REPTICON / Super Pet Expo (NOT GOOD)

Here are a few things everyone should be aware of. These are all shows that I have vended at.
Keep in mind that Repticon fails all over the country not just the south. They are fly-by-nighters trying to make a quick buck. Their venues are not advertised and placed in the cheapest buildings available. They do not care how vendors fair. They only want our money.
1 Ft. Myers FL - 20 people in the door in 2 days. There was a dog show next door and everyone who came in had a dog at hand or on a leash. It was vendors selling to vendors.
2 Columbus GA show - 20 people walked Through the door. It was horrible. i didn't lose money because I live in Columbus.
3 Savannah GA show - Saturday - 30 people. Sunday - 7 people. It is my fault for even going to the show. On sunday all of the vendors got drunk and bet each other to do cartwheels in the vacant isles of the show for money.
4 Atlanta GA - I told one of them how bad I have done at there shows while vending at the GA Herp Society's show, which is great, and they said that I could have free tables and I should go. So I went. Let me say this first. Any idiot can say REPTILE SHOW AND KIDDY PARK and get 3000 people through the door. But its not the people who buy reptiles. Its 30 year old moms with 4 kids who see this as an amusement park and a petting zoo. People came through the door but only to see the pigs, llamas, sheep, and camels. Not to purchase reptiles. Some people didn't even know that the animals we had on our tables were for sale!!!! They had me in the very back of the building facing empty tables from an absent vendor tables facing and adjacent empty wall. People didn't even know tables were back there. After day one and 300 dollars of sales, which is the worst I have ever done, they come and collect table money. I told them that i was awarded free tables and they insisted that I had to pay. I said to them I haven't made enough money for me to warrant to pay them and they should let me have these tables for free to help me out with the ass load of money I have lost going to there other crappy venues. A bunch of words were spoken and it was best for me to leave. Billy was in the background calling me an asshole as I packed up my things. I PROMISE HE WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT OUTSIDE OF HIS VENUE . He then told me I was not allowed to come to anymore of his venues. THANK GOD. I finally wont make that mistake again.

Bottom line is don't go to their shows Matt White. I kick myself for doing this and it was stupid on my part. I know I should have been the better man and paid but it was just principle. I know me not paying for the tables makes me look bad and I feel like shit for not doing so.

GILAPRODUCTIONS with Brett and ALEX RULE. That is a good venue. Go to that one.

AVOID and mean REPTICON.
I hope this will add a little rust on their already tarnished name.
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MATT WHITE
VMWREPTILES.COM
706-888-6287

I personally would not go to the Orlando Repticon Show. If you want details from last year I can post them. To sum it up it was a waste of money and time.

Where doI (Cathy) start with you? I tell you what I will start with the ONLY Show that Myself and Danny are involved in that you LIED about!
Matt says "4 Atlanta GA - I told one of them how bad I have done at there shows while vending at the GA Herp Society's show, which is great, and they said that I could have free tables and I should go. So I went."

MY response to this part: YOU ARE A TWO FACE LIAR!!! I was the one you talked to about the Atlanta show. I NEVER NEVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD HAVE ALL OF YOUR TABLES FOR FEE! I told you that if you purchased one table you would receive another table for free! Thats ALL! You never said anything about wanting them all for free, if you had I would have sent you to Billy, AS I TOLD YOU THAT WHEN YOU FLAT OUT REFUSED TO PAY YOUR $95 dollars. Dude the funny part of all this crap that you typed is out of all the vendors that we had there you and the two that did not show and the lady that was escorted out by DNR are the ONLY ones that were not happy with the show. And by the way how can you only bring what 3 or 4 different type of animals and complain about how much you made before 3 that after noon? Your cost for that show was ONLY $95 including a meal on SAT.

Matt says" Any idiot can say REPTILE SHOW AND KIDDY PARK and get 3000 people through the door. But its not the people who buy reptiles. Its 30 year old moms with 4 kids who see this as an amusement park and a petting zoo. People came through the door but only to see the pigs, llamas, sheep, and camels. Not to purchase reptiles."

My response:
Matt if you believed statement, then why did you even bother booking tables?

Matt says"Some people didn't even know that the animals we had on our tables were for sale!!!!"

My response: You were never at your TABLES to sell your stuff!

Matt says"They had me in the very back of the building facing empty tables from an absent vendor tables facing and adjacent empty wall. People didn't even know tables were back there."

