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Exhibitor Show Reviews appearing in the JAN/FEB 2006 Issue.Dogwood Festival, Greenfield Hill Congregational Church, Fairfield, CT May 7 & 8, 2005 1 - 49 exhibitors, 3 reviews received. Average sale: $45, Overall Rating: Good, Communication was: Prompt, Registration was: Prompt, Layout of show was: Good, Were imports allowed: Yes, Were crafts limited in each category: Yes, Would you apply again: Yes Comments: 1. Nice show, pleasant promoters, slow crowd, always rains on this show every single year. 2. Saturday - very slow. Sunday - Very busy. Customers were selective 3. Quality work. Meet the Artists & the Artisans, Denise Morris Curt, Milford Green, Milford, CT May 14 & 15, 2005 100 - 199 exhibitors, 1 review received Comments: As always, Denise's shows are well run. The weather was good and the crowds were very good for a spring show. Good advertising in local papers. Excellent signage to get to the green and a really loyal group of repeat show attendees made for a good show. 14th Annual Arts & Crafts Show, Wilton Rotary Club, Wilton Town Green, Wilton, CT May 21 & 22, 2005 50 - 99 exhibitors 1 review received. Comment: Good location in Wilton Town Center - could have used more traffic - customers came in slowly. Signage was good, advertising was fair to good, my main complaint was the layout of the show. Spaces were to be 10 x 12 but grids were laid out as small as 6 x 6 requiring some serious jockeying at set-up! Westport Crafts Show, Staples High School, Westport, CT. May 28-29, 2005 100 - 199 exhibitors 1 review received. Comments: All around a dependable show. New committee was informed by legitimate artisans of non-handcrafted booths and these (non-handcrafted) will not be admitted in future. Very helpful committee, they also show respect to crafters by continuing their tradition of serving coffee and other refreshments all days. Fishkill Trolley Festival, Fishkill Business Association, Fishkill, NY, June 5, 2005 100 - 199 exhibitors, 1 review received. Comment: 12th annual show. Very well organized. Weather almost always seems to cooperate. Great crowds. Nice little one day show which is always held on the first Sunday in June. Town Hall Green Arts & Crafts Show, Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield, CT, June 25 & 26, 2005 50 - 99 exhibitors, 2 reviews received. Comment: 1. Nice show, quality work selected - no junk! 2. Show was very good this year, have only done it once before, but the quality of the vendors was very good. Traffic was good - a direct result of advertising and very good signage. A lot of work went into organizing this show and it did produce results. William Cullen Bryant Homestead Craft Fair, Trustees for Preservation, Cummington, MA, July 16 & 17, 2005. 100 - 199 exhibitors, 1 review received. Comment: This is a nice size craft show in a beautiful setting in the Massachusetts hills. It gets a good crowd - sometimes a great crowd. This year the weather was a little iffy and may have impacted people who would normally travel 45 minutes or more to get there. Buyers Market of American Craft, The Rosen Group, Philadelphia, PA. August 5 - 7, 2005 (Wholesale) Over 200 exhibitors 2 reviews Comments: 1. It's not inexpensive, but if you've got something that's new and really pops, this is the best wholesale show there is. Requires a 2-show (Winter & Summer) contract 2. What a GREAT wholesale show!! Worth every penny! Guilford Lions Club, Guilford Green, Guilford, CT. August 13, 2005 1 - 49 exhibitors, 1 review received. Comments: Weather was terrible - 95 Traffic down from last year but I did well. (Pottery) Serendipity, Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Ballard Park, Ridgefield, CT. August 21, 2005 50 - 99 exhibitors 10 reviews received. Average sale: $45+, Overall rating: Fair, Communcation was: Prompt, Registration was: Prompt, Layout of show was: Fair, Were imports allowed: Yes, Would you apply again: N/A Comments: 1. Very poor sales, not enough signs or publicity for this show. 2. Very slow, low attendance. Beautiful crafts in a lovely setting, but very little business. 3. There has to be more advertising. I have done this show for years and this has been the poorest sales I have experienced here. 5. Very hot - traffic slowed down in the afternoon. Morning was great. 6. Sleepy show with a lot of strollers not buyers. Suffers from a lack of advertising. 6. Overall our sales were OK. Small crowd, many people just strolling. 36th Annual Simsbury Arts & Crafts Festival, Simsbury Women's Club, Simsbury, Ct September 17-18, 2005 50 - 99 Exhibitors. 