Serious Situation

I began to write  a letter informing you of several important steps Tim and I have decided to take in a major effort to revitalize our shows. However, as I started to write about all our news, a recent surprising turn of events obscures my thoughts. There is something that needs to be addressed in an urgent manner. So, here goes.

First, I want to make it perfectly clear; I support creative entrepreneurship and the competitive American way. However when I learned that the Craftproducers electrician of the last eight years, Eric Danielson, and one of our exhibitors, Matt Brown, were attempting  staging craft shows a week before our fall Manchester show and our Foliage Arts Festival in Stowe, the week before Columbus Day Weekend, I felt very disappointed. “Et Tu, Brutus” as Shakespeare would say. A perfidious act.  Had they chosen a non-competitive date and venue, I would have offered to help them and wished them good luck. What kind of Kool-Aid brings individuals to think that this is a good plan? They are very evangelical in their pursuit of shutting down two viable shows, a misguided crusade at best. Is this the kind of energy needed by the crafts community? Is their plan viable and will it create new markets for your work?

As I tried to understand any sanity in their decision to hold shows a week before ours, I could not. Their choice is a rash and destructive act. If they are successful in luring a sufficient number of exhibitors to these shows, the public will be confused and angered. Attendance will not be great for anyone. Exhibitors sales will be diminished.  Good grief! If they want to start a show, pick a venue and viable dates, and go for it. Why ruin two existing shows that have been hit by the Great Recession?   Apparently there seems to be a personal vendetta as indicated by their choice of dates and the Manchester and Stowe venues. I have worked for more than 30 years in organizing craft shows and have always promoted to the best of my ability. I know what the life of an artisan is: I made and sold my own work for twelve years. Certainly, I am not ready to retire. I have a 12 year old kid! I know that Craftproducers has enjoyed (pretty much) universal respect over the years and I expect to even improve our standing as we move forward. Believe me: 2012 was a tough year for us and I am 100% committed to restoring the luster to our organization.

Let me say in passing,  I don’t believe in mudslinging and negativity campaigns. Hands and Heart have implied many negative things about Craftproducers, Tim, and me. I will not take the time to respond piecemeal.

Since Tim and I spent so much time at the last two shows of 2012 dealing with the elements, we did not have time to sit down with our exhibitors and tell them of our renewed commitment to organizing and managing art and craft festivals. We were busy towing customers cars out of the mud, shoveling an endless stream of wind chips in the aisles inside the tents, and doing as much as humanly possible to make the shows viable. I was proud of our effort and know that few other promoters would deal so effectively with such trying conditions.

So, where do we go from here? Tim and I have worked together for eight years now. Like every relationship, there are times to reevaluate. After serious dialogue about the future of Craftproducers, we have mutually decided “full force ahead.” We feel optimistic about the future and even foresee new shows on the horizon. We are instituting  advisory board of exhibitors. This committee will have real power in making decisions about the future of Craftproducers shows. Together we will address jurying and quality control, advertising and promotion, the “vibe” of the show; in short, anything relevant to improving the shows for both you and the public. We will announce the members of this committee next week.

As you see, I am passionate about Craftproducers and our future together with you. Soon we will communicate our business plan for each 2013 show. You will be able to follow updates on our Blog at www.craftproducers.com.  We want you informed and passionate about being part of these marketplaces for handmade work. We appreciate your support and will strive with renewed vigor to make the shows successful.

Best wishes for the holidays and see you next year.

Charley Dooley

Manchester Field Update

I wish to clarify clouds of swirling confusion and chaos regarding two of our prized, long running,  and successful Fall shows in Vermont. As many of you know, we were forced to leave Hildene in Manchester in 2012 after 26 successful years there. We had no choice. With tremendous support from the Manchester community, we identified a strong non-profit organization, Riley Rink, and decided to move to their field. Their goal is to create a viable events venue in Manchester to serve the entire community.  Riley Rink hired engineers and a landscaping firm to transform the field into a flat well drained field. After spending $175,000 towards  accomplishing this, the field simply did not drain at all in 2012. Our fall show there was a mess as the water did not drain. We were entirely unprepared for such conditions. We brought in truckloads of woodchips to salvage the show and Saturday was a very busy day. The rains and problems returned on Sunday. Seemingly, Craftproducers had no site for its 2013 shows in Manchester.

