Raleigh, NC Show 2/3 Sep 2006

The Carolina Reptile & Exotic Animal Show
Event Type: Reptile Expo
Description: Breeders and manufacturers from all over the country.

Fantastic prices on reptiles, exotics, cages, supplies and much more.

Seminars throughout both days.

http://www.gilaproductions.com/ral/ralmain.html

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Starting Date: 09/02/06
Ending Date: 09/03/06
City: Raleigh
State: NC
URL: http://www.gilaproductions.com/ral/ralmain.html
Contact: Alex Russell
Email: alex@gilaproductions.com


So who's coming to the show? Hope to see you there....Roark Ferguson

Ill be there! This is my first show with animals!
Hj

I loved it. We had a great show. A lot of turn out and most were buying. We had 12 tables, so we left with a lot of animals, but sold a lot. I person"ly got some good stuff.

Saturday traffic was good, Sunday it was mostly us vendors putting on a show for the onlookers. At least that was the general consensus of the vendors around us.

The petting zoo and pony rides was very reminiscent of Tony Cueto shows.
If we had a buck from every one that asked where the rides were, we'd be loaded

But you gotta love those loose birds flying over head popping on your stuff

Leopard geckos for sale ...CHEAP....tails cost x-tra.
If you were in the market for cheap leopard geckos that was the place to be.
I believe they may have been NEW MORPHS

check'm out;
The bloody stump morph
And the skeletal morph
At least they were inexpensive.
And they did get a clean bill of health from the vet

There's two different types of shows, big ones, with fluff, and no frills
shows. Most hobbyists tend to prefer the no frills shows. As long as
the main aspect of the show is done properly (good numbers of good
vendors with lots of traffic in the doors), both are good. Raleigh always
has been a big show with lots of fluff. Changing it would be a disaster
for the promoter.

Originally Posted by eric adrignola

There's two different types of shows, big ones, with fluff, and no frills
shows. Most hobbyists tend to prefer the no frills shows. As long as
the main aspect of the show is done properly (good numbers of good
vendors with lots of traffic in the doors), both are good. Raleigh always
has been a big show with lots of fluff. Changing it would be a disaster
for the promoter.

Most tend to like the no frills shows because they can get the "cheap" stuff.
The cheap stuff being the imports/wildcaught and vendors selling stuff they purchased wholesale. All of which know nothing about the background of the animals they are selling.
The better shows have the quality breeders offering the best animals.
And Raleigh is not a big show, at least not the ones I had tables at.

Lots of traffic thru the door doesn't mean much unless they are people looking to purchase reptiles or reptile products. If they are there for the "rides and the "petting zoo". All the vendors are at that point is to provide a side show. And the only one that benefits are the promoters.

who was selling those leos? geeze. we had blazing blizzards, normals and bell albinos straight from kim and mark bell the day before. I hate to see stuff like that.

Originally Posted by hunterjackson

who was selling those leos? geeze. we had blazing blizzards, normals and bell albinos straight from kim and mark bell the day before. I hate to see stuff like that.

They were on Reptile Addicts tables, I tried to take more/better pics but they told me I needed to quite taking pictures.

Alex finally did go over there about 2:00 and asked them to remove them from the table.

Originally Posted by homegrownherps

Most tend to like the no frills shows because they can get the "cheap" stuff.
The cheap stuff being the imports/wildcaught and vendors selling stuff they purchased wholesale. All of which know nothing about the background of the animals they are selling.
The better shows have the quality breeders offering the best animals.
And Raleigh is not a big show, at least not the ones I had tables at.

Lots of traffic thru the door doesn't mean much unless they are people looking to purchase reptiles or reptile products. If they are there for the "rides and the "petting zoo". All the vendors are at that point is to provide a side show. And the only one that benefits are the promoters.

I agree, to a point. However, what's wrong with the promoter benifiting? That's how they make money. Now, the promoter will make mroe money if he ensures the vendors make more money as well. From what I've seen of Alex's shows, he's trying for that.

The problem Tony had was that he was mistakenly putting the "numbers in the door" above everything. So much so, that he neglected to remember that the numbers in the door would eventually drop - no matter how many attractions, shows and rides were available - if the vendors weren't there. He got away with it for a while, but eventually, 15 vendor shows stop drawing in the crowds.

Originally Posted by eric adrignola

I agree, to a point. However, what's wrong with the promoter benifiting? That's how they make money. Now, the promoter will make mroe money if he ensures the vendors make more money as well. From what I've seen of Alex's shows, he's trying for that.

The problem Tony had was that he was mistakenly putting the "numbers in the door" above everything. So much so, that he neglected to remember that the numbers in the door would eventually drop - no matter how many attractions, shows and rides were available - if the vendors weren't there. He got away with it for a while, but eventually, 15 vendor shows stop drawing in the crowds.

Nothing is wrong w/ the promoter making money, hell thats the same reason I buy tables at a show...to make money.
But if the promoter ( I'm not singling out any particular promoter here either ) gets people thru the door they should be people that are going to spend money on reptiles or reptiles related products. Because if those aren't the people coming thru the doors then the vendors become a side show.

When more people come to the event to see the "shows" and the "petting zoo" and to buy "birds" and things that have nothing to do w/reptiles then as a vendor I will consider wether or not I will be doing that event again next year.

Isn't adding the "petting zoo" & camel/pony rides" etc...just there to bring people thru the door ? Because very few vendors can benefit from that.
And, I for don't appreciate people petting the animals then coming over to my table and touching stuff.

w/o the vendors, the promoters will be out of business, just look at what happend to Tony.
Some say "thats just the way it is" ...if thats the case, then it is because the vendors LET them get away w/ it.

I don't think any of these issues are unreasonable, and I guess it will just come down to me picking and choosing more carefully which shows I take my animals to.