D&W Deerfield, IL Show, June - commercial vendors?

Comment by geri a. wegner on June 27, 2011 at 12:00pm

While I didn't go this year, in the past, Lakefront in Milwaukee has always kept the vendors away from the artists and it was most enjoyable.  They smartly put the vendors along the path to the artist tent so all patrons had walk past them so they did not feel ignored.  It was a perfect separation of "church and state".

Those spinal people are at every Amdur festival also and I agree,  they are a pain in the neck to deal with.

 

 

Comment by Crystal Johnson-Overhuel on June 27, 2011 at 4:41pm

Totally agree. If you are going to be displaying and selling your ART, in an ART show, most likely in which you had to be juried in to, you do not want some "non-art" vendor in the artists area, and especially next to you! It is like hawking at a county fair.

Comment by Annette Piper on June 27, 2011 at 5:40pm

I had a similar thing happen a couple of years ago - you could see people avoid the spruiking by either turning on their heel and going in the other direction or taking a wide, sweeping arc away - that meant they didn't come near me at all.  I had a word to the organisers and the next year, the chiro was still at the show but moved to a different area.  Much better!

Comment by Wendy Zumpano on June 27, 2011 at 5:51pm

I haven't seen the chiro guy at Amdur shows... interesting, considering I've have been told to move my display stand of ART notecards back further into my display at Amdur shows because it makes my booth seem more like a "store."  Yelling at passers by about spinal screenings seems a little more capitalistic than an innocent card display.  Of ART cards. 

Comment by Anita Elaine Peters on June 27, 2011 at 6:07pm

I had the chiro guy next to me at the Northbrook show last year.  I could see people arc away and by passing my booth. The chiro guy and staff were very nice neighbors, but my sales didn't make the show worthwhile for me.  I did express this to Debbie on Saturday and I think she may have told them to tone it down -  Sunday went a little better for me - still not worth doing.  There were artists that did really well so I would consider trying it again.

Comment by Donna Sauers on June 27, 2011 at 6:20pm

I have been located next to a giant bathtub on more than one occassion (yish).  Nothing like people approaching your booth already shaking their head "no".  But the worst is when I was next to the Chamber of Commerce.  They came late, their booth space was given away, and they were squished in with the vendor next to me (actually the Theatre subscription booth which are a wonderful group of people).  They brought a supply of backpacks with "freebies" and coupons inside and stood in the aisle yelling "free backpacks".  I watched people stream past my booth to get their free stuff.  Plus since they were squished in with another booth they stood in front of my booth blocking my key selling area (I wanted to say "as a member of the Chamber of Commerce... do you realize you are standing in the door to my "store"?!)  .  And, they would hand things to people in my booth.  I know it impacted sales because when they ran out of backpacks and had to leave my sales went up.  Same thing happened the next day.  I was newer to shows and just watched in disbelief.  I wouldn't let that happen again!

 

I really think it is awful that the vendors are allowed to scream at patrons with their free offers.  If an artist handed out freebies outside of our booth we would be slapped! (and rightfully so).  If we put a banner out that blocked our neighbor I am sure there would be words.  Just doesn't seem right that the sponsors can impact the livelihood of the artists who pay good money to be at the show and are there to sell! 

Comment by geri a. wegner on June 27, 2011 at 7:07pm

Wendy, the chiro booth was around the corner from you on the intersecting street.

The NY Times guy can be annoying but the Tribune people do seem to be relatively quiet.  The window people are definitely obnoxious.

I liked last year's insurance guys, they gave away great stuff and the Illinois Lottery people gave away little spray bottles of sun tan lotion.  OK, I can be bought!!!   :-)

Comment by Anita Elaine Peters on June 29, 2011 at 10:44am

Hey Donna, Thanks for helping me out at the Arlington Heights show.  I got home safe and sound.   I'll let you know how Northbrook goes.

Comment by Katherine Cuttonaro on June 30, 2011 at 8:57am

 

I had a chiropractor at a show in Wisconsin this year. They weren't very popular and yes people stayed away from the booth. I agree they don't belong in art shows.

Comment by Wendy Zumpano on July 1, 2011 at 9:02am

I sent my feedback to Debbie Netter at D&W and she said that next year they will put the commercial booths near the food and not mixed up with the artists.  Hooray!

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