Shows with 2 levels...

[andrealh1975]

I'm working on the logistics for my show next year and plan on having 2 levels and 150 vendors. For those of you who've done shows of this size and may have been on a different floor (other than the main floor), how did this work out for you? Did your customers complain? There will be signage and also door attendants who will direct the customers to go downstairs. Also, there will be games, entertainment, etc on that level to draw them down.

[eugenia]

I would not participate. Too much of a chance of not getting the traffic, no matter how many signs are in place.

[Maggie]

I agree with Eugenia. I've done 2 shows that are on 2 levels. Luckily, I asked for and was given the main level. I cruised the lower levels and found very little traffic even though there were signs and door attendants handing out flyers with everyone's name, booth # and where they were located. At one of the shows one of the vendors was actually sleeping on a chaise. I saw a vendor that I knew and was talking with her. She said she would never do this show again and I found out later she didn't sell a thing. One of these shows is VERY popular here...this was their 29th year.

Maggie

[lindsaycb]

I agree...I wouldn't do it either. I'd leave the basement set up for the games & activities.

[MichelleOH]

I do 1 show that is 2 levels but it is very small. It's in a historic house. I was on the second floor last year and i was worried. Believe it or not it was my best show last year. the women in charge of the show had a nice idea. She handed out punch cards with all the booth numbers on it. If the customer had all the numbers punched out by all the individual vendors they would be entered into a grand prize drawing. Also, the food was on the second floor. Her idea to get people upstairs also. This year i will be on the main floor:grin2:

[SueH]

I guess it depends on what type of building you're in. There used to be a huge craft show around here every year in an old dept store building and it was on 2 levels and the place was always packed with customers, top and bottom. Then the junior high school tried the same thing and there were a lot of customers on the first floor but not many on the second floor. The long stairwells were too much for a lot of people. The craft show in the old dept store had an escalator. HTH!!

[andrealh1975]

I plan on having food on the lower level, not sure about the punch card idea though, since it's so many vendors. I'll try to come up with something else.

There are stairs and elevators, so I'm hoping that'll help.

[Vicky_CO]

You are not thinking of your vendors. If you have that many the second floor will get ignored by most of the customers. By the time they go through the bottom level most just don't want to climb stairs or wait for the elevator. I suggest you either find a different location or have less vendors so everyone can be downstairs.

You are seriously starting to sound like a promoter that cares more about money then your vendors. Truthfully that is the way your vendors will see it and the good vendors will start to drop you from their show list. I know I have seen it happen to some very good promoters. Matter of fact it is happening now to one here she use to be good all her shows where great and then she got greedy or went to big I don't know which. But with in about 2 years she lost all her best vendors and now all she has are fly by nighters. The customers at her shows have seen it they are even going elsewhere.

Promoters walk a very fine line and if they cross that line it almost impossible to come back from it. You don't want you vendors to start telling others not to do your show because you will be left with the bottom feeder vendors. Having a bad show is one thing and can be forgiven having a bad show because it looks like you got greed will kill you as a promoter.

[sockmonkey]

You are not thinking of your vendors.

You are seriously starting to sound like a promoter that cares more about money then your vendors.

Putting together an event like this does take money. She's not running a charity to benefit crafters. She needs to make a living for herself, and if she can do it by organizing and event where crafters she's giving an opportunity for crafters to make money themselves, then good for her.

I totally did not get the impression that she doesn't care about the vendors. If she didn't, why would she ask thoughts about the second level?

Yes, there are dangers with having multiple levels for a show, but I've been to trade shows where some of the premium vendors are on top floors. In order to get there, you have to walk through other vendors, so no one gets ignored.

I think the secret is to have a mix of old and new vendors. If you've got a regular vendor who always gets a crowd, people will know to look for her. If you make it known that's she's on the second floor, people will go there. It's important to weave in popular vendors among new ones, so that they also get exposure.

Signage is also very important when you're doing 2 levels. I was at a show that was poorly marked, and needless to say, the second level sales were dreadful. It was in a building where no elevators were required, but you just walked through a tunnel of sorts, and this particular promoter only had a sign at the entrance of the building, and one at registration telling people there were more vendors in the other section fo the building, but there weren't any signs along the route to get there. Very dumb move. Sales and foot traffic were so bad for the participants that the promoter wound up giving vendors free space at another show to compensate.

[andrealh1975]

Putting together an event like this does take money. She's not running a charity to benefit crafters. She needs to make a living for herself, and if she can do it by organizing and event where crafters she's giving an opportunity for crafters to make money themselves, then good for her.

I totally did not get the impression that she doesn't care about the vendors. If she didn't, why would she ask thoughts about the second level?

Yes, there are dangers with having multiple levels for a show, but I've been to trade shows where some of the premium vendors are on top floors. In order to get there, you have to walk through other vendors, so no one gets ignored.

I think the secret is to have a mix of old and new vendors. If you've got a regular vendor who always gets a crowd, people will know to look for her. If you make it known that's she's on the second floor, people will go there. It's important to weave in popular vendors among new ones, so that they also get exposure.

Signage is also very important when you're doing 2 levels. I was at a show that was poorly marked, and needless to say, the second level sales were dreadful. It was in a building where no elevators were required, but you just walked through a tunnel of sorts, and this particular promoter only had a sign at the entrance of the building, and one at registration telling people there were more vendors in the other section fo the building, but there weren't any signs along the route to get there. Very dumb move. Sales and foot traffic were so bad for the participants that the promoter wound up giving vendors free space at another show to compensate.

