More input wanted...

What could show promotors do better? Listen to the comments that the vendors give them and make changes as necessary. Both John and his brother Rob came to us and asked us to email them if we had any comments or suggestions on how they might improve future shows. As far as I could tell, they went to EVERYONE and requested the same thing. How many emailed them and told them that the table set-up wasn't good in their opinion or gave them other suggestions? I know I told John that the table set up could have been better, but you live and learn. I have never promoted a show and certainly do not want to, however I would not expect it to be perfect or have it run clockwork smooth the first time out if I did.

As far as John "undercutting" prices; I have never had a problem with him doing that. I buy stuff from him and he tells me what he is selling it for so he DOESN'T undercut me just because he can purchase it at a lower price.

I do agree with him that if he is helping to promote the show, his wife and children should run the vending side of it and he should stay out of that portion of it.

I can agree with you Joann about not wanting to be a promoter. I have no desire to do so. And even if I did, I'd never find the time. My animals are much more important to me. It takes way too much effort to put on a decent show. And one small mistake could easily end your short lived career as promoter.
I'd like to add one more thing that I'd like to see at the shows: A temporary relief person that is trustworthy. By saying this I mean, so many of us attempt to vend shows alone. If we need a bathroom or cigarette break, we are still pretty much stuck behind our booth. This person should only have one duty & that would be to ask the single vendors if help is needed, He wouldn't have to sell our animals, but mainly make sure that nothing is stolen. If people want something you have, they'll wait a minute or two for your return.

How about a promoter that has a sincere love of herps, and not just a flesh peddler? That would be nice.

Originally Posted by KelliH

How about a promoter that has a sincere love of herps, and not just a flesh peddler? That would be nice.

That would be a good start.

A well advertised event...most important !
Show fliers on the windshields of the cars parked at the local Wal-Mart and grocery store is not going to cut it.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

A well advertised event...most important !
Show fliers on the windshields of the cars parked at the local Wal-Mart and grocery store is not going to cut it.

There was (past tense you see) herp society that had a decent membership and they had quarterly shows. They had a change of guard (the way the membership worked you could only be an officer for one year then someone else would take over) and everything went south. The advertisement stopped and the shows went to hell. The last few shows they had were pathetic. There were times when there were more vendors in the building then customers and vise versa, but either way you added it up, less than 3 dozen people in the building does NOT constitute a show in my book. They even went as far as to drop the price of tables to $10 each in hopes to get the vendors to return.

Having an extremely huge show with 100+ vendors will not fair well if no one comes through the door to buy anything. It would be the Tennessee show all over again. Advertising is the main key to holding a show. But it is equally important to ensure that the animals being offered for sale are of top quality.

Something else that needs to be regulated.

Vendors, regardless of how well they are doing, have to stop packing up early and leaving the show.
It looks bad to any remaining customers by making the show look empty.
There should be a penalty of some sort in place for vendor's that do this.

Anything other than an emergency, theres no reason to leave early.

I don't see people packing up and leaving the Daytona expo - because if Wayne finds out they would be banned from that show.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

Something else that needs to be regulated.

Vendors, regardless of how well they are doing, have to stop packing up early and leaving the show.
It looks bad to any remaining customers by making the show look empty.
There should be a penalty of some sort in place for vendor's that do this.

I agree. I hate seeing the tables empty early while customers are still around.

It's those vendors who are leaving early who have caused me to have more sales though. I've been at shows where I was one of only a few animal vendors left and cleaned up in the last hour before and half hour after the show. Had those other vendors not left I may not have had as good of a day. I'm usually one of the last to leave and won't start packing up until after the time in which the show was scheduled to end.

I believe the vendors who leave early are a good part of the cause for the attendance to drop near the end of the shows. The customers get used to seeing this and they will come earlier (if at all) while the dedicated vendors get to play the waiting game.