the items of I brought vary differently from what I would have taken to other planner events and meetups.
My first recommendation is to bring your planner and some
pens. Since each planner is made of its
own unique paper, the type of pen used in a planner will vary. When I take my “Happy Planner” to an event,
then I can take pretty much any type of pen, which includes permanent markers,
because the paper is so thick. My
Hobonichi planner is made of Tomoe River Paper, which is strong and bleed
resistant. However, I can see the shadow
of some ink on the back of a page. So I
use gel pens and other lighter inks on it.
The Tomoe River paper is rather thin, so I also use a pencil board to
keep from imprinting onto the following page (if you press hard with your pen
or pencil it will leave an indention on the next page). This also helps if you are testing out new
inks.
If you are new to planning, I can happily recommend
PilotFriXion Pens.
They are erasable (be
gentle while erasing if your paper is thin).
They also have a line of highlighters that are erasable too.
I love using those on my college school books,
since I tend to resell those at the end of the semester.
Pilot also has a line of stamps called the
Pilot FriXion Erasable Stamps that include a wide variety of images including holiday, meals, birthday and many more.
Amazon carries a Pilot FriXion Erasable Stamp set of 30 different
images.
Since the FriXion pens and
stamps work on heat (the process of erasing causes a heat reaction), then don’t
be surprised if you leave your planner in a hot car and find some of your
entries have disappeared. I left mine in my car on a 105
° day (so it was pretty hot in
the car) and I did have some entries fade.
I did some research and found that some people put the planner in the
freezer and are able to recover some of their entries.
It did not work for me but maybe that was because
it was my
Hobonichi (which is thinner paper).
So keep that in mind if you use the FriXion Pens.
As you can see, the supply list can be varied in accordance
to the planer and how each person uses it.
I often attend planner meetups at my local Michaels and/or JoAnns Craft
stores.
Those events are usually only
two hours long so I take a lot less supplies with me. I try to make all my supplies fit into one of the "Me and My Big Ideas"
Striped Storage Cases.
So here is a list of some items that you might consider
taking with you to your first planner meet up.
Planner Meetup Essentials:
- Planner
- Pens / pencils
- Washi Tape (I wrap my washi tape
onto used plastic gift cards so that I can carry a large selection while still
using only a small amount of space in my tote bag.)
- Adhesive
- Stickers
- Tweezers (To make moving stickers
around easier)
- Scissors
- Sticky Notes
All Day Planner
Events:
Additional Items if you’re going to an all day event or have
more room in your planner tote bag:
- Portable Paper Cutter
- Hole Punch
- Rubber Stamps
- Stamp pads
- Snacks and water (some places don’t
allow other types of beverages)
Swap Items:
Some meetups have swaps (don’t worry the planner meetup
usually will state if there is a swap or not):
- Swap Items (check with host as to
how many you need to bring).
- Container to Hold Swap items you
will receive.
I recommend a box like in the photo below because it makes
it easier to carry and is great to take a quick Instagram picture.
Gift Exchange:
Some meetups have gift exchanges that are set at a
particular value. I have now attended
quite a few different meet ups and can say that it should be planner related. Here is a picture of some of the items I received in a gift exchange at the @90twins planner event. It was a very generous gift.
Now participating in a gift exchange can be
tricky. There are always new members who
attend gift exchanges and if the host does not specify what should be in the
gift exchange you may get something completely unrelated. If you are picky about your planner supplies, just remember that you don't ever have to participate in the gift exchanges either. If I am new to a group I will not participate in the gift exchange until I get an idea of what types of items that particular group likes.
Just a thought: I want to share a thought that my mother taught us. She said that we should
accept a gift with grace. She also
taught use that we should never criticize the gift itself, since it could hurt
a person’s feelings. After all, we all
have different perspectives of what a planner supply is and what types of
supplies we like to use, so we cannot expect another person to know what we
would want.
One of the planner meetups I
am going to be attending in December is actually having a collection for new
unwrapped toys which will be given to the “Choc Children Hospital Toy Drive”. They decided that they would do that instead of the traditional swap and gift
exchange. I thought that was a lovely idea to give to others during the holiday time.
White Elephant or
Destash Table:
These are my favorites.
Attendees bring planner supplies that they don’t want or need. This included stickers, adhesives, paper,
stamps, journaling cards, pens, and so much more. They are placed on the table
to find new owners. I love donating
items to that table because then I don’t have to feel guilty about getting rid
of something that does not serve my planner needs. I know that someone who does want and need it
will take it home.
The great thing about planner events and planner meetups is
that the host usually posts a list that offers suggestions of what items to
bring with you to the event. Those are
mostly for first time attendees but are helpful just the same. Also, the price for each event can vary. I pay a small fee of $5 a year for my meetups
membership that covers the cost of postings, etc. However, each planner event can vary from $15
to $150. Each one depends on who is
hosting the event. The “My Prima Planner
Launch Event” was $120 which included one of the new planners that they were
launching,
a technique or accessory class that was structured to each planner,
 |
| A watercolor mini class offered at the Prima Planner Launch Party! |
some fun “make and take” projects,
 |
| My Prima Planner Launch Party Planner Insert Page Project |
a planner goody box,
lunch, dessert,
beverages, and wine tasting (for those who wished to taste the wines). The event was worth far more than it cost. The location was beautiful and I made some new friends there.
Planner events and planner meetups are a great way to meet
people who share your love of planning and learn some new techniques. I also find out about other future planner
events from the people who attend. They
usually have popup shops that give you a chance to see and purchase planner
related products. It really is a fun
experience and I enjoy attending them. If you know of some fun upcoming planner meet ups, please share it by leaving a comment below.
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