The show is in a picturesque park in the lovely, established, Mandarin area of Jacksonville--one of the area's oldest and best-heeled areas. Surrounded by oak trees, chirping birds, and blue skies, what could be better?
As it turns out, a lot. Despite the best efforts of the HAE folks--and they did a TERRIFIC job--there just weren't a lot of folks buying what the artists were selling, near as I could deduce from the dozen-plus artists I spoke with. This was by far my worst show of the year, and my neighbors on both sides--a ceramicist and coin dealer-- concurred.
Saturday's crowd started slow, but by noon folks were browsing, and some, at least, were buying. Sunday brought a smattering of buyers fresh from Easter services, but the folks who went home and changed from their Sunday best before making the trip seemed to have left their wallets at home. It was a frustrating afternoon capping off a long weekend.
WHAT WORKED:
* The load-in started at noon on Friday. Although HAE has a reputation for 5 AM Saturday setups, this particular show's off-street venue made a previous-day setup possible. Staff did a fine job managing the logistics, and despite the rather convoluted arrangement of booths, things went fine.
* Signage to the event venue was well marked from nearby I-295 to the event venue, and all major streets leading to the site were very well signed.
* Alan did their usual fine job getting the word out in the local media, according to both the local artists and the customers who visited my booth. Alan also did a good job organizing a customer (and artist) shuttle, and my customers said it worked quite well...important, given the dearth of parking spots near this heavily-wooded, residential area.
* Load-out was exceptionally well-managed. Noting the show's very tight quarters, staff came around to individually explain the procedure:
- Artists were to break down completely beginning at 5 PM
- Upon completion of breakdown, staff would verify the breakdown and hand the artist a pass, enabling them to get their vehicle and be readmitted to the show venue...with the understanding that there may be a short delay while the path to their site was cleared of artists who were completing load-out.
Near as I could tell, this worked flawlessly. I was able to easily navigate my way to my booth site, pack up, and be on my way within 35 minutes after being admitted.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK:
* The artist parking was over one-half mile from the show venue. That was a long walk on Saturday morning (although the the foggy street lined with stately oak trees and Spanish moss was quite beautiful). But from a safety standpoint it was a bit dicey, since there were no sidewalks. Most artists eventually eschewed this lot in favor of the informal lots set up by local residents, who offered close-by parking on their lawns for $5.
*Although the local event organizers took the time and expense to print a full-color show brochure that listed the participating artists, it didn't include artist booth locations or a map. Although booth locations weren't determined until Thursday afternoon before the show, they could be provided by a last-minute, one-page insert. The map would be handy, given the jigsaw nature of the booth arrangements, which surely made it difficult for attendees to figure out if they had seen the entire show, and to find their way back to an artist whose work they were interested in.
* One of the print media--not sure if it was the Jacksonville Sun orsomeone else--listed the event as a Friday/Saturday event, when it was
not. How much that contributed to the rather sparse crowd on Sunday, I can't say.)
*Wishing to upgrade the caliber of artists at this long-time vent, Alan pointedly didn't get in communication with previous exhibitors before the show deadline, raised the show fee by $100, and--true to his business model--scrapped the artist amenities and the awards program. This may have caused some longtime artists to skip the event: one who DID exhibit this year told me that those were major incentives for her to participate in the show, even though sales and attendance had been flagging. But she wasn't having a good weekend, she said, and won't be returning.
.* Some customers, too, mentioned that they were disappointed to have not found their favorites. But to be fair, HAE was brought in to reverse the show's sagging fortunes, so some revamping of the status quo is to be expected. It may take a couple of years for long-time show-goers to make an adjustment, and for the show to find a new following.
In sum, it was a long trip for me, and next year I'll probably plan to exhibit at HAE's San Marcos show, held a week earlier and a little farther north in Jacksonville. The feedback I got this weekend from artists who had been there suggests that it provides a bigger crowd, and a buying one.
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