FEATURED SHOW REVIEW
March 2007
NEW YORK
November 2-5, Christmas in the Country, Hamburg. Contact: Premier Promotions, Ed Kaczynski, 4310 Tillson Road, Wilmington, NC 28412; phone 910-799-9424. E-mail: wnypremier@ec.rr.com. Web site: www.wnypremierpromotions.com. Space fee: $425-$1,120. Space size: 6x10 to 10x20. 98% indoors. Exhibitors: 350. Hours: 10-9 Thursday and Friday, 9-6 Saturday, 10-5 Sunday. Attendance: 55,000 (gate). Admission: $7.
By Christine Casey
Senior Writer
E-mail: chris@smudges.com
Medium: Hand-sculpted clay character ornaments
According to most exhibitors, Premier Promotions did its usual stellar job of bringing in the buyers for their 2006 event at the Hamburg Fairgrounds in western New York. Once again, the majority of those who turned in FastAudits were highly complimentary on all counts.
Thursday's crowd was noticeably down. The day began as usual, with the Thursday morning early arrivals crowding into the Agri-Center foyer nearly an hour before the show began. The doors opened, and I swear I heard "Gentlemen (and ladies), start your cash drawers." It began to snow soon after that, though, and by early afternoon, it looked like a blinding snowstorm and the mess had begun to stick to the ground. A light to medium snowfall rarely deters Buffalo area residents, but while those who were already shopping remained at their task, it was clear that others chose to stay home.
Friday's crowd was back to normal, thankfully, and the promoters reported that the second day's increased gate made up for lower attendance on Thursday. And sales were brisk for most.
Many with whom I spoke said Saturday was their busiest day. A high-end jeweler reported that while her prices seemed steep for the patrons who came on Thursday and Friday, they were fine for her weekend visitors. Sales on those last two days were good, she said.
Sunday is always an excellent sales day at Christmas in the Country, so if exhibitors have run short of inventory by Saturday evening, it is indeed a shame. My Sunday numbers, however, are quite close to my weekday sales, partially because Thursday's and Friday's hours are shorter. My personal sales were off by a small amount this time. Keep in mind, though, that it takes patrons longer to make purchases from a booth such as mine, where personalizing is involved. Therefore, sales that I lost on that first, long day could not be made up for on days with shorter selling hours.
Christmas in the Country is a pleasure to do, although I must admit that I dread the nine-hour drive and my lengthy setup. However, there is plenty of time for even the most complicated setup, as the fairgrounds are open on Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. And the layout makes it easy: All booths have two sides open, thanks to the quad design.
The perks are plentiful. Premier Promotions provides a party for exhibitors on Friday night, which is always very well attended. On Sunday afternoon, we can sign up for assistance, and local volunteers show up later to help us load out. A worship service for interested attendees is held on Sunday before the show begins. There is an exhibitor's lounge where artisans can sit and breathe peacefully while gulping their coffee or eating their lunch, and a break room has coffee and food available throughout the day. There is even a host hotel with reasonable rates. And at the 2006 show, the promoters held a Friday-morning seminar for those with the energy to be at the fairgrounds by 8 a.m.
The advertising and marketing are outstanding, as proven both by the attendance and the local exhibitors' and customers' remarks. And the promoters are friendly, fair and available throughout the event.
There is one thing I find remarkable about the Hamburg show, and I cannot explain it. I have done shows for 23 years and still find Christmas in the Country exhibitors unique. They are friendly, helpful, thoughtful, positive and, without exception, a genuine pleasure to work with. I have yet to hear of any backstabbing, gossip or accusations about others, nor have I experienced or heard about a neighbor infringing on another's booth space or good humor. I have never heard harsh words between exhibitors or any whining, and I've yet to see even a nasty look between artists. Naturally, I am not everywhere and do not claim to be psychic, so there are likely such occurrences; however, I am no more or less omnipresent or psychic at this event than at any other shows at which I have exhibited in these 23 years - and I have never seen the likes of the disposition of these artisans.
