Multiple Soy Candle Vendors at the same event

[KommonScents]

Being relatively new to the business side of things, I have been lucky to avoid this issue so far. It looks like that luck has now run out. I am signed up ( I was one of the first vendors to sign up for the event ) for a cancer benefit, and I just received an email that a direct sales company selling Soy Candles will also be participating. The organizers felt that they did not want to limit people since this was a fundraiser (20% of the sales to the foundation). How assertive should I be about placement, similiar products, heck everything. I am obviously a little taken back by this, but I want to "be a good sport" for the cause.

Thanks in advance for any and all guidance.

[OverSoyed]

If you are confident in your products, it will show to the customers in the long run. I am sure they will have similar items, and possibly lower prices. Just stand out at the event as a good craftsperson, and you should do fine.

[Scented]

Be very assertive about it. In a soy-saturated market you don't want to be the 15th soy business someone looks at, because they get tired of looking.

It would almost be interesting to see the hype numerous like-minded people use to advertise come here first. We did a show with 30 booth spaces I believe and 18 of them were candles ... a complete waste of time, but the signs were kind of funny now that I look back on it.

One soy said "The original homegrown bean here." Another said only pure beeswax used in our products. We are the natural. Don't be fooled by others.

It went on and on.

And we had the last booth in the place ... by then they were flat tired of looking.

Did another show that had maybe 40 booth spots and more than half carried jewelry. The comments though were ... "If I see another jewelry booth I'll scream" or "I didn't realize this was a craft show for jewelry makers. Let's go. Every booth is jewelry."

[SliverOfWax]

Assuming you want an experienced, honest answer instead of a "feel good" standard reply, you should be VERY assertive. Giving sensory overload as a logical reason, ask to be placed on the opposite side of the room from any other scented products.

Benefit or not, the ONLY reason you are going is to make money. It seems like the last couple of years or so, show promoters are more interested in filling spaces than they are in pleasing vendors. They seem to forget that you, the vendor, are their customer and they need to treat you as well as you treat your customers. Most promoters these days have either forgotten that or they didn't have a clue in the first place.

I'm guessing between Scented and myself, we've covered several thousand shows over the years.

I hope you knock the commercial vendor out of the water! Good luck!

[Scented]

Oh yes and if you know who the commercial vendor is then a little advanced research can help you get around that. I say that because Mia Bella has a way of promoting themselves that knock down all vendors of far distant cousin related products, but with positive promotion of your products you can sink a commercial vendor. Many on here have done it and had good shows.

What have you got that's going to grab the people right away? For instance, if you're doing containers ... get the lids off and light one or have something going that points to you.

There are ups and downs being next to like businesses (in my mind more downs, except I kind of relish being around a Mia Bella any more.)

Not 1,000s of shows here, but enough to come away learning something every time.

[KommonScents]

Thanks for the honest responses. I feel validated that even though it was for charity, I think my best interests were overlooked. After a little probing of the organizer I found it is in fact Mia Bella, which eased my mind a bunch. We are also going to be in a totally different building then they will be. If all else fails, my grandmother is going with me, and I'll just send her over to chat them up all day :-) I have been attending some local networking groups where I ran into a Mia Bella dealer. I have to admit I was intimidated by their pitch at first, until I was able to burn holes in it, and let the other group members smell my products.

Thanks again for the advice!

[Scented]

Great that you won't be in the same building! Send your grandma to spy though so you're aware of the pitch they're giving.

You'll do fine though! No need to be intimidated because you're going up against someone who doesn't even know how to make a candle really. They just know the sales pitch and a couple of handful of lies lol.

Good luck to you!

[Abbiepql]

I think you could be overlooking some big time advantages that always work for me in shows. First of all, I pour my own candles - most reps for companies like MB, PL and HI obviously, DO NOT. And although those other reps maybe hometown businesses, I am a hometown crafter, my products are made right here in THIS town. I have a wholesale customer order candles without undoing the lid, simple because my label said "Hand Poured in Winchester, VA". Other than that, I am sure your candles rock and my burning and room scenting experiences with MB have been uneventful, to say the least.