B K Inspired

Well, the craft show did not go as well as I had hoped.  In fact one could almost say it didn't go at all.  It was an 8 hour event and there were 100 gift bags ready for the first 100 people to come through the doors.  We were all expecting a busy and prosperous day.

And.....it didn't happen.  Our first clue that something was amiss should have been the near 10 vendors (out of 40) that didn't show up.  The doors opened at 9am to let people in but they remained in the closed position for most of the day.  No one came.  It was deader than a ghost town, except for the vendors who did show up, of course.  A couple of us bought things off each other but otherwise not a sale was to be seen.  It was a big disappointment.

I feel bad for the organizer.  She put a lot of work into the event, appearing on local TV, putting ads in the paper, signs around town and lots of notices on Facebook.  The problem was she didn't do her homework completely when researching what other events were taking place that day.  We all found out later our competition was a Pride parade and celebration, Ribfest and a boat and/or car show.  That's lots going on and a good variety that appeals to lots of people.  They wouldn't give that up to look at a trade show.

Oh well, I tried it.  I have learned that shows in the spring/summer (read: after Christmas) may not be the best idea.  People are ready to be outdoors and most certainly do not have a list of gifts in their pocket that they must get crossed off.

This is how it was set up....and this is how it looked for 8 hours

A different view...still untouched after 8 hours

On a brighter note, I have been invited to participate in a BIG show in October.  I am so honoured that the organizer saw my work (at this show!) and thought I might be able to bring something a little different to her show than previous years.  It's also a well established craft and gift show that's been going for about 20 years.  Last year they had approximately 5500 people walk through the doors over three days.  Very exciting.

But, I can't make a big decision like this on my own.  I must talk to my husband first and of course he's working crazy hours all week this week.  It'll have to wait until the weekend to see if this is something I might be able to pull off.  If I was a nail bitter I wouldn't have many nails left.