1 Review received. Comment: The show was rated excellent by the reviewer with an average sale of $20.00. Under "Were Imports Allowed" - the answer was "NO", with the comments that two importers were asked to leave. Pumpkin Festival, Pumpkin Festival Association, Seymour, CT, September 18, 2005 over 200 exhibitors, 1 review received Comments: Some spaces had large rocks and were quite uneven making it difficult for set-up. Excellent attendance, very good sales overall. Meet the Artists and the Artisans, Denise Morris Curt, Milford Green, Milford, CT September 24 & 25, 2005 50 - 99 exhibitors 7 reviews received. Average sale: $40. Overall rating: Good+, Communication was: Prompt, Registration was: Prompt, Layout of show was: Good, Were imports allowed: No, Were crafts limited in each category: Yes, Would you apply again: Yes Comments: 1. Very good show - friendly management, good crowd on Saturday, poor crowd on Sunday. Would definitely do again, Quality artists. 2. Usually would apply for next year, but after doing this for years not sure if I would come back. Not a good crowd, not as good layout (crafts seemed spread out with lots of gaps). Disappointing. 3. Portrait commissions tend to arrive weeks and months after a show. Sales, then, are yet to be determined. Interest was high with three or four promising leads. 4. Even in a bad year, when many shows have a very poor attendance, Denise manages to bring in a pretty good crowd. Some of my customers attended the show both Saturday and Sunday, and bought both days. 5. Show was very well run overall. 6. This is a consistently good show for me. I consider it one of my mainstay shows for the season. Denise runs a tight ship which results in some customers commenting that they now only attend her show in Milford to find unique items and avoid buy and sell. 25th Annual Harvest Festival on the Green, Unitarian Universalist Church, Paradise Green, Stratford, CT, September 25, 2005 One review received. Comments: Weather held out - attendance was steady all day with interested local craft show goers - nice selection of crafts competing with tag sale/plant sale items. Beautiful location with plenty of parking for crafters and customers. I only do this show because of its location and committee. Pound Ridge Arts & Crafts Show, Pound Ridge Business Association, Scotts Corners, Pound Ridge, NY, October 15 & 16, 2005 50 - 99 Exhibitors. Three reviews received. Overall rating: Excellent Communication was: Prompt Registration was: Prompt Layout of Show was: Fair+ Were imports allowed: No Were crafts limited in each category: Yes Would you apply again: Yes Comments: 1. (Media - jewelry, Average sale $75.00) I have done this show for about eight years - it does not bring a huge number of people - but in many cases, the "right" people. It is well advertised in Connecticut also. 2. (Media - Oils, painting, average sale $900) I've been doing this show for three years. Sales have been good. 3. (Media - pottery, Average sale $20) Weather was horrible but buying patrons still turned out. 24th Annual Harvest Festival, Guilford Civic Women, Inc., Guildford Green, Guilford, Ct. October 15, 2005 One review received. Comments: Windy, wet weather on Saturday necessitated using the rain date. Although the day was dry, it was a challenge to contend with the very windy weather. The committee was prepared for this and greeted the crafters upon arrival. The show was very well attended by the public and the churchgoers that Sunday morning. I only do this show because of the beautiful Guilford Green, the great committee and the raindate. Rocky Hill Women's Club Craft Fair, Rocky Hill High School, Rocky Hill, CT. October 23, 2005 Two reviews received. Comments: 1. There were many items that were mass produced and the people just weren't buying anything. 2. It was advertised as a juried craft show on application to crafters and on road signs to customers. However, the show is filled with imports and simply assembled items. They jury by checks, and crafters become victims. We are confused, so were customers. This is why this show is becoming a flea market. Let's work together to bring customers back to real craft shows. Oxford Arts & Crafts Show, Center School, Oxford, CT. November 5, 2005 One review received. Comments: Because of the lack of space I believe the committee does a great job in screening applicants. Would apply again. Festival of Crafts, Whissconier Middle School, Brookfield, CT. November 5, 2005. One review received. Space tight. Organizer nice. Would apply again. Fairfield Craft Show (formerly at the High School, this year at Fairfield Woods Middle School) Fairfield, CT. November 5-6, 2005 Four reviews received. Average sale: $20 Overall rating: Good, Communication was: Prompt, Registration was: Prompt, Layout of show was: Good, Were Imports Allowed: Yes, Were Crafts Limited in each category: No, Would you apply again: Yes Comments: 1. (Media - Ceramics) Crowds didn't show up until the afternoon! We did very well in sales and orders. We would definitely come to this show again. 2. Very slow and low profit show; however, may have been due to weather and temporary location. Usually a good show so will do next year and look forward to going back to original location. 