Almost everyone must have heard about the Jet Blue flight attendant that quit by cursing at a passenger over the intercom and then opened the safety hatch and slid down to get off the plane.
I think that this can be compared to an artist packing up early and dollying out during a show.
I know the photographer that did this.
A photographer was the only photographer at a small Florida show. When the awards were given out Sunday there was no prize for photography so he complained. I think they gave him a category award check just to shut him up. Sales were slow so the photographer drove in and packed early. On the way out he got stuck in a drainage ditch that surrounded the park. He had to wait until the entire show had packed and left before a tow truck could come in and tow him out. And because he packed and left early the show stopped payment on the award check. Talk about burning bridges.
Larry Berman
Digital J u r y Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
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On a different side of the coin, there was an occasion this past Spring where I was one of those who baled. However I had good reason - I think. The day was VERY windy. Granted I had a my trusty Trimline all set and once in a while it moved 1/2 inch in some of the gusts. When two of my wooden shelves fell right now - face-plant into the asphalt road (this fair was on a street) I said - "that's enough!" Packed up and left 2 hours early. Granted it was around this time the promoter did say if we wanted to leave it is ok as about 7 others did prior as they had complete damage of all of their art and even canopy. I had every intention of riding it out, but when I am next to some who don't understand what it means to anchoring their canopy and having frail display tables, etc. it isn't worth it.
Diane Wright > Michelle SholundSeptember 24, 2010 at 12:08pm
I also had a show this spring that I left early because of severe weather - Mother's Day weekend. My EZup tent was anchored down with Happifeet and moved a little back and forth but not up. My displays kept getting knocked down by the wind until I had everything just laying on tables horizontally. At this point, the promoter came by and said if we wanted to leave early it was fine. Most of the exhibitors did. Unbelievably up to that point, I was making money with the people who braved the storm and came out to support the event. I'm hoping for better weather next year.
James Dargocey > Diane WrightSeptember 25, 2010 at 7:10am
Ive only left a show early once, It was an hour early and after only seeing 10-20 people all day, I approached the promoter and asked if it was okay to pack up. She said yes and was very apologetic about not being able to promote the event that year. See her husband had just gotten out of the hospital after three or four months here they thought that he was not going to make it. That and we were competing against another very well promoted event that weekend.
I was accepted to both, but I had a very good show with her the year before, and I must say her wine is one of my favorite :D Plus her and her husband are all around good people.
I have to admit, a month ago I left a show early. I was actually going to post a thread about the experience, but decided against it. I always said I wouldn't be "that guy" but I was. The problem was that I was next to a gutter guy whose minions were out in force passing out flyers. It wouldn't have been a problem except they were doing it in front of my booth and driving people around my booth. After the third time I asked the kid to move I finally approached the booth owner to tell him I was tired of telling his kids to not stand in front of my booth. Of course once the kid saw me gunning for his boss, the kid had moved back in front of their booth and the owner told me "I paid $10,000.00 for this spot" and told me the kid wasn't moving. He suggested notifying the promoter if I had a problem with it. The problem is, he had some problems that he had approached the promoter about to no avail. Sales obviously sucked (not just because of the kids I understand), so I had enough and vowed never to go back. I'm sure the guy paid more than I did for his double gutter tent (complete with wheel of fortune clicker that the kids loved by the way), so I figured I wouldn't get very far with the promoter. Honestly, I never saw or heard from the promoter once and didn't even know how to get ahold of her if I wanted to. I still feel a little guilty and I've had worse shows I've stuck out, but this was too much for me.
This past weekend at the Rockford Artists' Fair, one of the merit award winners, three sisters who have been in for several years, decided to pack up and leave half an hour early without ever saying anything to me. I saw them, went over to their booth and reminded them that the show was open until 5pm. The said they didn't feel well, they were sick, and they were going home. I told them they should have come to see me (I was four booths away) to tell me that they were having a problem.
They don't know it yet, but they won't be back next year. After they left, others began packing up. It was cold and damp, but I reminded them all that we were open until 5 and that the contract they signed stated the rules very clearly. The stayed put.
I am a no-nonsense show director. I was just as cold and tired as anyone else, as in addition to directing the show, I had a booth. That is not, however, any excuse to pack up before it's time. In fact, in the last 10 minutes, several artists reported making sales that made the weekend for them.
I could never understand leaving early. I really cannot remember leaving early ecept in one case. It was a two weekend show in another state, and I lost money the first weekend, so I didn't return for the second. I couldn't afford to come back.
But I look at it this way. You paid for the show. You paid for your hotel. You won't get that money back. And no matter how much or little you make, it's more than what you would make not being there. You just ride it out, chalk the show up to experience and move on.
I've made some pretty good friends during those bad shows. We have plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. And I have found out about some very good shows while at some very bad shows. Simply because I didn't leave and talked to my neighbors instead.
Larry Berman > Sabrina AughenbaughAugust 12, 2010 at 10:11am
I should have added that though the flight attendant may be considered a folk hero, the photographer is a jerk.
Sounds like a classic case of Karma. You reap what you sow, and all those other similar sayings.
Tina Cloud > Robert LeuallenSeptember 19, 2010 at 2:08pm
My neighbor at a show was doing more business than most of his other neighbors, but he decided that it wasn't enough & packed out Sat evening. It left a big gap right next to me in the direction traffic was coming from & I was already almost at the end of the dead end row. Sunday I saw lots of people who turned around early because it was too much effort to walk all the way to the end for "just a few booths". Packing out early is not only rude to the promoters, but rude to your neighbors!
This is the first I saw this thread - yeah, I know an artist who did this. I'll refer to him forever as "the douche" . I was helping at a wine/art show and I had to remind his wife repeatedly that they hadn't yet paid the vineyard owner their fee. They'd requested 2 spaces, fully set up in both which were the most prominent. The douche, who also has titled himself, sat on his grand and self-appointed glorious throne awaiting the throngs of followers begging to purchase his art. Unfortunately, show attendance was low and his holiness the douche packed up and left - and no, he didn't pay his vendor fee.
Replies
On a different side of the coin, there was an occasion this past Spring where I was one of those who baled. However I had good reason - I think. The day was VERY windy. Granted I had a my trusty Trimline all set and once in a while it moved 1/2 inch in some of the gusts. When two of my wooden shelves fell right now - face-plant into the asphalt road (this fair was on a street) I said - "that's enough!" Packed up and left 2 hours early. Granted it was around this time the promoter did say if we wanted to leave it is ok as about 7 others did prior as they had complete damage of all of their art and even canopy. I had every intention of riding it out, but when I am next to some who don't understand what it means to anchoring their canopy and having frail display tables, etc. it isn't worth it.
I was accepted to both, but I had a very good show with her the year before, and I must say her wine is one of my favorite :D Plus her and her husband are all around good people.
They don't know it yet, but they won't be back next year. After they left, others began packing up. It was cold and damp, but I reminded them all that we were open until 5 and that the contract they signed stated the rules very clearly. The stayed put.
I am a no-nonsense show director. I was just as cold and tired as anyone else, as in addition to directing the show, I had a booth. That is not, however, any excuse to pack up before it's time. In fact, in the last 10 minutes, several artists reported making sales that made the weekend for them.
But I look at it this way. You paid for the show. You paid for your hotel. You won't get that money back. And no matter how much or little you make, it's more than what you would make not being there. You just ride it out, chalk the show up to experience and move on.
I've made some pretty good friends during those bad shows. We have plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. And I have found out about some very good shows while at some very bad shows. Simply because I didn't leave and talked to my neighbors instead.
Larry Berman
Digital J u r y Services
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
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