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ShowSmart » News, Articles & Stories » Arts and Crafts » Art Trends
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Exhibitor and Promoter Points of View
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Valerie Rogers, President
Show Dynamics
Exhibitor and Promoter Points of View by Valerie Rogers
Copywrited August 4, 2003 Bright Star Promotions, Inc. Louisville, KY
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 A teddy bear show is about to open with displays cleverly created and
placed on the tables around the showroom. The doors open and collectors
enter, some rush in to meet certain artists being the first to purchase
their new bears. Others stand and study their course while still others
stroll slowly by the exhibits with eyes wide open. What are the rewards
and concerns the exhibitors and promoter experience? What do they learn
from each other? Are teddy bear shows here to stay? Are the artists going
to stay on the show circuit and be given the opportunity to continue
creating beautiful bears?
Happy teddy bear
collectors in pursuit of 'that' bear.
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"In interviewing artists over the last few
years, I've compiled thoughts on teddy bear show dynamics,"
says Valerie Rogers of Bright Star Promotions, Inc. Louisville, KY.
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Exhibitors and
collectors gather prior to the show for dinner.
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Why do teddy bear artists and vendors participate
in
shows?
Exhibitors
answered:
• Interacting with collectors and determining what
style of bears they like to collect.
• Many business owners don't like
sitting in their shops all day. Others enjoy meeting many people and other
artists all in a one day, fast-paced show.
• Dealing face-to-face with
collectors and spinning tales about bears inspires the artist to design!
• Exhibitors have an opportunity to see the market first hand and
develop new trends, leading to profitable sales.
• Many exhibitors
enjoy traveling, visiting other artists and sightseeing along the
way.
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• Meeting celebrity collectors.
• Finding new bears to add to
their collections before the doors open is exciting too. How can dealers
recognize a serious buyer or turn a browser into a bear collector? Dealers
reply:
• A serious collector asks precise, knowledgeable questions and
looks intently while holding the bear.
• The browser usually asks
simple questions and doesn't want to pick the bear up.
• One clue you
are dealing with a browser is they'll quickly glance over the table.
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Start a conversation which can lead to the browser becoming a buyer.
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Always treat each potential buyer the same.
• If a customer does not
understand what they see, you've created a perfect opportunity to educate
them about bear collecting. |
What is the most difficult part of
exhibiting at the teddy bear shows?
Exhibitors
responded:
• Loading and unloading in the snow or drizzling rain,
dragging the merchandise and props into the showroom.
• Physical
exertion setting up the booth area to display the bears. Setting up and
dragging merchandise is all part of doing business.
• Each showroom
has a different table/booth configuration making identical setups almost
impossible.
• Clearing out of a showroom and packing quickly because
another event is planned later that night. Early hours and quick setups
are exhausting and rewarding at the same time.
• Loud, muffled or
constant announcements over the PA system.
• Disturbing booth buddies
with noisy and active children or playing TV's, radios, live music and
singing.
• Disheartening thoughts over bears disappearing due to a
shoplifter.
• Collectors and artists who stand in front of your booth
chatting; by doing so they are blocking your valuable sales space.
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Surely I can squeeze one
more thing in the car!
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How would you describe difficult
shoppers?
Exhibitors answered:
• The
customer who doesn't realize the value of collectible bears and insults
the artist.
• Keep your chin up when a customer verbally puts you or
your bear down.
• Customers who want to negotiate the price. Before
the show set policies for negotiating prices.
• Browsers who rough
up bears and displays are certainly not desirable. Be patient and
distract them or ask them politely to stop their destructive behavior. |
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Dealers what is the most satisfying part of
a show?
Dealers said:
• Going home
with only the table props.
• Selling bears and helping a collector
find 'that special' bear.
• Being part of a well balanced,
well-managed show.
• Experiencing first hand what other artists have
designed.
• Inspiration from sharing.
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• Discovering new colors and styles of mohair.
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Designing seasonal table themes.
• Bear selling is a happy business
where smiles abound.
• Many exhibitors get excited seeing young people
collect. Children are our next collectors. Youngsters love to hear about
bears and bear collecting.
• Winning recognition for my efforts.
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Gifting bears to Good Bears of The World for teddy bear auctions.
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Pre show activities like bear making classes or social gatherings. |
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How do you help promote a show?
Exhibitors reply:
• Send postcards to the
collectors who have purchased before.
• Announce the show in magazine
ads and on web sites. • Link show schedules to other web sites.
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Create special interest with the new bears by weaving a story line.
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Writing articles and news releases for teddy bear magazines and local
newspapers.
• Hand out fliers at local businesses.
• Accept
invitations to speak at schools, civic organizations, TV talk shows and
social clubs about the value of collecting teddy bears.
• Publish show
dates on internet chat lists.
• Send eMail announcements to
collectors.
• Create a need to collect bears.
• Notify collectors
about published articles where you were featured.
• Spark interesting
conversations with would-be collectors by carrying a teddy bear or bear
purse while shopping.
• When dining out leave business cards or show
fliers for the server.
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Valerie unveils collector
postcards where artists submitted their bears.
Present ar 5 of the
winners.
Example of a winning bear
and postcard.
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• Post fliers in grocery stores, craft shops, antique markets, etc.
• Take back issues of teddy bear magazines to beauty parlors, dentist
and doctors offices stuffed with show fliers.
• Promoting a show is
not the sole responsibility of the promoter. |
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Promoters' joys:
Valerie Rogers of Bright Star
Promotions comments:
• Seeing the show come together in a
professional manner.
• Seeing happy collector's eager to purchase
teddy bears and exhibitors with happy ‘I've-sold-a-lot' expressions on
their faces.
• Receiving welcoming hugs from exhibitors.
• Helping
Good Bears of The World collect money in order to buy bears to gift to
people in need of a hug.
• Crowded showroom full of buyers.
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Awarding door prizes and gifts to collectors.
• Receiving positive
feed back about the show from exhibitors and collectors.
• Year after
year being able to book the hotel on the same weekend and working with the
same staff.
• Creating new avenues of effective advertising to inspire the collector
to come or come back to the shows.
• Designing web pages to tweak the curiosity of the collectors and helping
the exhibitors self-promote. |
Valerie
presenting Jan Cuming,
from New Zealand with an achievement
award.
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Surrounded by beautiful bears,
Valerie
enjoys the show.
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Promoters' woes:
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Arriving early to find the show tables have not been set in place.
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Response to advertising was not as expected.
• Exhibitors who are lax
in submitting show applications and deposits on time. This makes planning
a show very difficult
• Not receiving the required show exhibitors to
fill the show.
• Canceling a show.
• Request for certain tables by
the front door or in corner spaces. There is only one door and usually
three or four available corners.
• Traveling with tight airline
connections.
• Last minute changes to the programs or floor plans.
• Hotel policy changes.
• Computer data loss.
• Sending
sympathy cards. |
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Valerie with an arm load
of bears for Good Bears of the World.
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Teddy Bear shows delight everyone involved.
The collector has a first hand opportunity to touch the bears, meet the
artists, learn how the bears ‘came to life,' and be the first to collect
unique, one-of-a-kind bears.
"Collecting Teddy Bears
Is So Much Fun!®"
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Contact Valerie at Bright Star Promotions from her Show Page.
Copyright © 1997 - 2003 Bright Star Promotions, Inc.
All rights reserved.
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