Post by mcwier on Oct 6, 2010 15:14:16 GMT -5
It's not about booking shows, it's about booking the "right" shows.
Your hardest work should not be making your product, loading up, set up, or tear down. If your hardest work is not booking the "right" shows, your future is bleak, and chances of success are very limited.
We all do looser shows. On average, with a successful show route , we will still have to replace 30% of our shows every year, If you are not, you are throwing away money. If you don't replace losers, shows on the down turn, shows who change promoters, or shows in areas that are on a economic down slope, in 3 years you will wounder if this business is for you, or find your self starting over every 3 years.
I use 3 years because it takes (on average) about that long to set up a half way successful route. One of your best success tools is free long distance calling. If you believe any info in show lists, you haven,t been vending very long and are about to have a rude awakening. Remember one fact of life on the road, remember this, show promoters gauge the success of their show by how much they put in the bank not you. It's nothing personal or doesn't make them all bad people, it's just business sense.
I had a show promoter friend of mine once try to get me to go partners with him, his sales pitch to me was exactly this, these words are burned in my brain,"Mike I can book the same show in the same town with 200 vendors for 7 straight years, and never have the same vendor twice".
When a promoter set up a show, there are certain parameters, regulations and requirements he must follow, these are the key to the real expected attendance #of the show.
Almost every town in America has its own web site. These web sites are full of info, important to you depending on what you are vending.
Many products are regional, and food is even more regional. Hand carved tractors can make you well in Iowa, but you will be sucking wind in Chicago or New York city . Funnel cakes are a staple in Nebraska and south, but in Michigan the Elephant ear guy will have you talking to your self, oh and when selling french fries in Michigan
if you forgot the catsup, no biggie, but if you don,t have vinegar and Mayo, look for a long lonely day.
DO THE HOME WORK!
mcw "fair and Festival Vending 101" mcwhelp@gmail.com
Your hardest work should not be making your product, loading up, set up, or tear down. If your hardest work is not booking the "right" shows, your future is bleak, and chances of success are very limited.
We all do looser shows. On average, with a successful show route , we will still have to replace 30% of our shows every year, If you are not, you are throwing away money. If you don't replace losers, shows on the down turn, shows who change promoters, or shows in areas that are on a economic down slope, in 3 years you will wounder if this business is for you, or find your self starting over every 3 years.
I use 3 years because it takes (on average) about that long to set up a half way successful route. One of your best success tools is free long distance calling. If you believe any info in show lists, you haven,t been vending very long and are about to have a rude awakening. Remember one fact of life on the road, remember this, show promoters gauge the success of their show by how much they put in the bank not you. It's nothing personal or doesn't make them all bad people, it's just business sense.
I had a show promoter friend of mine once try to get me to go partners with him, his sales pitch to me was exactly this, these words are burned in my brain,"Mike I can book the same show in the same town with 200 vendors for 7 straight years, and never have the same vendor twice".
When a promoter set up a show, there are certain parameters, regulations and requirements he must follow, these are the key to the real expected attendance #of the show.
Almost every town in America has its own web site. These web sites are full of info, important to you depending on what you are vending.
Many products are regional, and food is even more regional. Hand carved tractors can make you well in Iowa, but you will be sucking wind in Chicago or New York city . Funnel cakes are a staple in Nebraska and south, but in Michigan the Elephant ear guy will have you talking to your self, oh and when selling french fries in Michigan
if you forgot the catsup, no biggie, but if you don,t have vinegar and Mayo, look for a long lonely day.
DO THE HOME WORK!
mcw "fair and Festival Vending 101" mcwhelp@gmail.com