Exhibitor benefit

Consultants tell businesses that it doesn't matter how many people "like" or "follow" your social media pages, what matters is if the activity is turning into customers. The same applies here; 140,000 attendance at a show like this means little, if people are not there to buy. 

A state fair is a great exhibitor example: The Tampa state fair is known for almost 500,000 attendees, but people are there for the fair, not vendors or exhibitors. People don't want to carry items at a show like a fair which makes it difficult for vendors to make sales at event like this. There's also food and accommodations for 12 days to consider. Sometimes they'd be better off at a one or two day show where people are there to shop. 

The Miami Boat Show has an attendance of nearly 100,000 but people park far from the show so vendors with large or heavy items may not do so well. 

The cost of attending a show has a substantial impact at show purchases. If a community boat show has a $20 fee to park, and another $25 per person to enter, people are less likely to open their wallets except for what they already planned on buying. 

I've watched a show in Charlotte County try to get traction for years with one disappointment after another. There's little publicity outside of a few Facebook posts, and the event revolves around a country music act where exhibitors are a byproduct of the show. At the Cape show, exhibitors ARE the event, so they get the attention. 

The Cape Coral Art Festival has no attendance fee and there's no parking fees. The city allows cars to park where they can find space, and police do not hassle anyone unless they're at risk to others or actually blocking traffic, which has never happened. Attendees come to shop, and they have not already spent outrageous amounts on parking and gate fees before even walking through an attendance gate. Cars park close enough to walk with items, or they can drive closer to the exhibitor for pick-up. Many people purchase items and return to pick them up early the next morning before crowds arrive. Some vendors may offer delivery after the show. 

All of these things are worth consideration when exhibitors chose which shows to attend. The Cape Coral Art Festival, which now includes the Cape Coral Boat Show & Outdoor Expo, has a 40+ year history with nearly 100% exhibitor retention annually. That's the magic number; CUSTOMER RETENTION %. Exhibitors are treated with respect, as one would expect from something a Rotary Club hosts, and committees brainstorm ideas where multiple minds are involved, as opposed to one person making decisions. 

No show can make every exhibitor happy, but I've never seen a group put so much effort into making as many happy as possible as the Cape Coral Rotary Club. I'm honored to have been called upon to help them create the new addition, the Cape Coral Boat Show and Outdoor Expo. 

Jim Griffiths

Publisher, Nautical Mile Magazine