Before sharing other artists' feedback, just a word of explanation: In the past, Premier Promotions provided stamped envelopes addressed to Sunshine Artist and a photocopy of a FastAudit card to each exhibitor to be turned in to me at the close of the show or mailed directly to the magazine later. At the latest show, however, SA provided Premier Promotions with official FastAudit forms. I imagine that not having them in sealed envelopes was a concern for some exhibitors. However, they were still given to me or mailed directly to the magazine, so their integrity was not compromised.
So, enough of what I thought of the show, here is what 132 exhibitors who provided feedback had to say:
Sales averaged a rating of eight, with other categories ranging from a few eights to mostly tens. The vast majority of exhibitors, whatever their sales, gave high marks to every aspect of Christmas in the Country. Of the 132 respondents, 83 shared their sales totals. Twenty-seven in a variety of mediums from painting to photography to mixed media reported sales from $1,000 to $4,999. Thirty-five reported sales from $5,000 to $9,999, and those artists' mediums also ran the gamut. Jewelry, fabric, glass, wood, painting, clay, florals, clothing and even stamp art were listed. Finally, 21 listed their sales from $10,000 to a high of $29,000. In this mix were wood, personalized signs, furniture, dolls, garden sculpture, mixed media, painting, pen and ink, watercolor, florals, clay, ornaments, sculpted-wood signs, gourmet food, candles, clothing, snack food and fiber.
Many people wrote quite lengthy comments. Almost everyone complimented the organization, the large variety of handmade items, the outstanding attendance, and the great promoters and staff. One artist said the show enjoyed a "great attendance by customers who came with the intent to do a lot of shopping. As first-time exhibitors, we felt a sense of mutual respect between promoters and exhibitors not often witnessed at art and craft shows ... [and a] great customer appreciation of our product line."
Most exhibitors commented on how well the show was run, and even those who only had time to write a few lines usually wrote something such as "great show, great crowd, great promoters." I had to sort through my stack of FastAudits twice to find negative comments. Of the five I found, two complained mostly of their location, wishing that those in the outer buildings could be moved into the Agri-Center. The third complained that "sales [were] down 60 percent from last year, probably due to recent local events (snow storm, economy, etc.)"
The fourth, who made $2,600, rated sales a one but gave sevens to show balance and advertising, an eight to prestige, and nines and tens to all other categories. This exhibitor said he/she would not return and offered what I thought were some great suggestions. He/she said that placing a large banner at the outside show entrance would help move traffic to the outer buildings, and the exhibitor even suggested some wording: "Christmas in the Country - three huge buildings of crafts!" He/she also suggested charging a lower booth fee for the back buildings, perhaps $50 or $60 less than the main building.
The fifth disappointed artisan, a first-time ceramicist ($2,500 total sales/$50 average item sold), was unhappy with the first two days and had hoped for better sales. Still, he/she said, "There were lots of people here every day. This show really draws the people in. The promoters of this show are excellent."
It is, in my humble opinion, a compliment to Premier Promotions and to the kind of exhibitors that exhibit at Christmas in the Country that even those who were unhappy with their sales took the time to turn in thoughtful, constructive comments. Even though they might have given low marks to sales, they were fair in their rating of other aspects of the show. Too many times, not just as a reporter but as a cover-to-cover reader of Sunshine Artist for so many years, I have seen remarks from artisans whose sales were poor and who, therefore, could find nothing positive or constructive to share about that show. There are, of course, those shows for which it is impossible to find anything good to say, but I certainly give more merit to comments from people who try to be fair and balanced even when their sales are quite poor.
Enough of my editorial comments. Let me leave you with a quote from a Christmas in the Country exhibitor that seems to sum everything up: "[The Kaczynskis are] exceptional promoters [who] care about their crafters. They address concerns crafters have, they listen, [and] they understand that promoters and crafters are a team for a successful show. ... [The promoters] are great to work with."
