Tampa

So, what did everyone think about the Tampa show?

We thought it was pretty nice, got to see some friends and looked at some nice animals. Wasn't the biggest show, but we had fun. Pretty good selection of turtles and tortoises, and snakes. Not anywhere close to having as many as daytona though.

Clarification from Southern Exotics and Reptile Convention

It has been brought to my/our attention an email is being sent out from another show promoter with misinformation about our shows. I/we would like to clarify the misinformation.
1) The correct spelling of my name is CATHY ELROD it is not KATHY ELROID!
2) When I/we got involved in the April show, we were not aware of the shady past of Jason Campbell. And we have had NO other dealing with him since then!
3) Greenville and Spartanburg are 2 very different Cities. Saying in different would be like saying NC and SC is the same state! The venue in Spartanburg was NOT held in a run down flea market! It was held at the Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds facility. It is the largest fairgrounds in the state with the exception of the State fairgrounds!
4) I/we DO NOT EVER state how many exhibitors are expected! We did have 40 exhibitors at the Spartanburg show!
5) There are 2 definitions of a sponsor: a) sponsoring with money. b) Sponsoring products to be given away as door prize…. When you sponsor a product for a door prize WE recognize and list you as a sponsor!
6) The confusion about the sponsors mention in this email is being corrected!
7) The date of our October show was ONLY set after several investors as well as myself called the venue here in Greenville to confirm that “the other show promoter” had reserved that venue for the date he had announced. It had NOT been reserved until 3 weeks ago! I was in the office of that venue the day the reservation was placed. My sister and I were there doing some volunteer work with Red Cross and the Salvation Army working with Hurricane Katrina Victims that were sheltered there.
We have had ONLY 1 vendor to cancel as of today! All others are still going to be there!
8) I am in NO WAY confrontational, unethical, and immoral nor do I practice illegal tactics! I have made an effect to work with the other show promoter in order to better the reptile business. All of my efforts have failed. So I must now concentrate on the Southern Exotics and Reptile Convention Shows!
Please feel free to email me any questions and concerns you may have. Southerncat@charter.net
Check out our web site at www.serconv.com it will be updated early this week.

Thank you for your time,
Cathy Elrod
Southern Exotics and Reptile Convention

Huh? Did something happen at the Tampa show or was something said by Tony Cueto about the Spartanburg or upcoming Columbia show? I was a vendor at Spartanburg and will be a vendor at Columbia. Spartanburg was a good show. I don't get the rundown flea market crack and I never saw Tony there. It didn't have the hoards of people that Tony drags in but that's probably because it wasn't also a pony ride circus...strictly reptiles. I sold a lot more at Spartanburg than I did at Raleigh because the traffic was better traffic more condusive to a reptile show and it was better promoted. But anyway...just currious what sparked this match here? Maybe this should have got it's own thread? Or maybe as usual I missed something. I'm scared to go to florida shows after the big bust at Daytona this year. They seem too eager to nitpick people into jail there.

Yeah, I was a vendor at the Spartanburg show, also. I did very well at that show. I sold out of animals & really had a great time. There were over 100 tables filled with a variety of reptiles ranging from cute little frogs to the huge venomous snakes. And, yes, there were a few things said about this show that just weren't true. I don't know where the info came from, but it unleashed a lot of BS and misconceptions. And there were definitely more than 10 vendors there. Lots more than that, just in the nonvenomous.
I'm just a breeder. If anyone wants to know about ANY OF THE SHOWS I've done, all they have to do is email me & I will give it to you upfront & honest from a vendors prospective. If one sucked, I'll tell you it sucked & why. If ones great, I'll also tell you that.
Cricket

From a vendor standpoint, the 10th Anniversary Tampa Show was one of the slowest major shows that I have worked. The traffic was down considerably from previous shows in that market.

I'm not certain if there was a lack of advertising, or if it's a simple matter of a down economy and outrageous gas prices, but the attendance was way down.

