Electronic Show Catalogs Coming Soon

September 8, 2025

What to Know About This New Option

Cathy Dunham
CFA Show Hall Technology Chair

The show hall technology committee was charged with the task of streamlining and enhancing processes for the show hall. The work on electronic show catalogs really began three years ago under the entry-clerking program committee, and prior to this official committee being formed.  The test was an overall success with these two concerns being voiced during the comment phase:

  • Timing of the catalog’s release to the exhibitors
  • OMG, what if a judge saw the catalog prior to the show?!

Both concerns have merit and will be discussed here. But first let us look at the specifics of the rollout, including the show-rule changes implemented.

On October 18, 2025, CFA will roll out an electronic show catalog that entry clerks can send to exhibitors via an email link. This distribution will happen prior to the show and will only be sent to exhibitors who entered a specific show. It must not be sent to exhibitors who are not attending the show, nor to any judge or trainee judge in their official capacity at that show for any reason. The electronic show catalog is optional for clubs, so it will be a club’s decision to offer the electronic show catalog or to continue with a printed version.

The electronic show catalog will include all the current information contained in a printed catalog except the cover and the show committee page, because this information changes from show to show. To clarify how the information will be provided, the affected show rules are listed below:

SR 5.01 discusses all the information required on a show flyer. This new wording must be included if a club chooses to offer an electronic show catalog to exhibitors. “Clubs providing electronic catalogs to exhibitors must include a statement on their flyer and indicate if an additional fee will be charged for a printed version and how to request the printed version.”

If a club is producing a show on or after October 18, 2025, and preparing the flyer now, this information must be included on the flyer if the club is offering the option of an electronic catalog.

Example: “Electronic catalogs will be provided to exhibitors. If you wish to purchase a printed catalog, please notify the entry clerk at time of entry.” In the fees section – “Printed Catalog $x.xx.”

Clubs will need to determine the price to charge for a printed catalog since printing costs vary greatly from area to area and by the number of catalogs printed. It may be helpful for a club to review the previous year’s printing bill to determine the per-show catalog cost, which would help determine what to charge for a printed catalog.

To help entry clerks, the on-line entry form will be updated to include a question about whether the exhibitor wants a printed or electronic catalog. The entry clerk can then track the number of printed catalogs required in addition to those for the judges and trainees.

SR 7.05 speaks to the size and distribution information of the catalog as follows: “and can be provided to exhibitors in a print and/or electronic format. Printed catalogs will still be required for trainees and judges.”

It is important that clubs understand they must still provide printed show catalogs to all judges and trainees. The show catalog is important for the judges and trainees because it is the document they take from the show hall when they have completed judging for the weekend. Depending on the number of show catalogs to be printed, some entry clerks may opt to print them at home and others may opt to send them to be printed. Clubs should discuss the options with their entry clerk.

SR 7.09 covers the introductory page(s) for a show catalog in printed and electronic formats. The new portion of the rule states specifically how introductory information will be provided for the electronic show catalog: “The introductory page(s) for an electronic show catalog will be included in the cover email from the entry clerk to the exhibitors and must contain the following information:

  1. the full name of the club or clubs (including all specialty clubs) sponsoring the show;
  2. the names of all officiating judges;
  3. the names of the show committee, indicating their positions as officials of the show;
  4. a notice that all Championship and Premiership entries, all registered Kittens, Household Pets, and all registered cats competing with Household Pet color class prefixes (whose registration numbers are printed or written in ink in the catalog) will be scored for CFA awards; and
  5. emergency telephone numbers (ambulance service, police and fire).”

This is important information for a club’s entry clerk to have if the club is offering the electronic show catalog. The entry clerk will be responsible for sending the electronic show catalog out via email, as the link is generated and contained in the entry clerking program and can be distributed through this email system.

Now back to the burning questions from earlier in the article: First, when will the electronic show catalog be distributed?

SR 7.22 will ultimately establish when the electronic catalog can be released to the exhibitors. The board asked the show rules committee/show technology committee to rewrite this show rule, so the committees and the board are still considering the day and time for the distribution, which will be discussed again at the early October board meeting. Stay tuned – information will be provided to entry clerks as soon as the board has approved the show rule.

Second, what happens if a judge gets the catalog before the show? CFA judges are licensed and must follow a host of rules set forth by the judging program and the show rules. There is also a code of ethics that judges must abide by. One of the show rules (21.04) denies judges access to a show catalog until they have completed their judging assignment for the weekend. A judge who does not follow the show rules and the code of ethics should be reported to the judging program ombudsman. Any email from an exhibitor to a judge that includes an electronic show catalog should be forwarded immediately to the judging program and to the CFA ombudsman by the judge. Here is something else to consider: What is the difference between a judge seeing the show catalog ahead of the show and exhibitors saying to one or more judges, “Do you want to have dinner Friday or Saturday night since we will be at the same show?” The latter happens every weekend of the show season. Either way, a judge would have “prior knowledge of entry” at a specific show.

Third, this was not part of the original comments but has been discussed: What if exhibitors who are double-entered get both electronic show catalogs and choose one show over another? This also happens every weekend, but instead of looking at a show catalog the exhibitor looks at the breed summary and decides what show to attend. The difference is the specific information included in the electronic catalog vs. the breed summary, and that difference could determine an exhibitor’s choice, depending on when the electronic catalog is emailed to exhibitors.

The committee views the electronic show catalog as a cost-cutting measure for all clubs, and it is hoped that clubs will see the value in reduced expenses and pass some of it back to the exhibitors.