My responseude you know thats a lie, who was facing you...wait it will come to me....yeah I got it...JEFF MOHR AND LIVING EARTH REPTILES.
to the right of you wasa vendor who did not show and on the other side was Hunter. Oh and on the other side was the Lady that left because of permit issues and beside her was G & G! The empty 4 tables you are speaking of was the other vendor that did not show. Need more refreshing Matt?

Now if anyone would like to know how the Atlanta show went contact a few or all the vendors and ask them!
or just check out the post here on Fauna http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ad.php?t=91401

And trust me Matt ,Billy went easy on you!

To all you that are reading this I apologize for it being so long and for being upset with Matt, but I thought the Truth should be aired!
Sincerely,
Cathy Elrod

yeah, I went to the show on Sunday in Edison, NJ and there was 1 ball python and that's all... it was kind of boring.

Bill,

YOU are a classey guy! Your response made up for what was missing at the NJ Show. Thanks!

Steve

I wasn't initially going to post to this thread, but there have been some blaring inaccuracies that I felt should receive a comment.

First of all, I want to mention that Repticon has done well over 50 shows in 5 different states since the company began in 2003. Have some shows done better than others? Absolutely. Have there been shows that we wish would have had more traffic or more vendors? Absolutely.

But at the end of the day, Repticon is trying to do something different than other shows are. Repticons are local shows aimed at connecting local breeders/dealers with local consumers. The goal is a family friendly atmosphere where parents and other adult reptile enthusiasts can find a variety of animals and supplies, but where children are also welcome. That is why Repticon provides games, puppet shows as well as a diverse group of speakers.

You can never please anyone, but I hope I can speak for all members of the Repticon team in saying that we welcome feedback, either negative or positive and we will do everything in our power to ensure that both vendors and guests have an enjoyable experience.

Now there are just a few statements made earlier in this thread that I would like correct.

1. There have not been "several" Repticon shows in Tallahaassee. There have been 3. Each one has had more vendors and more guests than the previous time. The shows are growing, but that does not happen overnight in a new market.

Matt, these are mostly aimed at your post:

2. There has never been a 2 day Repticon in Ft Myers

3. There has never been a 2 day Repticon in Savannah

4. You have never vended at a Repticon in Ft. Myers or Savannah. You have done 3 Repticon shows: the first Columbus show, an Orlando show in 2006 and this past Atlanta show which you were asked to leave after the inappropriate way in which you treated a member of the Repticon staff.

5. 20-30 people through the door? Please. Even the slowest shows when the company was first starting brought in at least 300-400. There are many cities in which shows consistently bring in over 1000 for a one day and between 2000-3000 for a two day.


6. Theresa, The Orlando show is shaping up wonderfully, while the show will still be held at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, we will be moving to a larger building and will have more vendors and much more advertising than ever before. We are quite excited!


Cathy has already posted links of some discussions about Repticon shows in this thread and if you search repticon on certain "not to be named" competitor sites, you will find many more. Many people leave pleased, and some don't. As long as most guests enjoyed themselves and most vendors are satisfied, we consider the show a success.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and keep the feedback coming!

Tina Russell
Repticon

Originally Posted by Tina Russell

Repticons are local shows aimed at connecting local breeders/dealers with local consumers.

Good keep them LOCAL! in FL..



1. There have not been "several" Repticon shows in Tallahaassee. There have been 3. HUH?

I dont care what any of you guys say. You are all the same to me. If I ran shows and some of my venders did terribly I would feel horrible. You guys dont seem to mind if we dont do well. Thanks fine. Keep on running petting zoos and charging too much for tables. Eventually venders will stop signing up. Its funny to me how you can give 10 different rates to 10 venders. Hell, it was like some were paying nothing for tables and others, me, had to pay the full price.
Go away and I will also.
Matt White

Matt you are a funny guy! Did you even read what you posted?

Its funny to me how you can give 10 different rates to 10 venders. Hell, it was like some were paying nothing for tables and others, me, had to pay the full price.

Did I read the bold words right everyone?

and Matt as far as this statement goes

Go away and I will also

it is not going to happen!

Originally Posted by kellysballs

I personally would not go to the Orlando Repticon Show. If you want details from last year I can post them. To sum it up it was a waste of money and time.

Sounds a lot like the New Jersey show.

And the New Jersey show sounds a lot like fraud or at the very least deceptive advertising.