First, I want to point out that I am an ardent fan of Blade Magazine and I believe the publication provides a very real service to the knife community. Likewise, I think the Blade Show has traditionally set a standard of excellence in knife shows. I have attended the last seven Blade Shows and it has always been an impressive exhibition. I only hope that those traditions continue.
Unfortunately, this year’s Blade Show was a disappointment to many table holders for a variety of reasons. With the down economy I’m sure most of us expected a smaller crowd and a slump in sales. Every year some knifemakers do well and others do not. This year was no different in that respect.
What was different was new show management and in my opinion they fell far short of what we have come to expect from the biggest, and traditionally the best, knife show of the year.
I understand that corporate consolidation is a common practice and FW Publications decided to put one group of people in charge of all of their shows covering a variety of interests. I could normally expect to excuse some mistakes and shortcomings when a new management group is put in charge. However this situation was different in a number of ways. What I find inexcusable is the number of problems that could have, and should have, been avoided.
The biggest gripes I have heard from table holders is a pathetic lack of communication from the management prior to the show. Phone calls and email routinely went unanswered. Many table holders could not get confirmation of their table location, or if they even HAD a table, until it was too late to meet publishing deadlines for advertising. The excuse that the management was busy running some antique show somewhere carries no weight with the knifemakers. This is our show and for many it has become a very important part of our annual business plan. We invest a lot of time, money and effort into this show and we expect the management to give it equal importance.
Another major problem was table assignments. Several knifemakers had been on the waiting list for years yet were not called when a table was available or else were given less than preferred spots at the rear of the show. This could be acceptable if the show was a sellout and those who had been previous table holders or had been on the waiting list the longest were systematically offered the better spots. Instead, people who had never held a table and had never even been on the waiting list were able to call two days before the show and get much better locations, in some cases in the first few rows. That is just wrong and understandably ticks off a lot of your customers.
And there is the issue of non-ABS and non-Guild members getting table locations in the ABS and Guild sections often in preference over members of those organizations who go a long way toward making the Blade Show what it is. The collectors and buyers who come to the show appreciate and expect to find ABS knifemakers in the ABS section, Guild members in the Guild section, other makers of handmade knives in the handmade section, etc. They do not expect to find tables selling purses in prominent spots in the ABS section while real ABS knifemakers are relegated to the south forty somewhere. Again, this tends to leave a bad taste with those knifemakers who are the lifeblood of this show.
I was told by two people who had complained about the ABS/Guild section issues that they were told by management “Well, we could take down the (ABS/Guild) signs.” What an arrogant and uncaring response! If the show management thinks they do not need the ABS and Guild knifemakers in this show they are grossly mistaken. Collector and buyers come to this knife show because they expect to find the best knifemakers and knives all gathered in one show. That simply would not happen without the participation of the ABS and Knifemakers Guild.
I personally know of newcomers who were given front row tables, 2nd row tables and 4th row tables. These were preferred locations that should have been offered to previous year table holders and those who have been on the waiting list for a table. And no, these were not cancellations. I checked the exhibitors lists and the tables had not been assigned.
What makes this inexcusable and infuriating for many is that fact that many of these issues were flagged and publicly discussed long before the show yet received no attention. The new show management, by their own admission, has no experience with knifemakers or knife shows. In many cases the table holders have a LOT more experience and knowledge of the Blade Show than the folks who were running it this year. I would suggest that you listen to them. The most troublesome part is that show management simply did not seem to care.
This is an important and expensive endeavor for most knifemakers and table holders. In addition to some of the most expensive tables on the knife show circuit, table holders shell out for hotel and travel expenses, advertising, extra help and other related expenses. They may have thousands of dollars and months of preparation invested in this show and rightfully expect the full attention and cooperation of the show management. Unfortunately, that is not what they received this year. Some will not be back. Others will give you another year to get your act together. I would not count on any patience beyond that.
What needs to happen (in my opinion):
1. Timely communication and attention before the show.
2. ABS members in the ABS section, Guild members in the Guild section, handmade knives in the handmade section, etc. Preferably with ABS master smiths and full voting Guild members being placed in forward locations in their respective sections. Reserve tables in the respective sections for members of those organizations. After a published deadline, fill the remaining tables with non-members BEHIND the legitimate members.
3. Previous year table holders should be given first choice at available tables forward of their previous location in the appropriate section. Otherwise, they should have the option to remain at the same location provided that they have reserved a table for the next show.
4. People on the waiting list should always be given preference over those who call at the last minute for a table.
5. Non-knife related tables should get last consideration, if any at all. None of the knifemakers, collectors or dealers want this show to become a flea market.
6. Show management needs to police the show floor and remove brown baggers. This practice was rampant this year with some brown baggers being bold enough lay out their knives on the floor right in front of legitimate table holders. I realize you cannot control what goes on outside the arena or in the hotels but you CAN control what happens on the show floor. Only table holders should be allowed to sell on the show floor. The exception would be for someone selling TO a table holder.
7. Lose your supposed restriction on sharing tables. Everybody, including you, knows that it is done anyway so just drop the pretense. As long as the show is a sellout as it always has been, it does no harm, and is even a plus, to allow more knifemakers to share and show their knives. Many newer knifemakers may not be able to swallow the expense of a table but could swing half the cost of someone is willing to share with them. I don’t buy the excuse that you don’t allow sharing because you need to control who is selling what. That process would be exactly the same as with single table holders.
8. Pay attention to your applicant list and get the names right. It would help tremendously to assign this duty to someone who knows the knifemakers. I heard of numerous complaints where tables were listed and badges issued under names that were different from what the applicant had entered on the registration form. That should be a simple process with a “name” field on the application form but somehow it was not.
9. Price: In my opinion, this is not the time to raise table fees. There are many local knife shows where tables can be had for far less than the cost of Blade Show and without the associated travel expenses. It is understood that the Blade Show is an expensive show to put on and considerable advertising and resources go into it but raising prices in a slumping economy with a lot of less-than-happy customers does not seem like a wise move on your part.
It is my hope that someone in management reads this and takes it to heart but my confidence in that happening is low based on the experiences of many leading up to this years show. Unfortunately this is not a time to be patting yourselves on the back for a great show when a number of completely avoidable problems plagued the show and lot of participants will be reevaluating the importance of next years show. Being new management, some may give you a pass for some of the problems this year. Next year they will not. The future of the Blade Show hangs in the balance.
