GOODIE BOX CRAFTS: trade exhibit

With Ms Teresita Ang See...

MINDANAO ONE 2011

Goodie Box Crafts & Accessories joins "Mindanao One." This is a trade expo showcasing Mindanao Island's Abundance. October 14- 17, 2011 at the World Trade Center, Metro Manila, Philippines. Feedback? Well, it's our 3rd day and yet, buyers and walk-ins are very minimal (literally, minimal). This will be an unforgettable first time out of town exhibitor experience for me. The World Trade Center here in the Philippines has been well known for its ability to create opportunities for entrepreneurs to flourish and build business partnerships. For now, I don't see any opportunity for me. A lot of exhibitors here are grumbling for this reason and now questioning the organizer's capacity to market such trade expo. In fairness to the Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation, Inc - the organizers of this event - it takes a whole bunch of funds just to rent the place, logistics, preparations, paper works, and all of the itsy-bitsy details to successfully put up such big event. In the exhibitors' perspective though, we ( and not just me) felt that buyers were not informed and less media mileage perhaps is also one of the reason. My supplier/friend even told me that traffic jam occurs outside the venue during exhibits like this, but not this time. Exhibitors were buying from co-exhibitors and never expected an event which is supposed to be Big and an opportunity for Mindanao to showcase their bounty. Some exhibitors had their fair sale during the opening but felt that it wasn't enough. Opening days should even leave out 50% of the stocks that they brought, leaving the rest of the 50% to sell in the next 3 days. Time, effort, and money should always occur in the minds of the organizers because if they say it's not easy for them, so much more for exhibitors. This might not be our last but another lesson learned: ALWAYS CHECK THE BACKGROUND OR PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZERS BEFORE HITTING EVEN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES. We are just trying to enjoy our stay here in Manila, but at the back of our entrepreneurial minds, we are so sad and sorry for the organizers for their upcoming evaluation sheets that exhibitors will paint as "X"

Last May 26 - 29, 2011 was the Alpha Phi Omega Biennial Convention which was held here in our City of Golden Friendship, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.

Goodie Box Crafts & Accessories had a table top exhibit and I really thought it was not a good decision for me to join their exhibit. The first day gave us very little sales and prayed that it will be the opposite in the next three more days to come.

Well, the Lord heard us and strategized a bit to achieve breakeven or even at least an income at that. I was happy of the outcome and learned so many things along the way. Joining trade exhibits also has its ups and downs and this was our second test run in joining trade exhibits in a convention.

Lessons I have learned:
1. Know the people who will be attending the convention - APO community were mostly men but in the last 2 days of the convention, young women and APO moms increased in number. Still, dominated the convention as we see it.
2. Know what other exhibitors are selling.
3. Attend exhibitor's briefing so that your needs will be met like electricity in the venue since I am using an oven toaster.
4. Proper location in the trade exhibit venue - 'location, location, location' still applies here, just like having your own shop somewhere, where there should be high magnitude of traffic so that your products will be seen.
5. Proper lighting - our location was okay, but had really poor lighting. We were selling small accessories, so we brought lamps with us in the 2nd day of the exhibit. It did work. Yellow lamp of my tita was effective in drawing more customers.
6. Manpower is also crucial - to accommodate customers with a convention that is attended by more or less 5,000 delegates.
7. Not just sit and wait but call out to customers.
8. Fraternity/Sorority convention delegates loves to buy #1-souvenir shirts, #2-souvenir items like mugs, button pins, key chains, ref magnets, stickers, and anything that has their seal, coat of arms in it.
9. Keep watch of undisciplined, not so good, abusive customers.
10. Smile though your heart is aching :)