3. Mary Kay Cosmetics and other similar vendors were allowed booths in the hall. We appreciate having coffee and donuts all day. Poor attendance, not a buying crowd. 4. Another excellent craft show falls victim to the beautiful, warm weather; attendance seemed less than previous year. Great hospitality - couldn't ask for better. Pleasant volunteers and helpers. Country Treasures, Monroe Women's Club, Masuk High School, Monroe, CT November 12, 2005 1 review received. Comments: This was my 3rd year. The Women's club tries hard to please once you're there - get lunch, bathroom relief, many volunteers, you can rent a table to avoid having to bring your own, etc. There are pluses. However, on the business end my first year '03 with this shows was excellent; 85 vendors, fantastic traffic flow. Last year '04 was horrendous; '05 a bit better but show still stuck in neutral. Traffic flow was not directed well so many vendors were just missed even by customers looking for them. When people come in they should be directed in some pattern. Also, this year show not promoted well. Newtown had their signs all over Monroe but there were no Monroe signs all over Newtown. Also, promoters seem to think limiting vendors is good but people want to go to a show with many vendors so they don't waste their time. The key is spacing them one after another so the show is easy to walk through and promoting heavily. Ridgefield Women's Club, Ridgefield Jr. High, Ridgefield, CT November 19, 2005 Two reviews received. Comments: 1. The ladies were helpful, but setup is difficult. Only one ramp into the entire school. We were in the gym and crafters were scattered in a dark auditorium, the cafeteria, and hallways. You could not eat or drink in any part of the show except for the cafeteria. Parking is off site. The show ended at 4 and the buses to the parking ended at 4:30. People around me were selling NY gift show boutique items and did well taking the items from the boxes under the table and laying them on their table as if they made them. This show is not a show for many people, but a few did well. The show was $125 for the one day plus a raffle item. 2. I thought turnout of people was slow. Crafters near my booth said it was very slow compared to previous years. Sales were not that good - but I think economy is down this year. Westport Creative Arts Festival, Westport Young Women's League, Westport, CT November 19-20, 2005 Four reviews received. Average sale: $50. Overall rating: Good, Communication was: Prompt, Registration was: Prompt, Layout of show was: Fair+, Were Imports Allowed: No Comments: l. This was an extremely well-run show - from setup to breakdown and the long days in between. Set up was on Friday night with assigned times to facilitate rather cramped unloading areas - the individual booths were draped and ready for occupancy promptly at 6PM. Floor coverings were required. Lighting was adequate in both the gym and the field house, but of course, individual lighting within the booths really enhanced one's products. The variety of crafts was amazing - so many talented people in one place. Assistance on breaks, setup and break down was plentiful and each room had a Coordinator for problem resolution. Food was available from the cafeteria although not allowed in the booths. Saturday began at 8:30 with a preview breakfast and people continued to attend and purchase until closing at 6 PM. The room Coordinators reconcile your sales both Saturday and Sunday evenings, and the WYWL expects a check for a percentage of sales over the base booth assessment before you depart on Sunday evening. Traffic was steady both Saturday and Sunday, although the gym was much busier than the field house. Although I did hear some rumblings that the traffic was slower than last year's, my sales were very good, and I consider this one of the best shows I have attended. 2. There were no people at this show! I had heard that it is usually packed. Maybe this should be moved to a real hall not a school where it has awful load in and out times! I left Friday at 11:15 pm only to have another 2 - 3 hours of setup on Sat and they opened the doors at 8:30 for a breakfast preview where there were limited amounts of people who did not buy much at all. Load in and out is also difficult as there are not many openings to a fieldhouse or gym. I will not return. This show is also too pricey and they do not let you forget that they want their commission check before you can think about leaving. 3. (Medium - Fiber) Sales were lackluster. 4. (Medium - Jewelry) This was the first time I did the show. I'd expect to do better upon return. Winter Wonderland, Congregation Adath Israel, Edmond Town Hall, Newtown, CT November 20, 2005 One review received. Comments: Excellent all around except for lower attendance from previous year probably due to unseasonably warm weather. Steps had to be tackled, they provided helpers to unload and load - eager and smiling faces, very prompt delivery. Great hospitality throughout the day. |