Shows - the good, the bad, the ugly

I am taking a general poll of both vendors and customers about the shows around the country to find out what you find important or lacking in the venues you have attended. Anything you can think of (space, hours of the shows, accessibility of venue, accessibility of hotels, parking, availability of food and drinks, responsibility of vendors for setup and cleanup, price of tables or admissions, setup times, security, etc) would be very helpful. Maybe this can help some of the hosts/sponsors to know what we need as a community attending their shows to help better things out there for us.
Thanks all for your input!

Kelly K.

I can help out I vend about 70 shows a year. But here are things that have happened to me. Also I will list my likes and dislikes. I will not list the shows that bad things have happened as I do not want to start anything.

Likes

1) I like it when tables are already set up and ready for me to set up my stuff. I think this shows a show runner has everything together.

2) I like the Show runner to walk and ask how things are going. I think vendors can help build a show. Any info a vendor can give will help with this.

3) I like when there is plenty of room for me and the customer to stand. If either is crowded it is not fun.

4) Solid tables are important and when there is solid tables it makes your section look that much better. (no broken tables)

5) Discount on multi tables. If I buy 1 or 2 full price is fine but if I buy 4 to 6 a break is nice.

6) I like when a show has a family pass for customers. Say a family has 3 kids and their one child brings a friend. Only one child is under 5. It is 5 dollars a piece to get in that would be 25 bucks. But a family pass is only like 18 or something. That is nice to see.

Dislikes

1) Seeing over stocked ten gallon tanks. You know the ten gallon that has 50 ball pythons in them for 25 bucks. Take most of them out and leave 5 or so and restock them as needed. NO ONE can see them all in the tank anyways!

2) Dieing animals on display. Nothing else needs said here

3) Dirty Displays

4) Customers bringing in dieing animals.

5) Show runners that don't care. If you don't care give it up.

6) Fighting amoung vendors about prices. Come on guys believe in your name and sell quality. Everything else will fall into place.

Just some other thoughts.

There was a show once I had to set up all tables and move twice becuase the show runner said he had a job. We tried to call him 30 minutes before the show set up time was but no answer lol. I no longer vend this show

Hotels do not bother me that much as I rarely have an issue finding them. As I have been doing all the shows for sometime now. But it is nice when hotels know that you are a reptile breeder and have reptiles. Show runners setting that up with hotels is nice.

Contests for customers. I think this is really cool. and I have donated stuff for these reasons in the past. I think it really makes shows fun.

Speakers for larger shows. Are awesome.

2 hour set up time is a must IMO. I went to a show once that only had a one hour set up time. When you have a lot that is hard.

Building being a CLEAN building! Dirty floors and walls make everything look dirty IMO.

Parking and loading area for vendors.............. A must!

Location. I am not sure I have been to a show that is too bad but a new show needs to be in a great location that is easy to get too.

wow thanks gary! those are GREAT responses, just the type of thing im hoping to find.
i guess i should have mentioned that i do NOT want anyone to mention names or locations of specific shows, good or bad. this is a general information post for ALL show hosts to take into consideration, and maybe take the time to think about the things their shows have that are on this list.

kelly

As a customer only, since I'm not a vender.
Good parking, on pavement preferably.
Clear directions to the event.
Signs to point me towards the appropiate doorways, especially when it's a large building with multiple entrances, but only one USED entrance.
Lots of venders, with a variety of animals.
Clearly stated descriptions of the show. Reptile events, general pet events, merchandise events.
An easy way to take out and load large items(loading dock to drive to, or some cart or luggage mover?).

We have done or attended shows from NY,PA,Del, AZ, Cal, NM,FL in the last seven years.

The likes are;
Shows that have space for the public to move about.
Promoters that take the time to make vender's remove sick, dieing animals.
I know they are not vets, but it is easy to see what needs removing.
Advertised well ahead of time, in good parts of towns.
Close parking, we hear complaints about the distance people have to walk.
Promoting captive bred only, some shows do, not enough do, some say they are and don't enforce it. The public should get what they are paying for.
Lectures about animal husbandry and breeding
Banners, hand cleaner, vender's that have pride in what they sell

The dislikes are;
Air conditioned too cold, the people look cold and don't stay long, the animals darken and can end up going home and getting sick.
Petting zoos, animal acts, circus like entertainment all draw in groups that are just there to go to THE ZOO, not purchase anything. There are many successful shows that don't do that to sell door tickets.
Dirty tanks, smelly rodents, regurg,or worse
Each vendor needs to pay correctly for their table, not an end cap with four different sellers. Require banners, check business cards. How is the customer to know who he bought it from. stand behind your sale, pay fairly for your table, represent yourself properly.

We have been at some boring slow shows, circus act shows, and to some shows were every vendor had captive only in an educational environment.
and sadly some of the best shows are going down hill. I can only hope for the future great shows to be out there somewhere
Amanda

"We have done or attended shows from NY,PA,Del, AZ, Cal, NM,FL in the last seven years".

I'm just curious, where has there ever been a show in Delaware? Do you mean Havre De Grace? Aside from just never knowing of a show in Delaware, I moved to DE last year, and it sucks.

Yea, it was years back we stayed in Del and it was over the line in Maryland. My husband spent a short time living in DEL,and if he had not hated it so much we may not have meet when he moved to NY state.
Thanks for the correction
Amanda