our local home and trade show.. my display

[myxpykalix]

For cost, my booth this year cost me $850 for the weekend. I lose a few days setting up and tearing down. But, for thew cost is is really very cheap advertising. That same $$ spent for instance on radio would get me about 20, 30 seconds ads. And, there is NO better way to show people what you can do than to get them to sit on one of your chairs, feel your drawers open and close, etc... see your finish up close, and just see what REAL wood looks like vs all the fake stuff on today's market is.

...that sounds like fun...

[Simops]

I guess I was referring more to the general "home targeted" shows. Every community around here has one, where various builders (construction companies and other trades, furnishings, decorator stuff, etc) show off their stuff.

For cost, my booth this year cost me $850 for the weekend. I lose a few days setting up and tearing down. But, for thew cost is is really very cheap advertising. That same $$ spent for instance on radio would get me about 20, 30 seconds ads. And, there is NO better way to show people what you can do than to get them to sit on one of your chairs, feel the drawers open and close, etc... see your finish up close, and just see what REAL wood looks like vs all the fake stuff on today's market is.

Some people say custom wood furniture is dying... I am on a mission in my life to change that! One pc at a time And there is money to be made, for sure.

I agree.....I guess I was just saying out my experience....I guess when you have the likes of Lockheed Martin in the next booth the organisers know they can cash in and the price goes up into the stratosphere.....the small guys have to tag along.
In the woodworking world "Home targeted shows" are the way to go but here I know of none. There is a major woodworking show (expensive I'm sure) and Markets.
For me I find the Internet and a showroom the best way to do business these days here. A weekend show at $850 is good value and if available worth it.

Cheers

[genek]

Andrew supper nice work. Where is your shop located, if your shop is in any state surrounding Kentucky let me know, will help you get Juried in the Ky Crafted Market Program. They have a section just for furniture. I prefer to do wholesales only.. However shows brings in wholesale accounts plus I make good money to pay for the show cost and still end up with a good profit. How I figure the shows I do: is this the Wholesale amount is what I normally make anyway's, Then when I sale at retail, I have made my wholesale amount x 2 the amount that is made above wholesale (retail price) pays for my booth and expensies. shows to me is a win win situation you get to spend some time away from the shop, you get to show off your products and company, you pick up new customers, and you make some money..

[Ajcoholic]

Andrew supper nice work. Where is your shop located, if your shop is in any state surrounding Kentucky let me know, will help you get Juried in the Ky Crafted Market Program.

Hi Eugene, i am located in Canada, in the province of Ontario - up a fair ways in the North-Eastern part of the province. Unfortunately no where near Kentucky!

There are no exhibits/shows like you are describing, closer than in the Toronto area - which is about 500 or so miles south (Toronto is the largest city in Canada). Ive considered it somewhat but I dont really need to start looking away from home for work, when I am working several months behind generally. However, I do like to drum up new work so this local show once a year is a good idea I think.

The past two days have been great. I have (as I expected) gotten great feedback on the walnut table and chairs. Ive spoken to a lot of people in the past two days - today is #3 and its been fun.

[genek]

Hi Eugene, i am located in Canada, in the province of Ontario - up a fair ways in the North-Eastern part of the province. Unfortunately no where near Kentucky!

There are no exhibits/shows like you are describing, closer than in the Toronto area - which is about 500 or so miles south (Toronto is the largest city in Canada). Ive considered it somewhat but I dont really need to start looking away from home for work, when I am working several months behind generally. However, I do like to drum up new work so this local show once a year is a good idea I think.

The past two days have been great. I have (as I expected) gotten great feedback on the walnut table and chairs. Ive spoken to a lot of people in the past two days - today is #3 and its been fun.

I am glad you are doing good. It is nice that you are having fun.. when one has fun doing work that means that he enjoys his work. Any show that you do means that you meet new customers, and potenital new customers. I have had people lose our cards, and will come looking for us at other shows hoping to find us, or have had them come back to the same show hoping we will be there. Shows are in my mind the eaiest and the fastest ways to get customers.
Most shows have a huge draw, more than one could possible call on in a few years. In one day you can see as many as 100 plus in your booth. if you called on that many it would take two or three months. The shows I do normally draw 10,000 to 100,000 people. I have gone back to our motel room with a sore throat from talking so much. We rounded our price and quit charging sales tax and just paid it on what we sold due to
high volume thru our booth to make it quicker. you can count out bills faster than all the change.
most of the time I have people backed out of our booth waiting to see our product, and to buy our product. Good salesmenship comes into play here.

[scottp55]

Andrew,I had an interesting hitchhiking experience in Wawa many moons ago,Good people! I am glad I don't have deal with the OPP though. Finally got one ride,all the way to Victoria. scott

[Ajcoholic]

well Im beat! But it was a great weekend - lots of people and if all goes well I will be busy making several more sets of my chairs in the near future

That ought to keep my 'Bot busy!

AJC

[genek]

well im beat! But it was a great weekend - lots of people and if all goes well i will be busy making several more sets of my chairs in the near future

that ought to keep my 'bot busy! :d

ajc

Andrew I bet you are just about as tired mentally as you are physically. I know that after a show, I need to rest my brain for a few days... Glad that you got work. Hopefully you made enough contacts at this show to keep you in work for the rest of the year.. Take a break take a deep breath, and prepare to get work turned out.
Take care have a good week.

[gundog]

Nice stuff Joe. I do a trade show once a year public and businesses attend we do very well it gets my stuff in front of many people who would otherwise never hear of me. I sometimes sell things to people several years later that saw me at the show. If the trade show is specific for the type stuff you sell you are hitting your target market.

Mike

[Ajcoholic]

Well, I have an order for another set of the shaped walnut chairs and a walnut dining table - direct result of a couple I know, who saw the set at the show.

Also, I have several other jobs I went to see this week, that are all go-aheads after pricing - and again all directly from my display at the show.

So far, my $850 booth has brought in close to $10 K worth of business, in the first week after! Not bad..

AJC