After consulting closely with Riley Rink and the Town of Manchester, we have a plan to move forward.  The engineers are confident that the winter freezing and thawing in the spring will open up the earth. When they completed construction last spring and planted the grass, a  four month drought with high temperatures baked the ground. When the fall rains fell. The water simply flowed as if it were on concrete, creating an inch layer of mud. At this point, Riley Rink will be the host site for the Manchester Fall Art and Craft Festival October 4-6.  We will test the viability of Riley Rink in late April 2013 to verify the engineer’s assertions. If we have an iota of doubt that Riley Rink Field is not ready, we have the permission to use the Town of Manchester Recreation Field in October. It is flat and well drained. There is adequate parking. It is a quarter of a mile from the center of Town and visible from the road. We are pleased with this unprecedented support from the community. In either case we will have a firm location by early May, plenty of time to promote the specific address to our large customer base.

You have seen that I did not mention the Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival. In fact, we will be moving this show down the road to Bennington. In these economic times we believe that Manchester can no longer support a summer show. The six week Horse Show fills hotel rooms and it is an event that does not benefit our show. Bennington is a lot closer to the major populations in the Berkshires and the Albany, NY areas.  We are convinced this will revive our Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival. And, by not having two shows in Manchester, the singular fall show will benefit because it will be extra special.

 - Charley

New England Home Show App Available

This our annual CALL FOR EXHIBITORS for the New England Home Show held in Boston February 21 through 24 at the Seaport World Trade Center.  There will be approximately 60 spaces set aside for art, craft, and specialty food exhibitors. Like last year there is a three day option, Friday through Sunday. (The three day aisle will be closed on Thursday so you could actually be setting up during that time. The aisle would open Friday morning. You can also be place in the adjacent aisle which will be open all four days.) The base 10x10 fee for three days is $325   and the four day fee is $375. This includes 500 watts of electric and pipe and drape, 8’ in rear and 3’ high on sides.

This is our fourth year in working with the promoter, Rich Castiglione. He is a great guy and easy to work with. Last year was by far the most successful for this section. This area of the Home Show is called the Craft Pavilion. It comprises an  entire aisle of the show. It follows an aisle of high end handcrafted wooden furniture. With 25,000 customers attending, this is a fabulous opportunity to sell in the middle of winter. This show works very well for those of you who have a mailing list.  The promoter will offer you free tickets for your customers. There is copious nearby parking  priced reasonably.  

In 2013 there will be another New England Home Show , this one in Foxboro’s Patriot Place March 22 through 24. The fee here is $300 for a 10x10 with electric and pipe and drape. The fee is only $300 and there is a limit of 25 booths. The promotion here is to draw South of Boston, the Cape, Rhode Island, and the Worcester area.

Obviously these are great deals available only through Craftproducers. To apply visit our website www.craftproducers.com and go to the EXHIBITOR INFO section. You can apply online or print  out the application and mail it in. If you have photos on file with us, there is no need to send photos for jurying. Because space is limited at both of these Home Shows, apply soon. A deposit of $150 will hold your space until the full balance is due at the end of January. 

More Information on Hunter Fairgrounds

I would like to give a little more information on the Field at Riley Rink. To start with, the correct name is Hunter Fairgrounds at Riley Rink. It is the name we will use in the future.

We have been in ongoing conversations with the fairgrounds since the Manchester Fall show about the condition of the field. We were as upset as you were when it turned to mud with the rain. The problem was obvious; the field was so hard it did not drain at all.

Several engineers have looked at the field since the show and we have received assurance that it will be in better condition by spring.

