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Custom Knife Show, How-To
- Thread starter Lorien
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With great caution. 
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^that's good advice, David:thumbup:
If I'm able to get something off the ground, it certainly won't be for a couple of or three years, (Sooke won't have a proper conference center for at least a year). So I expect I'll at least make it down to Blade West next year, and then hopefully a few other smaller shows within Canada. It's important to do that kind of research, but even more important to make contacts, I think.
Sooke is an amazing destination with lots to do, and a custom knife show would be a neat yearly addition to the myriad of Arts and music gatherings that seem to occur here every weekend over the summer.
www.sooke.org
There might be other guys and gals out there who've considered organizing some sort of show as well, so hopefully this thread will attract the attention of those with experience to share, so little regional shows can get the support, advice and encouragement that they need to start popping up like mushrooms all over the continent
If I'm able to get something off the ground, it certainly won't be for a couple of or three years, (Sooke won't have a proper conference center for at least a year). So I expect I'll at least make it down to Blade West next year, and then hopefully a few other smaller shows within Canada. It's important to do that kind of research, but even more important to make contacts, I think.
Sooke is an amazing destination with lots to do, and a custom knife show would be a neat yearly addition to the myriad of Arts and music gatherings that seem to occur here every weekend over the summer.
www.sooke.org
There might be other guys and gals out there who've considered organizing some sort of show as well, so hopefully this thread will attract the attention of those with experience to share, so little regional shows can get the support, advice and encouragement that they need to start popping up like mushrooms all over the continent
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- Nov 11, 2007
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Obviously the internet has hurt shows these last 10 years. Some people will just stay at home and save all the money that would cost them on airfare, hotel, food etc and invest it in a nicer knife than what they would get after all those expenses.
The biggest thing I see that kills shows is poor advertisement. If potential customers don't know about the show its sure to be a dead show.
The biggest thing I see that kills shows is poor advertisement. If potential customers don't know about the show its sure to be a dead show.
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So true and advertising is not cheap. Our local clubs have tried several local shows but without the $$ to advertise you just can't get people to the show.
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And some people will miss out on the education they would have received from examining and handling hundreds of knives and conversing with dozens of intelligent and talented makers at shows. And as a result they may invest in inferior knives over the internet.
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And some people will miss out on the education they would have received from examining and handling hundreds of knives and conversing with dozens of intelligent and talented makers at shows. And as a result they may invest in inferior knives over the internet.
+1 :thumbup:
Les Robertson
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Hi Lorien,
Is your show going to be strictly Canadian Makers? I ask because it is very difficult for people to bring knives into Canada. I stopped doing the Canadian Guild Show because of this.
Next you will have to pick a weekend to have the show that doesn't compete with other shows. As the month of September has shown, this is not easy to do.
Target and Permission Marketing can be done relatively inexpensively and provide exceptional results. It is amazing how much money shows waste on advertising shows with standard media. Not understanding how to truly market a show is probably the greatest weakness of knife shows in general.
Kevin:
People who attend shows, examine hundreds of knives, converse with makers....and they still "invest" in inferior knives.
Is your show going to be strictly Canadian Makers? I ask because it is very difficult for people to bring knives into Canada. I stopped doing the Canadian Guild Show because of this.
Next you will have to pick a weekend to have the show that doesn't compete with other shows. As the month of September has shown, this is not easy to do.
Target and Permission Marketing can be done relatively inexpensively and provide exceptional results. It is amazing how much money shows waste on advertising shows with standard media. Not understanding how to truly market a show is probably the greatest weakness of knife shows in general.
Kevin:
People who attend shows, examine hundreds of knives, converse with makers....and they still "invest" in inferior knives.
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- Oct 28, 2006
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- 13,363
Kevin:
People who attend shows, examine hundreds of knives, converse with makers....and they still "invest" in inferior knives.
The ones who miss the education part have no one to blame but themselves.
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Why not the 2010 BLADE Show in Atlanta? There you really can meet EVERYONE
and also enjoy the introduction of my next book "The World of Art Knives"...
All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
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I would sooner try to build a nuclear reactor than try to put on a knife show.
Les Robertson
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You buy them books, send to school and they refuse to learn. LOL
Les Robertson
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Kevin, did you read this....and we are accused of derailing threads!
WOW David.
Give Lorien a break will you.
Les Robertson
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Hey Nick,
Knife shows are easy to do....successful knife shows....now that is a different animal.
Lorien is going at this the right way...lots of homework.
As well he should consider inviting me so I can introduce you to my next book....... LOL
Knife shows are easy to do....successful knife shows....now that is a different animal.
Lorien is going at this the right way...lots of homework.
As well he should consider inviting me so I can introduce you to my next book.......
LOL
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Les- A VERY important word I meant to include yet left out... a SUCCESSFUL knife show.
I'm sure anyone could put on a knife show... Now putting on a successful one is an entirely new ball game.
Putting one on in which you find a great venue. One which will actually allow something like a knife show, one which has a large banquet room WITH GOOD LIGHTING, one which will block out rooms with a decent show rate, one which is easily accessible... a location which offers much more than just the knife show (the last part is something I firmly believe Lorien does have in Sooke).
How, when, where, and how much advertising?
How do you get makers to attend?
How do you get buyers to attend?
