Who's going to the Blade Show?

Bill DeShivs

Bill DeShivs

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jun 6, 2000
Messages
12,933
The Blade Show is getting expensive. The cost to attend has just about doubled the past few years.
I think this will be the last show we attend there.
I'm not sure how a new knifemaker that's on a strict budget can even afford to go. Between a table and a hotel it will cost you $1000 or more just to be there.
I think they may be pricing themselves out of the market.
Perhaps there needs to be a new and better venue.
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
www.billdeshivs.com
 
Who is "themselves"?
Can't blame "The Blade Show".
I had my first table there in '07 and since then, the table price has only gone up $100.00 in ten years.
There have been a number of years that the gas was 3-4 dollars, and now is barely more than a buck.
I think the problem is the hotels, which have nothing to do with the Blade Show.
 
BLADE is not for everyone. One must plan on several years as a table holder to be noticed if you are a new or an under advertising maker. No need to stay in the show hotel as plenty hotels bit further away with "better" pricing. Don't think there is a "better" venue for the show size. I've been doing BLADE for 13 years and don't think the booth price has gone up more than couple hundred, if that. I pay $1250 for a corner booth, but sales average 15 grand. It is what it is.
 
Blade is now involved with all the hotels in the area. Right now, you can't book a room anywhere near the convention center without doing it through Blade. They aren't buying up all the rooms so that people get a better price-they are doing it for profit.

I understand how the show works, and what it does. I have been going for 18 years or so. I'ts still the show to go to-at this point. But, I think there is a place for a new "big show."

The fact that instead of reducing table prices, they fill the table slots up with "tactical" gear and other non-knife related stuff tells me tables are over-priced.
 
I'll be there for the first time. I'm not going to have a table though. I thought I would see how it goes before taking the plunge and getting one. :)
 
I will be there.
This will be my fourth year in attendance.
I knew the first year it would be an investment and a financial loss.
I have since turned a profit at the show, but then turn around and spend it all on supplies.
I'm at the point where I would not miss it for anything.
For me, the camaraderie alone is worth the price of admission.
 
The problem facing any new 'big' knife show to compete with or replace BLADE is this: It won't ever be THE BLADE show.

I realize that sounds stupidly obvious at first, but Blade has been THE 'be all, end all' show for a LONG time. It's place is cemented permanently in show history.

What would be the incentive for someone else to compete with that? What would be the incentive for makers and collectors to abandon Blade and attend this new show instead? Where would this new better venue be? And assuming you could overcome those pretty substantial hurdles, how much would it cost to do so? I bet as much or more than the current Blade show.

Both attending AND running/managing the Blade show has it's pros and cons, but it seems like it's a pretty well oiled machine when you think about starting something else as big and successful as the Blade show is.
 
They could do it in Vegas the week after SHOT. Call it CUT. Man that would be a long 2 weeks :barf: The incentive would come from only allowing "industry" professionals access. As soon as word got out people would be tripping over themselves to become "employees" or "guests" to show up :D
 
One of the reasons we have stayed living in Atlanta is due to blade show being here--I've only been selling my knives for a little over 2 years now, and I haven't gone through the effort to even price out blade show as an attendee--with my feet the way they are, it's challenging just to walk the entire show, so maybe buying a booth and sitting stationary would be good :) I can say as an Atlanta area resident I am disgusted at how the gov has levied the massive fees on the hoteliers thereby driving their prices up--(the Falcons did NOT need a new stadium) the Ga Dome was/is a great venu for them, and the new location of the Falcons stadium is hated by most in Atlanta.

I will say that I am in agreement with those who say that Blade is an 'IT' type of show.

Will be interested to see those that are there!
 
At $600/table and the ridiculous admission fees, the operators are making a killing. Add to that, they now have reserved all the rooms at area hotels and make money off of each one
It could be done a lot cheaper.
The Blade staff/owners have gotten greedy.
Yes, it's "the" show right now- but a more centrally-located big show for a lot less money could overtake Blade easily. The show is not doing nearly as well as in past years, and it doesn't appear that it will get any better.
 
Most large cities have various "soak the non-resident" taxes. Rent a car at the airport, pay a lot more tax than if you rent it a couple miles away. Rent a hotel room, pay a big tax, etc. It's not like the tourists can vote the city council out of office. Tourists can vote with their feet and go elsewhere though, but it's not much different in a lot of other major cities. As a west coast resident, I'd like it if Blade moved around the country a bit, but except for the airfare I would not expect it to be much cheaper to attend Blade in Vegas or Salt Lake City.
 
I just don't feel like the organizers/owners of the Blade Show are our friends.
I feel taken advantage of-especially now that they are in the "hotel business."
 
Personally, I don't find the hotel fees all that out of whack with nice hotels in other cities. I think when I went to the very small show in Seattle a couple times the hotel nightly rates were higher than what I paid for Blade this coming year.
 
Well, I guess I won't be at Blade this year - we'd planned to go, but I fooled around and there are no rooms available in the Renaissance hotel, plenty of rooms a mile or so away, but wife insists on rooms "on site" so she can walk to Blade, visit a while, then back to room to rest. I knew they filled up pretty quick, and March which is only 3 months away got here too fast.

Oh well - a $1,000 saved.

Later
 
Larry D. Davis said:
BLADE is not for everyone. One must plan on several years as a table holder to be noticed if you are a new or an under advertising maker. No need to stay in the show hotel as plenty hotels bit further away with "better" pricing. Don't think there is a "better" venue for the show size. I've been doing BLADE for 13 years and don't think the booth price has gone up more than couple hundred, if that. I pay $1250 for a corner booth, but sales average 15 grand. It is what it is.
Click to expand...

I'm curious how that works. $1250 for the booth, I'll just assume say $750 in expenses for the stay. So $2,000 for $15,000 in revenue. That's 13% of sales. I know if I made enough knives to generate $15,000 in sales I would have at least $13,000 into them between labor, manufacturing overhead and material. So if I spent $2,000 to sell $15,000 I'd lose money on top of losing a week of production.

But that's a calculation based on the lower margin utilitarian stuff I generally make. If you have a few high dollar higher margin items along with a bunch of utilitarian stuff I could see how that would pay off.

How many future sales do you attribute to coming from your attendance?
 
Ken H> said:
Well, I guess I won't be at Blade this year - we'd planned to go, but I fooled around and there are no rooms available in the Renaissance hotel, plenty of rooms a mile or so away, but wife insists on rooms "on site" so she can walk to Blade, visit a while, then back to room to rest. I knew they filled up pretty quick, and March which is only 3 months away got here too fast.

Oh well - a $1,000 saved.

Later
Click to expand...

The wife and I get a room at the Embassy suites. You can walk it but they run a shuttle all day, one call and within 10 minutes they pick you up at the door. Plus they have free happy hour.
 
Two Dogs - that's an idea that should work - let me talk with the wife, we just might make it after all.
 
I just want to clarify I'm asking about the economics for my own edification, not because I think people should or shouldn't go to this or any particular show.
 
Blade Show is inexpensive compared to other trade shows. At many trade shows, sales not allowed. You can take orders.

We decided a long time ago, any money we made at Blade Show is a bonus. Our primary purpose is to meet people and show our products.

The Blade Show payoff happens all year long.

Chuck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top