I spoke with dozens of other vendors throughout the weekend (there wasn't much else to do) and everyone had the same perception - many didn't cover the cost of attending the show.

We had a good time at the Tampa Show. Folks always ask if it could have been better.....everything can ALWAYS be better!! LOL Even if we had done as well as we did at the spring show, we would have said that. There is ALWAYS room to make more money!! We also did well at the Spartanburg show.

Came home with less than we went with, and anytime we do that I think that it means we did ok.

Wanted to comment briefly about the rest of this thread.......

IMHO (and we all know opinions are like a**holes.....everone has one), we all as vendors, consumers and reptile enthusiasts, should be concentrating on educating the public and promoting OUR industry when we are at shows and at our pet businesses (if you happen to own one) instead of continuing this pi**ing contest and the he said/she said crap. I believe that all this will do is harm OUR industry because as you all know...not just the vendors and show promoters read these boards! If I was John Q. Reptile enthusiast looking to buy a reptile, I probably wouldn't want to do it from a group of folks that have such animosity towards each other; would you?

You're right, OBE. I even had other vendors ask me who I'm gonna support.
Well, the answer is plan & simple. MY KIDS!!! That's who I'm supporting. If ANY of the show promoters would like to buy my groceries or make my house payments for me, they can email me for the address & I'll look for a huge check each month. Until then, I'll do what I have to do. Enough said.
Cricket

One more thing- What was up with the (famous?) Snake Babe? I saw better looking crack hoes on the streets of Tampa. I sure hope she worked cheap. Hopefully, the next show they'll get someone who actually knows something about reptiles. She couldn't even tell you the cage temperature of the snake she was holding.

I think the confusion is over the Shows Cathy and Tony are
doing: Tony is doing Greenville, she's doing Spartanburg. I'm
neutral on this, because I work for Tony, and I stay away from
the Bull$hit flying between people.

I don't know if the greenville and columbia areas can really
support two shows. Tony certainly has a reason to be upset over
shows in the same area (same venue!) as his shows, his only
source of income. Is there any legal precident stopping it? No.
Is there an ethical reason to not step on someone's toes?
Sometimes.

For one, you're not making friends in the promotion buisness
doing that. Sure, it's capitalism, and it works, but it's going to piss
people off. Especially if you benifit from his investment and
promoting - most people think all the NC/SC shows are run by
the same company.

I don;'t know what's been said and done - in fact I ignore and
avoid much of it for my own sake - but I know I'd be ticked
someone threw a show in an area I was operating in. More so if
they used the same building, and nearly the same name.

Regardless, this should be between the promoters, and not
involve the vendors. Not fair to them to be dragged into this, I
think.

Tampa had a great turnout, but poor sales. Opposite of the April
show. I saw lots more people coming in this time, but in April,
many more things were being carried out.

Hey, don't knock Maria (snakebabe)! She's does a show, not a
reptile husbandry seminar. She's certainly not ugly...are you on
crack!?! Personally, I don' t know if she's right for a reptile
show. I think a lecturer/speaker like Roark is better. The people
that come to one of Tony's shows for the attractions are looking
for the chicken man, or the birdman, and the petting zoos, not a
sexy, half naked woman covered in snakes doing magic tricks -
however entertaining that may be - they want family
entertainment.

Others want info, and the other speakers do that.

I think she's a great entertainer, but not the best choice for a
reptile show.

I'm going to see if I can make the Greenville show. I've been
working security for Tony, and I enjoy being there at night.
Trying to match the escaped Snake/lizard/frog/turtle to the open,
empty container is a fun way to pass the hours. In Greenville last
time, a 7 foot snake got out - that was fun... not a big snake
person.

I hope you (Cathy) and Tony get things resolved. I hate seeing all
this crap going on in my hobby. I've heard so much contradictory
tuff out of both sides, I know not all of it's true. Talk to each
other and stop the bickering, for the sake of the vendors.