One of the shows that I've been doing for the last few years is now moving to a new location. Unfortunately, with that move, you can no longer pull up near your booth to unload your vehicle. Unloading now will be from a small parking lot where they want you to unload your items to your booth space, park your vehicle a couple of blocks away, and then return to set up. My space is located at the far end of the new show area and I'm looking at 350 - 400 feet one way just to get to my space. I estimate that I'll need at least a dozen trips to unload everything which may take over an hour to do. Set up times are staggered...but I imagine that it is going to be quite a traffic jam on packing up when everyone wants to get out at the same time. And if it is raining on set up then all bets are off...I'll have to get my booth up first before bringing in the my display and items. Any thoughts??
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The show is over and my question has been answered. NO way is over 400' an easy load in especially pulling a cart on a grassy surface. I arrived at the show very early in the morning before the recommended set up time and tried a different parking lot (even beat the show director to the show). Another artist arrived shortly after I did. My walk now seemed to be a more reasonable @200 feet. It took about an hour and a half to complete the 15-20 trips necessary to bring all of my items to my spot. (from an earlier comment...Seven trips of 400' in 20 minutes is impossible to do....that is only three minutes per trip).
One metal lawn ornament guy and his son were near the middle of the show and it took them nearly 5-6 hours to bring in their items for their double booth. There were at least a half dozen no shows due to the lack of ability to unpack near their space. One artist showed up in the morning, saw where her space was at and promptly drove away.
The director had scheduled 40 artist per half hour in the afternoon to unload using a small parking area, needless to say the line of vehicles quickly backed up to the main road as you simply could not unload in the time allowed. No student helpers were available.
With the weather being hot...there was an artist mutiny brewing. Artists were eyening an open fence area to pull up onto the lawn to pack up whether they allowed us to or not. However, the show director came through and worked it out with those above her to allow us to drive on the lawn and to pack up near our booths. The day was saved and we certainly were relieved not to have to reverse that walk back to the parking area.
This was a big eye opening learning experience for the show director and hopefully those above her in charge as this disaster of a load in and potentially load out would quickly bring a demise to this long running show.
The bottom line though for me was that this ended up being a very good show for me, the best I ever had at this show.
I always ask to be near a loading area because I have physical limitations. I use a dolly and am lucky enough to be able to get everything but my tent in 2 loads, including my 250 pounds of weights. A block is reasonable amount to drag in, a block and a half is about as far as my body can handle. Your distance is between a block and a block and half but pulling a cart on grass this distance seems at least twice as long. If you have physical limitations, ask about having your booth location moved. All shows have cancelations and you may luck out and be able to get a closer spot. I never mind being one of the last to leave because it usually means I can drive in as close as possible.
It's true to be always prepared for the most difficult load in/out scenario...and anything other than that will be icing on the cake. I have done shows where load in was quite easy and spread out over most of the day... but load out was a whole different story.
I could eventually drive up near my booth to load out after packing up but the free-for-all and congestion/traffic jam of load out made it easier for me to just dolly out instead of waiting around. I would rather just keep busy.
I think everyone should be prepared to dolly out or in. Just like your booth should be able to be contained in a 10x10 space without going even an inch over your line. There is nothing consistent about doing shows, each one brings new challenges. When I drove a box truck I always planned to dolly and carried extra tarps in the even of rain.
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
check with the show and see if they have any help for getting tents and displays to the booths. We have done shows where there were volunteers with golf carts who took you right where you needed to go. Maybe they will, maybe they won't, but at least ask if there is assistance to move your stuff.
Many of the comments point to the importance of writing reviews so a show can be evaluated. The ration of site users to reviews written is a bit appalling IMO, but this should be discussed in a separate thread.
Greg, I agree completely. I was just commenting on the fact that not everyone was ready to just be negative. Just a comment on the mature tone of the discussion is all.
Depends on your health and physical condition more than anything. Two or three years ago I was signed up for the Audubon Show in Madison, WI. At the time I was having back issues and knee problems. The show said set up was on Saturday morning, so I arrived at the butt-crack of dawn to find out several people had set up the night before, and had driven on the sidewalk to do so. We were told to not drive on the sidewalk, which in all fairness was just wide enough for a single vehicle. It was misting cold rain, and at check-in found out I was at the extreme end of the sidewalk about 300-400 feet away. The only cart I had with me was a small folding one as I expected the site to be accessible by vehicle, which it wasn't. The walk up the sloping sidewalk with just the EZ-Up on rollers was enough to start back spasms. The organizers said they could get a large rolling dolly for me as they had 2-3 of them. I thought about it and decided that getting that dolly again at tear down would have been damn near impossible. I said to hell with it, and told them I was bailing on the show. Thank you, but it's not going to work. BTW, it was a six hour drive to get there so it wasn't a matter of minor inconvenience. Turns out it was a good choice, as a friend did the show who usually sells similar amounts as I do, and reported that it was cold and rainy the entire weekend with most artists not even making booth fee. Attendance was virtually nil. The show was on the down hill slide and was killed off a year or two later.
If a show isn't making things easy for the people who make the show, then it's time to evaluate who is getting the short end of the stick. Now having said that, I'm heading in the direction of Jim Parker with custom cases on wheels for my art work. My old plastic tubs that I use for 18x24 framed pieces are reaching the end of their life after over ten years. You can only slide tubs over asphalt for so long before they start to grind down and get holes in them. Even my newer tubs that are two 33 gallon containers attached together for 24x30 pieces are no longer available. It looks to be cheaper and simpler to build what is needed for the right size and include Harbor Freight (aka "Hazardous Freight") large locking casters on them. If it's major work to load and unload, then you need to think more about the logistics of it.
Labor Ready is located throughout the country. They're reliable help. I know several people who use them. Go to:http://www.laborready.com/
I've also asked organizers if they know a high school or college kid who wants to earn some money. This has worked out well, too.
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