Tales Of A Fourth Generation Textile Executive: Let’s Try To Make Quilt Market Great Again….Together

For my loyal readers, you are all probably aware of my recent discussions on how we can all contribute to making our industry great again (this is like Trump’s motto to make America great again).  I am sure you are also aware of my past crusades where I have written against Quilt’s Inc. saying that they are sacrificing profit to the detriment of fabric vendors, fabric resellers and our industry in general.  In short, quilt market is losing its importance and people just don’t want to attend anymore, they can’t afford to or they just don’t have the time to.

bad-news

So, with that being said, I am throwing in the towel on the crusade and taking a new more positive and productive approach.  There is no doubt in my mind that if change comes to the quilt market that this too would go a long way in contributing to making our industry great again and making quilt market great again, for that matter.

we-need-change

So, what am I getting at?  You will be happy to know that I recently got an email from Karey Bresnehan of Quilt’s Inc.  She inquired about setting up a time to talk at market about none other than quilt market.  That is definitely a step in the right direction and a start.  All we need is some baby steps.  Now what you may be asking?

baby-steps

I am looking to my readers for their suggestions on how we can improve market in order to make people want and need to come to the show.  So, let’s bring it on!  Please be practical and realistic about your suggestions.  I have a bunch of my own ideas that I would like to discuss with Karey.  In addition, I plan to review reader comments to my previous blogs on the subject to see what ideas came up then too.

ideas-wanted

Some of the subjects that I would like discuss include the following:

  • Location….Maybe it is time for a new venue.  Houston is starting to get stale.  The venue could definitely contribute to drawing people in.  You know what they say, “location, location, location.”  Also, with respect to the venue, a non-union venue would probably help to keep costs down.

location-location-location

  • Incentives to get US shop owners and overseas distributors and shop owners to attend.

incentive

  • Lowering the cost of attending market.  The hotel and plane ticket prices are really getting outrageous.  The food isn’t cheap either.

lower-prices

  • Length of the show….maybe the show needs to be a little shorter in duration.

shorter

  • Dates of the show…maybe if the show isn’t on Halloween, that would help.  I sure know that I would love to spend that time with my kids.  As for the Spring market, maybe May isn’t the best time because a lot of people have graduations to attend.  Finally, with the way the shows are currently scheduled, it doesn’t make sense for any of the Jaftex Companies to release new lines at market.  We need to get them out nearly one month earlier.  In other words, if we first showed our lines at market, maybe more people would be inclined to come and be one of the first to see the lines.

let-me-know

Those are just a couple of the subjects that come to my mind and I am sure there are loads of other great ideas out there, so please bring them to my attention so that I can share with Karey.  This is not my personal crusade as I am only one person and this is about our entire industry.  All that I can do is try and get the dialogue going.  Whether anything actually improves will be up to Quilt’s Inc. unless the attendees speak first by deciding not to attend anymore and Quilt market ceases to exist, but that is a long way away.

predictions

Regardless of what I have said above, I am going to make some predictions about this market.

  • Overseas attendance will be down due to the rocky international financial markets.
  • Upfront purchasing from overseas customers will also be down.
  • US attendance will be down for all the usual reasons (high cost to attend, can’t be away from the shop, not necessary to attend anymore, etc.)
  • US customers will have a new excuse not to come and not to buy….the dramatic presidential election.
  • Vendors at market will continue to reduce the size of their foot print at market.  Fewer booths, fewer employees, etc.
  • Vendors will be walking around the show talking about how bad it is and continues to get.  Some may even say that it is a “waste of time.”  Unfortunately, it is a necessary evil.
  • Quilt’s Inc. will say the attendance is up, but we all know that it really isn’t up.  I think last year they said it was up by 2 people in the previous year.  Uh, huh?

Thank you in advance for sharing your ideas.  I look forward to hearing them all.  If you don’t want to keep your comments to be public, feel free to email me at scott@jaftex.com.  Hope to hear from you soon.

Until next time,

Trying To Make The Quilt Industry Great Again Scott

6 Comments

  • Nancy Dill

    Thanks so much for doing this Scott. I hope you make some progress. I agree with all of your suggestions as we have discussed in the past, especially a more central US location. I would love to be able to afford to go back to Market. But I won’t miss my son’s college graduation to attend this May. Good luck!

