By: Cameron Meier
SA Editor
Eileen Teixeira is a painter and breast-cancer survivor looking to make a living on the show circuit. Having done only seven events before, she applied last year to Andre Daniel Swanepoel’s Miami International Indoor Arts & Crafts Festival, which, according to the promoter, was to be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, December 16-20. However, Swanepoel knew as early as September that there would likely be no show at that location — he never obtained a written agreement with the Center’s management, and he never paid his deposit. Yet for three months he continued taking exhibitors’ money.
"He cashed the check on December 5," Teixeira said, "so we had no worries, but we also had no information on the show. On [December] 8 or 9, he said it would be canceled. This man knew before he cashed the check that he didn’t have enough exhibitors. I can’t afford to lose this kind of money. … I’ve been disabled, and [the cancellation] has affected me because I can’t apply to another show. Money is tight. … This is no joke."
"We never got a signed contract back from this guy," said Doug Tober, senior general manager of SMG, which manages the Convention Center. "Deposits are required, … and that was never received. It’s not only unscrupulous, but our contract says he is not to sell booths until he has a signed contract."
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