New Blade Show Management...do they even care?

Joe, I don't see the Blade Show following the Guild, they had some major internal problems.

With Blade we're just seeing a staff change and hopefully all will be worked out.
 
Don Hanson III said:
Joe, I don't see the Blade Show following the Guild, they had some major internal problems.

With Blade we're just seeing a staff change and hopefully all will be worked out.
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We hope so, but SICAC was screwed up by the management/promoter, so there is some history of this happening.
 
silver_pilate said:
Makes me wonder if emails and letters from concerned makers and potential attendees would make a hill of beans difference. I'd be happy to shoot and email off, as I'm sure many other would. Of course, my thoughts are, if they aren't listening to the makers who MAKE this show such a good thing, why would they listen to me?

Someone needs to go over the heads of these lackies and see if higher-ups in the organization will listen to reason.

--nathan
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I don't think it'll matter.

I'm out of the country at the moment, so I've been having my wife call.
She spoke with Karen a couple of weeks ago, but since then the calls go unreturned...

Showed up to the office today to another email from the wife saying she placed another call that hasn't been returned...
 
Well now, they have responded to my partner, telling him we have tables next to each other, but still no response to me...

I also see that it appears as though there are around 100 more exhibitors this year...

They added 3 more table to each row, and I can't tell how many booths...

I thought it was pretty crowded already, sure hope they didn't shrink the table to make up the space.
 
Well, at this point in time I'm just hoping that I know my table number before I leave for the show. I generally advertise for the Blade Show, and the part that has me frustrated is that all of those deadlines have past. So from my viewpoint, the lack of customer service is now cutting into my bottom line. I was told that the individual who oversees the new management staff will be at the show, and I intend to seek him out and express my displeasure with these yahoos.

So far I've been told on three occasions that I would be contacted and would know "Within two days." The latest such occurrence was over a week ago......still nothing. Yea, I am whining.....but in this case I feel its justified. What Krause is doing to knifemakers is no different than if you or I took a customer's money up front, and then left them flapping in the breeze.
 
Brian Fellhoelter Knives said:
Well now, they have responded to my partner, telling him we have tables next to each other, but still no response to me...

I also see that it appears as though there are around 100 more exhibitors this year...

They added 3 more table to each row, and I can't tell how many booths...

I thought it was pretty crowded already, sure hope they didn't shrink the table to make up the space.
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I was thinking last year that they needed open up the space and expand to that room next door with more knifemaker tables as opposed to the "tactical" gear that they were asking about. i wonder if they did that as oppose to trying to crowd more people into the existing space?
 
Maybe they did make add some square feet, it's hard to tell looking at the layouts.
But maybe they extended one side a bit.
I'd attach the floor plan if I had the capability.

Unfortunately, my membership expired while I am here in Nigeria, and there is a snowballs chance in hell I put my CC info out over the internet in this corrupt place.

I won't be able to pony up the dough until I am nice and secure in the USA.
 
My table is 25 R, I do believe. Not sure where the hell that is as they haven't posted the map yet, but the young lady said that it is on the ABS section, so I am likely WAY back in the nosebleed seats.:D
 
I don't know how some will take this, but I have thought about this same situation for a few years. Why couldn't it be done in this manner? Mastersmiths up toward the front as you enter the area. Assign a table to the mastersmiths according to their time as a master. Then do the same for the journeymansmiths. If a master or journeyman, gets a table for the first time at the show, adjust the table situation to whatever is necessary to keep things in alignment according to their time as a master or journeyman. The apprentice would start in the back and work their way up in the ranks of tables as everyone else. Those who are testing and want to share a table, have a special section for those people. Don't scatter them from one end of the show to the other like you see each year.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Blade magazine carry ads where makers show their table number so that people can locate them. Doesn't this submission have to be in so many months prior to the Blade Show in order for it to come out in the magazine prior to the show? If this is true, doesn't someone on the show end keep up with who is where? What is so hard in asking for a new table assignment for the next show and them not knowing "X" number of months prior to the show, especially if you are carrying and advertisement? If they can't do that, them maybe they need a house cleaning in management and find someone who can keep up with the information. They may have a long waiting list, BUT if half of the "name" makers cancelled their tables, what would that do to the attendance at the door? You are right in saying they only see the bottom line. Maybe there needs to be a spokesman to represent each group of makers to speak to the top management and come up with a solution.
I have been at the Blade Show for every show since it has been in Atlanta and I know exactly what everyone is talking about. Mary will be missed greatly. She has experience I am sure that others won't have that will be trying to run the show. So eveyone can just hope for the best.
 
Mitch Edwards said:
I don't know how some will take this, but I have thought about this same situation for a few years. Why couldn't it be done in this manner? Mastersmiths up toward the front as you enter the area. Assign a table to the mastersmiths according to their time as a master. Then do the same for the journeymansmiths. If a master or journeyman, gets a table for the first time at the show, adjust the table situation to whatever is necessary to keep things in alignment according to their time as a master or journeyman. The apprentice would start in the back and work their way up in the ranks of tables as everyone else. Those who are testing and want to share a table, have a special section for those people. Don't scatter them from one end of the show to the other like you see each year.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Blade magazine carry ads where makers show their table number so that people can locate them. Doesn't this submission have to be in so many months prior to the Blade Show in order for it to come out in the magazine prior to the show? If this is true, doesn't someone on the show end keep up with who is where? What is so hard in asking for a new table assignment for the next show and them not knowing "X" number of months prior to the show, especially if you are carrying and advertisement? If they can't do that, them maybe they need a house cleaning in management and find someone who can keep up with the information. They may have a long waiting list, BUT if half of the "name" makers cancelled their tables, what would that do to the attendance at the door? You are right in saying they only see the bottom line. Maybe there needs to be a spokesman to represent each group of makers to speak to the top management and come up with a solution.
I have been at the Blade Show for every show since it has been in Atlanta and I know exactly what everyone is talking about. Mary will be missed greatly. She has experience I am sure that others won't have that will be trying to run the show. So eveyone can just hope for the best.
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Mitch,
I think your idea is fine...................
for an ABS only show.
 
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delbert ealy said:
Mitch,
I think your idea is fine...................
for an aBS only show.
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Since Blade is broken down into ABS and Guild only sections in addition to the Handmade section, it could work, but I would be hesitant to penalize anyone who had been attending the show for many years regardless of what letters they had behind their names. You have guys like Dr. Lucie who have been at this game for a while, but who choose not to go for MS because they do what they do and they don't feel the need to have the stamp.
 
Well, my wife says she is up to 8 calls with NO response now.

No call backs, no email, no nothing....
 
For those interested, the list that Les posted can also be searched. After you open the file press Ctrl + F keys on your keyboard and type in the name that you are looking for.

Brian
 
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