How Do You Pick The Shows You Do?

[susien]

How do you pick the shows you do? I look at Craftmaster News, talk to other people and read Daves page for starters. I also look at the fees and distance. Any good hints to help me find the best shows to do? I know talking to other vendors helps but of course you can talk to two and get two different opinions about the same show. I do not pay attention to the attendance because my experience with this is they do not know how to count. An and all suggestions are wanted and needed!

[susien]

Paula,
Thanks. I also know what is a "good" show to one person is not a "good" show for another. For example a good 2 day show for me is $1000.00 iin sales, for a friend of mine a good show is $400.00.
Another thing I have to consider is I have a husband that works full time and 2 sons in school so that limits my traveling during the school year.
On a funny note, there is a woman that I have "watched" at 2 shows..... VERY pushy with the customers, she has no idea who I am but I do read the posts that she makes. I see how few people she has at the booth but her posts always says how many hundreds of dollars in sales she has...... so I never listen to anything she posts. Yes Paula, I would listen to you!!
I know there are many things to look at but it gets so confusing.... I got 5 applications so far this week and I am trying to schedule the Fall shows...... so many choices and so little time.

Thanks,
Susie

[Caricature Artist]

Very good posts! I definitely agree with what you said about a promoter not returning a phone call, or even an e-mail! I recently called Steve Restivo Productions (a BIG name in SF and Craftmaster News) and asked a couple questions about an event and left my number. No response. I waited a few weeks, then e-mailed him the same questions. No response. For a company with such a "good" reputation like theirs, seems like they would at least e-mail you back. I'm disappointed with them. But, I guess they don't want my business!

[susien]

I have spent the weekend looking at different shows for the next few months. It is so hard to pick what ones I want to do. Where we live in California, you have to travel to find any shows that "might" be good. Those of you in Southern and Northern California at least have some choices......... those of us in Central either travel or do small local shows that the customers have already seen what we have numerous times. Guess I will go back to looking now.

Susie

[abaworld]

How in the world did I miss this thread? I thought that I had read every post on the forum.

Lots of great suggestions, Paula.

Understanding that I am a rookie at this, I certainly figured out right away that the Craftmaster reviews could not be taken at face value.

I remember reading two reviews, describing the same event. One of them said that he had grossed over $2000 and WOULD NOT COME BACK! The other grossed about $400 and WOULD COME BACK!

What's wrong with that picture?

We don't know what it cost to put their product in front of customers.

High winds could have affected the $2000 guy by breaking very valuable goods. The other may have had products that couldn't be broken.

We don't know what either had done in previous years or events. $2000 may have been the worse event that this guy had ever done and $400 may have been the best show ever.

And, as Susie said, can you believe the numbers?

So, basically, the reviews don't tell us much of anything.

And, of course, the products, the demeanor of the vendor, the type of event, the weather, what else is going on in the area, the economy - well, everything has to be considered - and a lot of it you might not know.

So, getting back to the topic, I have very little time to talk to anyone at an event, unless they come to me. I'm stuck from the moment I set up until closing, simply because of my choice of product.

I do observe the vendors close by me. I have observed all of the things that you mentioned, Paula. If I am walking around a show and see something that I absolutely have to have ---- and the vendor is smoking --- he or she can count on the fact that they will get one less sale (if they get any...)!

My lifelong daily plan is "analysis paralysis" so, I would make my final decision on anything and everything that I can come up with while researching on the net. Throw it all together and "expect" a winner.

As far as unanswered emails or phone calls --- YOU BLEW IT!!!

A large number of the elite online marketers have lost me from their lists because of that lack of service. Of course, to many of them, it's all in the numbers - not the individual customers.

Another difficult point for me is that I am limited on how much I can make at a show because of my choice of product.

Instead of look, buy and walk out, my customers are look, look, look, look, look, experiment, experiment, look some more, look some more, buy and walk out. In other words, each sale could take a long time - and they do.

OK, where's that coin so I can pick my next show??? ;D