The bottom line (profit) - it was not as good as I hoped but better than I expected given the cold rainy weather.
Disclaimer – I work alone and don’t get away from my tent much so all of this is observation from my tent at space 48 and a couple walks early in the morning. YMMV This is a relatively small show with two sections separated by a very busy road. One section, where I was, is surrounded by stores that, with the exception of the closed Borders, look open and healthy. The other section does not have stores around it and is all artists. I did not get over to the other section but reports I heard on Saturday afternoon were not good. The weather improved slightly on Sunday so hopefully the folks over there got some business. My section was helped by a Saturday morning farmer’s market that brought a lot of people in and the various stores and restaurants. There were a few booths in a dead zone at the every end. A break in the booths for a parking garage entrance seemed to keep people from getting all the way down there.
Setup – Anytime you reduce the traveling area to one van wide you are going to have issues. Clif and I arrived right on time and were able to get in and unloaded quickly. At that time there were no tents setup so people were able to drive around us but once we got unloaded and went to move the van (as per instructions) security said to stay where we were because it was too congested and we couldn’t get out. This was not a terrible thing for me since I have a lot of stuff I want to put back in the van after setting up but someone with a space in the middle who arrived late would have a hard time getting close to their booth. But security was present and very helpful to get as many people in and out as possible. This setup would benefit from staggered setup times – the end people first and so on. The other side of the show setup on Saturday morning.
Show – This is a much more eclectic customer base than I was used to in Florida. Every walk of life, race, and nationality was represented. They were friendly, appreciative, and unfortunately surprised. This is the one complaint I have about the show. Many people said to me “I didn’t know this was here”. Advertising fell down somewhere. Most of the customers I got had come to the area for another errand, the stores, the farmers market. The worst part was Sunday evening after breaking down when people asked me what was going on. They were sorry they had missed it. I made mostly framed sales for $225 - $250 and a special order. The guy next to me zeroed with $1000 - $3500 pieces although he thought he might have made some connections for future sales. The woman next to me with handmade purses and clothes seemed to do quite well. From those I talked to I would guess that mid-range works best here.
Other than the advertising I have nothing but good to say about Bill Kinney. He was present, involved, and concerned. Most shows I am lucky if I see the promoter at all. Bill checked in several times throughout the day with everyone. He did remove a buy-sell booth and I’m pretty sure he had someone move their van back to parking when they hadn’t broken down completely. Security was also present and very supportive.
Load-out – The single filing eased as people broke down and moved their stuff to the sidewalk. It was generally painless if you followed instructions.
There was a parking garage nearby for parking which was free on Saturday and Sunday. It accomodated all but the tallest vans and there was space provided elsewhere for oversize vehicles. There were several hotels within walking distance. I stayed at a hotel 6 miles up the road.
Traffic is nasty all around Washington D.C. Bring patience and leave in plenty of time to get where you are going.
Comments
Was this the same venue as Paragon's May show? I had heard from several artists that the spring show was successful.
In case anyone is curious to learn more about this company, Paragon's website is here. Promoter Bill Kinney's shows have a Northeast focus, primarily Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. I did several of his shows this summer. I was modestly profitable at all but one (Hyannis, which is not going to be on his schedule moving forward). None of the shows I participated in were well-attended, though that may have been due in large part to the early-summer heat.
Alison it was good to meet you at the show. I saw your framed pelican walk by...good for you!
Lorri was in the same section as I was...across the busy 4 lane intersection from your section. There were a good many artist in that section that did not meet expenses. I was lucky, I net a few hundred dollars after expenses. I can't blame the lack of sales on foot traffic not wanting to cross a busy intersection, nor was it because it rained a little on Saturday...the weather was very nice the rest of the time. It is ineffective promotion of the show. Of my few sales and patron visits, most came as a result of artists working their mailing list in advance of the show and many patron were there by happenstance, shopping. Only one patron that I met came as the result of a TV ad (thank you, Paragon, for that). I could find no signage for the show which was regrettable. On Saturday a separate buy/sell show was positioned in close proximity to our section. Many patrons assumed we were part of that show. There was nothing to help patrons think differently. Not everyone in my section did poorly...a few did well, but they were the very few.
I would have to see a significant change in this promoter's (Paragon's) record before I could have the confidence to return. I think it would be a mammoth feat to think a new promoter can successfully grow 15 shows in 12 different markets, all in the span of 2 years. It may work, but a good many artists will (and have) lost in this game of chance.
The silver lining for this show, is that I met a number of good artists who I now call friend. Great meeting you again Lorri! I also got a great deal at a Hyatt Hotel in Bethesda, thank you Priceline!