Stationery Fest 2024 Introduces a New Pen Show Concept

Starting a new pen show is always a risky venture, but starting one in New York City, New York, is even riskier, especially when the pen show in question is not designed to be a pen show, per se—at least, not in the format we are used to.

But Daisy and Neil Ni of Yoseka Stationery are known for their out-of-the-box thinking, and their new pen show is just that. In fact, calling it a "pen show" is a misnomer, as it defies the conventions of the pen show with every turn.

"At Stationery Fest, attendees will have the opportunity to shop from international stationery brands just as they do at other pen shows, but they can also explore the brands that they would like to get to know better and meet people within the stationery community that share their passion," Daisy explains. The Yoseka ethos is that "stationery encompasses everything on the desk, and we hope to showcase the fun and diverse offerings within the world of stationery at Stationery Fest."

Even the venue is unusual. Instead of a hotel with a ballroom and an accompanying suite of rooms for national and international attendees, Stationery Fest takes place August 7 to 9 at two adjoined locations: the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse "Market Space," where attendees can shop, and the adjoining "Workshop Space" at the Greenpoint Loft. Rather than a carpeted ballroom, the Greenpoint location is an 1890s-era former rope factory, an open-format warehouse with brick walls, corrugated tin sidings, and a vertiginous exposed ceiling-the type of setting that has likely seen its fair share of underground raves and pop-up events.