So, how did my tips work for us at the Gift Show last week? Let's see:
Have a plan. We decided to go to the Baby & Child section first because a majority of our inventory falls into this category and they opened a day earlier than most of the show. The first day was kind of nice because it wasn't as crowded as the other days and we could take our time talking to the vendors without people crowding in behind us. Several of the stuffed animal manufacturers were spread out over different floors so we had to go searching for them over the next few days.
Before attending the show, we talked about expanding Fragile Earth Stuffed Animals to include more than just stuffed animals. Starting with Day 2, we looked for new and interesting items that would fit the bill. And we found some great pet items and jewelry that will work very nicely! We can't wait to get them in and introduce them to our customers.
Wear comfortable clothes/shoes. I was far from the most sophisticated dresser in the joint, but my geeky sandals meant I could still stand at the end of the day. Skirts and light tops proved to be the perfect attire for the heat of NYC and the pressing crowds inside the Javits Center.
Don't be intimidated by greeters. I have gotten very good at not looking people in the eye as I pass by. I know it's an easy way out but I don't do well at saying no, especially when I know how excited these people are to show me what they sell. As it was, we didn't get to everyone on our list because we ran out of time.
Bring your own food to save money. We threw sandwiches and snacks in our bags and had them while catching our breath. Our great expenditures (other than parking) were a couple of cokes and on one really hot day, an ice cream. We kept it to under $25 for all 4 days, which is pretty damn good.
Ask potential vendors to email you their information so you don’t have a lot to carry. We went in with the best of intentions on Saturday – we didn’t carry bags because we were going to research websites after we met the manufacturers. Unfortunately, not everyone was ready for us. Can you believe that there are some people who don’t have a website for their wares? And others have websites but they weren’t updated with the newest materials. So we wound up carrying quite a few catalogs anyway. Sunday we were better prepared with backpacks. Again, not the most stylish but a necessity.
Bring plenty of business cards. People loved our cards from moo.com and we handed out a few of theirs (moo’s) as well. They might want to send us a commission.
As I mentioned before, I tend to get overwhelmed by the crowds and all the pretty things. We brought our iPhones with us so we could take pictures of anything that caught our eye and have it to refer back to when we got home. I thought it might be cool to send some of them to twitter while I was at it – you know, actually instigate a discussion or two instead of just reacting. Over the four days we were there, I took a total of three pictures. I’m so glad we invested all that money in the new phones so we could have technology at our fingertips!
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