Howdy! I just thought I would do a quick review of the craft show I attended as a vendor over the weekend. Can I just start by saying that this is one well put together shindig for shoppers and vendors alike!!! I had the fortunate privilege of being positioned right by the front door and information booth so I had a bird's eye view of some of the inner workings of the event.
Nothing can make or break a craft show more than organization and the Lightening Dancers of Central High School in Keller have it going on! Vendors were greeted by a slough of helpers upon arrival, I think the only things I actually carried in were my cashbox and handbag. So a big thank you to all those volunteers for a job well done!! But shoppers were also treated fabulously when they arrived. Everyone had the opportunity to sign up for a free door prize, all donated by vendors, and with well over 200 vendors, that's a lot of goodies that were given away.
From a shoppers viewpoint, this was a great show, there was so much variety, vendors in two gyms, the cafeteria, down the hallways. Lots of beautiful items and fabulous services abounded. The concessions were yummy and most were reasonably priced too. I was a little frustrated for some of the shoppers because they ended up winning prizes from vendors who packed up early and left. I am not sure why those sellers did that but generally speaking, that is not fair to the shoppers or promoters of the show and is usually frowned upon. The show leaders were however very accommodating at making sure those customers received door prizes from an alternate booth. And if you missed out this time around, their fall show will be November 8th & 9th. I am sure it will be a great time to shop then as well.
From a vendor standpoint I also think this was a great show, however, it was a spring show so foot traffic was slower, most seasoned vendors understand that spring shows are more about making contacts and promoting your brand than making huge profits, that's what fall shows are for. I was very pleased early in the day with the volunteers who were there to "babysit" my booth so I could make a trip to the restroom and then later the fetched some lunch for me. Late in the day, the help seemed to be a little scarcer which was a bit disappointing but helpers were quick to respond to vendors' needs when asked. For a one day spring show it was a really long day starting at 9:00 am and running until 5:00 pm. Personally I would love be a vendor at this show again but would hope that they would consider adjusting their spring hours to 10:00 am to 4:00pm. Many booths started packing up to leave 60 to 90 minutes early which sends a signal to many potential clients that vendors are done for the day, so they often stop shopping when they see that going on. Again, this is not a best practice for vendors, it hurts the credibility of the event, the hard work of all the volunteers and your fellow vendors. I understand sometimes life happens and it is unavoidable, but otherwise, I would really like to see sellers honoring their agreements to participate in a show for the ENTIRETY of the show.
All in all, I would give this show a thumbs up, 4 out of 5 stars!! I had a great time, got to visit with some fabulous people and will be drawing a name today for the winner of my giveaway. What's the prize??? Check back later in the week to find out what I am giving away to one lucky shopper from the show and where you can sign up for the next giveaway.
Thank you Lightening Dancers!
