It is now Tuesday night and we are back in Florida. Yesterday was the final day of the show. The day went smoothly and the break down after the show went well.
The difficult thing for me to communicate in this blog is the more personal, emotional side of the show. If you know me then it is easy to read between my lines and see my concerns, worries, nervousness. But for those of you reading this, I am afraid I have left out a huge part of the show experience. I’ll try to share it with you, without embarrassing myself!
Exhibiting at a BIG show for the first time is very intimidating. I should have written that in ALL CAPS! Regardless of the size; whether 200-300 exhibitors at Couture or 2000-3000 at JCK, These show are THE BIGS. So, that’s where we start …major intimidation.
This intimidation comes from a few different places. First, is the whole concept of getting ready for the show; the preparation at home, the travel there and then the setting up. As you stand at your booth that set up day and look around you at the other exhibitors, you get nervous. Do I have enough displays? Does my case look nice? What do I display? And the list goes on.
Once you get things set up and you have finally decided that you can’t tweek the showcase anymore and the show is about to open to buyers, you take a breath. If you are lucky to have a friend, co-worker or helper with you (if you are really luck, that person is all three!!!), you can stretch your legs and walk around the show. It is a good way to get display ideas and to completely deflate any sense of confidence you mustered during set up! Seriously!
I am serious! That first day I crawled back to my booth, tail between my legs. Thank goodness for Jessica and Maria who stood me up and turned me around and showed me my beautiful display case! Phew! I learned not to compare myself or my jewelry to other designers. Well, I learned day by day.
Ok, so the nervous jitters started to subside. I have to say that a lot of this was due to our neighbors. I cannot say that this wouldn’t have happened if i was in some other location but I am soo happy I was where I was. Not only did I know ABOUT the two women I was placed between but they were Amazing! Friendly, helpful and funny. Both women were smart, talented and savvy. It was a treat, an honor and a great learning experience.
Once I got over the fact that lots of other people make really gorgeous jewelry, I was able to enjoy their designs and start coveting a few pieces!!! Everyone I met was wonderful. Some were a bit conservative, a bit reserved. Others were flamboyant and excited. There were lots right in the middle and I enjoyed meeting each and every one.
When I think about our last day there I think mostly about my fellow exhibitors. The friendships that were created will hopefully last a long time.
Ok, enough mushy stuff. On a business side, we met some great new retailers and wrote some new business. It was a great show and we look forward to coming back next year.
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