You are absolutely right Sockmonkey...I came here to get opinions so that I could make this a better situation for the vendors. Not only have I asked here, but I have feedback from past and present people who've worked with me. If it were about money, believe me, I'd be charging MUCH more. I'm not in this to make a living off of anyone, I'm providing an opportunity for people to participate in a great show and get exposure and some extra money in their pockets.

In addition to having food and games on the lower level, I'm working on having a local (popular) radio station come and do some give aways, and they'll be downstairs. There will definitely be a good mix of old and new vendors. The vendors who weren't able to/didn't participate in the 2006 show will get the first change to sign up for 2007 at a discounted rate for a certain time.

Also, what I did not mention, the vendors will be choosing their own spaces (upper or lower), so hopefully that will help to cut down on "issues".

[Guest EMercier]

Since I haven't posted in a while, I do have apprehentions about two level shows. The one I did in the Spring has another in the winter and I'm on the 2nd level because I waited to send in my stuff. I will say that I'm upstairs where the food is, so they do get traffic up there. It all depends. I kinda like the punch card idea. People can purchase one for about $1 and get it punched to be entered into a drawing and that way you get everyone on there. Or they have to visit but so many on each level to fill it up. Not everyone. This way it gives everyone a good opportunity to have customers.

I participated in a show around Christmas last year and it was all on one level, but I didn't get near as much traffic as others did. And it was all on one level. One thing I thought was good was that people purchashed tickets and every vendor was given the second portion and if that matched, then the vendor had a little gift for them. So, people got an opportunity to look at everything as well.

HTH!

[andrealh1975]

get it punched to be entered into a drawing and that way you get everyone on there. Or they have to visit but so many on each level to fill it up. Not everyone. This way it gives everyone a good opportunity to have customers.

I like this idea too...I might do a card where they have to get maybe 10 or so punches from each level.

Thanks!

[Vicky_CO]

I plan on having food on the lower level, not sure about the punch card idea though, since it's so many vendors. I'll try to come up with something else.

There are stairs and elevators, so I'm hoping that'll help.

This quote right here is what made you sound like a promoter that is not thinking of her vendors. You made it sound like you hope the problem will fix itself.

Now on to what I was trying to get accross.

Well looks are everything.

Do you know how many vendors I have talked to about this or that show and you would be surprised how many will say oh so an so show was good but then she got greedy so we no longer do her show. The vendors that I am talking about are the ones I have taken their advice and never have a had a bad show based on their advice.

If your vendors think you are getting greedy then they will take their business elsewhere fact of life. It does not mean that you really are greedy. Perception is everything whether it is true or not.

So basicly what I am trying to tell you is if you do a second floor and it goes bad you are going to look greedy. But if you find a way to get the second floor a sucess you are going to look brilliant like one of the top promoters.

Sock I know exactly what it takes to put a show together it a lot of hard work and quite expensive. But at the same time if it is done right the potential for profit is also high or promoters would not do it.

[Juliette]

I would be hesitant unless the crafters/merchandise was on the first floor and the food was on the second floor. From my experiences, getting a snack or food is pretty much a guarantee so if shoppers had to go through the merchandise areas to get to the food I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on the traffic.

IMHO

[sockmonkey]

Sock I know exactly what it takes to put a show together it a lot of hard work and quite expensive. But at the same time if it is done right the potential for profit is also high or promoters would not do it.

What's wrong with making a high profit? Who isn't in business to make money? Don't the crafters at her show make a profit off of their merchandise too? No one rents a space to sell their merchandise at cost. Why would anyone think that a promoter doesn't make money, or isn't entitled to make money? The individual who rents the entire facility is the one who is ultimately on the hook for paying for the facility. If they don't get enough vendors to rent space from them, they still have to pay the building owner, no matter what.

Profits can be huge and that's because other people don't have the means, desire, or motiviation to do the same thing themselves. At those shows, there might be 500 vendors, but none of them were willing to take the same chance to put on the show, so they're stuck peddling their wares instead. There's nothing wrong with doing either one in my opinion.

[andrealh1975]

So basicly what I am trying to tell you is if you do a second floor and it goes bad you are going to look greedy. But if you find a way to get the second floor a sucess you are going to look brilliant like one of the top promoters.

Actually, if I do a second floor and the show goes bad I won't look greedy, as I'm not charging out the nose for booths and it will show that I've done everything possible to make it a successful show, just like with the others I've hosted. As for making the second floor a success, I repeat, that's why I'm here asking for opinions and using the opinions I've already received from past shows.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrealh1975

I plan on having food on the lower level, not sure about the punch card idea though, since it's so many vendors. I'll try to come up with something else.

There are stairs and elevators, so I'm hoping that'll help.

This quote right here is what made you sound like a promoter that is not thinking of her vendors. You made it sound like you hope the problem will fix itself.

That's why I said having the stairs and elevators will "help".

[andrealh1975]

I would be hesitant unless the crafters/merchandise was on the first floor and the food was on the second floor. From my experiences, getting a snack or food is pretty much a guarantee so if shoppers had to go through the merchandise areas to get to the food I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on the traffic.

IMHO

Thanks Juliette, there will still be vendors on the 2nd floor, in addition to the food, etc. And it will be in a location where shoppers have to walk past vendors to get to food.