When do you schedule it?
How many years will you have to hold the show before it would be considered successful enough to draw both buyers and makers?
These are just a tiny tidbit of questions/thoughts that pop up in my head as fast as I can type them. If I REALLY sat down and tried to figure it all out, it would make my head explode.
I'm sure anyone could put on a knife show... Now putting on a successful one is an entirely new ball game.
Putting one on in which you find a great venue. One which will actually allow something like a knife show, one which has a large banquet room WITH GOOD LIGHTING, one which will block out rooms with a decent show rate, one which is easily accessible... a location which offers much more than just the knife show (the last part is something I firmly believe Lorien does have in Sooke).
How, when, where, and how much advertising?
How do you get makers to attend?
How do you get buyers to attend?
When do you schedule it?
How many years will you have to hold the show before it would be considered successful enough to draw both buyers and makers?
These are just a tiny tidbit of questions/thoughts that pop up in my head as fast as I can type them. If I REALLY sat down and tried to figure it all out, it would make my head explode.
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Nick, ok ok, enough already! I didn't start this thread so someone's head would explode.
...even thought that would be an interesting outcome. Think of what a guy could do with power like that!
Les, I've been meaning to give you a phone call for the last little while this idea's been in my brain. You gonna be around today?
David, you're right about Blade. I think that going there and making contacts would be tres beneficial. However, attending smaller regional shows might help as well.
As for the flavour, here's a bit of what I had in mind, just quick bullets:
-Two venues- convention center and Scout's camp, (indoor knife show, outdoor knife demo/ activities like archery, forging demos, family activities whatever)
-regional makers- any Canadian maker, and makers from Oregon, Washington, California. Others from elsewhere welcomed, especially those from Europe, (Sooke is a BIG draw for European tourists)
-there isn't yet a regular hotel in Sooke. It's been proposed and it's gotten the green light. When it's built, it will have a convention center. Sooke has about 60 -70 B&Bs, plus the world famous Sooke Harbour House, www.sookeharbourhouse.com .
-promotion would center around this being a vacation to a beautiful place, with lots for the family to do together, which also has a very nice handmade knife show
I appreciate everyone's participation in this thread. Thanks
Keep the ideas rolling!
...even thought that would be an interesting outcome. Think of what a guy could do with power like that!
Les, I've been meaning to give you a phone call for the last little while this idea's been in my brain. You gonna be around today?
David, you're right about Blade. I think that going there and making contacts would be tres beneficial. However, attending smaller regional shows might help as well.
As for the flavour, here's a bit of what I had in mind, just quick bullets:
-Two venues- convention center and Scout's camp, (indoor knife show, outdoor knife demo/ activities like archery, forging demos, family activities whatever)
-regional makers- any Canadian maker, and makers from Oregon, Washington, California. Others from elsewhere welcomed, especially those from Europe, (Sooke is a BIG draw for European tourists)
-there isn't yet a regular hotel in Sooke. It's been proposed and it's gotten the green light. When it's built, it will have a convention center. Sooke has about 60 -70 B&Bs, plus the world famous Sooke Harbour House, www.sookeharbourhouse.com .
-promotion would center around this being a vacation to a beautiful place, with lots for the family to do together, which also has a very nice handmade knife show
I appreciate everyone's participation in this thread. Thanks
Keep the ideas rolling!
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- Nov 13, 2004
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- 650
Hmmmm. Twenty years since I was at the Sooke Harbour House and the memory is still fresh. Very hard to beat.
Sooke is a rare find. This might also highlight the importance of PR, especially for a lesser known location. People need to know what the location has to offer.
Good topic.
Dave
Sooke is a rare find. This might also highlight the importance of PR, especially for a lesser known location. People need to know what the location has to offer.
Good topic.
Dave
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- Dec 5, 2005
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well, I just got back from Beavers and I noticed on the way that they've cleared the lot where the proposed hotel/conference center is going to be:thumbup:
The district engineer's son is in Beavers with my daughter, so I got the inside scoop tonight, and it looks like we may have this hotel within a year and a half:thumbup:
I'll bet the timing might be awesome in that they will be looking for customers and getting the foot in the door early might mean lower prices in the beginning, and the seeds for a long partnership, should the conditions warrant a high end custom knife show on the wild west coast of British Columbia
Someone in another thread said something about luck, and how it leads to success- the other knife show thread, I think.
I've always felt that luck and timing were inter related. If one is fortunate to see luck and timing working in unison, then maybe it is in these moments where momentous things occur. I guess we'll see if that's the case here. I'll get my surfboard and wetsuit ready, just in case:thumbup:.
The district engineer's son is in Beavers with my daughter, so I got the inside scoop tonight, and it looks like we may have this hotel within a year and a half:thumbup:
I'll bet the timing might be awesome in that they will be looking for customers and getting the foot in the door early might mean lower prices in the beginning, and the seeds for a long partnership, should the conditions warrant a high end custom knife show on the wild west coast of British Columbia
Someone in another thread said something about luck, and how it leads to success- the other knife show thread, I think.
I've always felt that luck and timing were inter related. If one is fortunate to see luck and timing working in unison, then maybe it is in these moments where momentous things occur. I guess we'll see if that's the case here. I'll get my surfboard and wetsuit ready, just in case:thumbup:.