The actual final construction and seeding of the field took place on May 25th.  Well behind the original scheduled time frame of the previous fall.  Shortly after the work was finished   we went into a rather uncharacteristic drought of almost 3 months that basically baked the field.  Several attempts to water the field manually were made and though the efforts no doubt helped, they were not sufficient enough to counter the dry period effect on the new grass.  In July the field was rolled (as was planned) to compress the many stones that still lay on the surface. This was successful at removing the stones, but also contributed to the compression of the ground. (Ironically, both these occurrences probably contributed to the hard-packed surface that kept cars and trucks from sinking in the mud at the Fall show).

Numerous professionals, including the ones who engineered and constructed the field, made it very clear that for the best results a full year should pass before any use of the field should take place.  Unfortunately that was not an option. 

As a result of the field's condition by the time of the fall show it had virtually no ability to absorb the amount of water that we experienced that week and weekend.  The field also it sustained substantial damage.

Since the date of the show there have been several meetings with engineers and construction people to assess where we stand.  The current plan is to clean up the condition of the field and reseed prior to this winter.  This is already underway, actually almost done.  It is anticipated that after a winter's frost and thaw that the ground should be in a very improved state and much easier to work with regarding any additional seeding, fertilizing and overall grass growth.

By the spring we will have an opportunity to see what areas still need attention regarding additional drainage requirements and implement any required fixes at that point.

It is still our belief that once given sufficient time to establish itself, the Hunter Fairground field will be more than adequate to meet the needs of our shows and provide a long-term home.

We will provide more information as it becomes available. I hope this gives you some clarity on the overall picture.  We certainly encourage any feedback from you about the field. Please call or email us.

- Tim Cianciola

Manchester Field Updates for 2013

Recently we had several challenges at the Fall Manchester show due to weather and the condition of the new field at Riley Rink. We have spent the last few weeks researching  alternatives for our two Manchester shows. Now, after much due diligence, we are happy to be able to present our plan to you.

The Southern Vermont Art & Craft Festival (Aug 2- 4, 2013) will move to Bennington, VT. We actually considered moving the show there in 2012 but opted for continuity instead. But let’s face it, Manchester is not the summer destination it used to be. There are over 50 empty stores, the Horse Show hurts, the town lacks energy. The days of a Town the size of Manchester supporting two shows may be over.

Bennington is only about 20 miles south of Manchester and is actually closer to the areas where  the customers live. In fact the advertising campaign will be the same as if we were in Manchester: it’s the same market, except closer. Your mailing lists will still work. Our list of 15,000 names for this show will remain effective. The new venue,  Camelot Village, is on a major road (RT 9), and it is proven as an events field. It routinely  gets 14,000 people over two days for the Garlic Festival. The Town is excited to have us and will work with us to make the show successful. They will allow signage and a banner.

We are confident this is good move and urge you to apply with to this show. Much more to come on this.

The Manchester Fall Art & Craft Festival (October 4 – 6) will be scheduled to stay at Riley Rink. There is already work going on at the field and more is scheduled for the spring. However,  if, after inspecting the field in the spring, we are not 100% confident that it is viable, we have secured a backup site. The Town of Manchester has stepped up and offered us the use its Recreation Field on RT 30 for the show. It is easy to find, big and flat. We visited the field the day after Sandy and it was firm and dry. This is where the Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival was born and ran for five years before going to Hildene.  So the Manchester Fall Stowe will stay in Manchester on a very busy weekend.

We appreciate the support of the Town and Riley Rink.  The Rink has gone out its way to create a viable field for you and us. We appreciate the work they have done and know that the morally right thing to do is support them in return.

For the record, we looked at several places for a backup site.  Hildene would not allow us back. We looked at Dorr Field again and determined again it is not adequate for our event. It is big and drains well but it is not level. We also looked at The Southern Vermont Art Center and some other fields that Riley Rink owns. None were adequate.

By staying in Manchester the weekend before Columbus Day Weekend, we will have the two busiest foliage weekends in Vermont, two weekends , two great proven locations. You can now apply to all these established shows with complete confidence that we have appealing  locations that will continue to attract large crowds.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.  Also we will be posting more information on our website as it becomes available.  The application  will be updated in the next couple days with this new info.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to working hard for you in 2013.