  • Johanna

    Quilt Market is important. Keeping it in Houston in conjunction with the show is a good thing. Here’s why.
    I represent my shop and my customers when I attend. I see what’s new, what is coming, deciding what my customers may want for the coming year. Do I sit down and buy AT market? Not much because in 2 and a half days there is not enough time! I have reps scheduled to come in a few times a week for the next several weeks. I was able to digest all of the inspiration and ideas and focus my budget spending appropriately. I rely on the booths and displays to inspire and plan. I take photos with me.
    Meeting designers and execs and sharing my experiences with my customers is important to them. (When a company doesn’t have much in their booth but black pipe and drape and a few chosen pieces and a company exec sitting in it who doesn’t look like he wants to be there it is disappointing and uninviting.)

    Attending a market in any industry is a cost of doing business. It is not a vacation or social event (although for me sometimes it gladly feels like it). If it is costly than I go alone instead of paying for a second person to keep company. I get a lot out of market alone or with a staffer. And don’t forget that attendees can’t bring friend – only staff. Thank heavens! This year I only saw one customer that had no real business being at market.

    As I shop owner I work HARD to sell YOUR fabric, and yet I have to fight for advance bundles to make samples – elbowing bloggers and pattern designers and other industry professions with no resale numbers for the goods. But we are all here together making the industry great!

    When you work for any company or corporation that has shows you are bound to miss something with your kids – if not Halloween then recitals, games, prom, etc… (yes, I missed prom.)Its life – and we need to embrace and love what we do. I do.

    Attitude is everything in any industry. If you don’t want to be at market then all of the attendees will feel that energy. The opposite is true so those that have an inviting booth and atmosphere will make us want to stop and engage(I have worked on both sides of the aisle and grew up in the exhibit industry.)

    See you in St. Louis! Put on a smile and bring your A game!

  • Heather

    Hi Scott,

    I think it’s great that you will be bringing these ideas to Quilt Market. I hope they listen to you and are willing to make changes!

    I attended Quilt Market as an independent pattern designer for two consecutive years (in Houston). After the second year I saw no reason to keep attending. Why?

    -The cost was crazy-out-of-control for a small, independent pattern designer working from home. Beyond just the travel costs, the costs associated with attending the show priced me right out of attending. Your idea about going somewhere without a union is a good one. I was stunned by the costs of electricity, carpet, etc much of it due to unionized employees installing it. I could not even entertain the idea of having an employee assist me with moving in my boxes. I simply couldn’t afford the exorbitant prices.
    -Additionally, once I was picked up by large distributors, many small shops would tell me they preferred to buy directly through a distributor and there was no need to for me. So…no new business. How can we stop competing directly with the distributors?

    I last attended 3 years ago. I remember my frustration at being located in my small 10×10 booth. I watched as buyer after buyer would walk right by me without even seeing me. In frustration, I sat down with the show book and counted the number of booths being run by independent pattern designers. It was a full 1/3 of vendors. Yet we’re spaced out all over the show in tiny booths where we can hardly get anyone’s attention.

    What if small pattern designers were given the option of being placed in open spaces, similar to what fabric companies do with their designers? Long rows of designers in nice open spaces NOT chopped up by confining walls in tiny spaces.

    Just some thoughts. It’s been a while since I attended but these were important reasons why I did not keep attending.

    Thanks for your time,
    Heather

  • Phoebe

    I just recently left the industry, and I think there is a whole mixed bag of issues, but when it comes to Market I think a big one is the cost to travel. While I appreciate the idea that going to smaller cities means lower cost for food (sometimes) and Quilts Inc.’s general expenses, it often makes airfare obscene. Any big city like NY, Chicago, Philly, will have good public transport and many locations in suburbs that are cheaper than downtown, but still easily accessible by all.

  • Joanne Hubbard

    I’m thrilled that you will have a dialogue with Karey! It’s a start, and I hope for continued dialogue.

    It has been a few years since I was at Market, so my comments may be dated. I had attended Market with shop owners who asked me to look at what new and exciting things I thought customer and students would want. It worked out beautifully the first three or four times I went. It was exciting to see the new fabrics, patterns, etc. and to send updates to customers about what they could expect to see at the shop in the near future.

    Then I noticed that most of what we were seeing, was not really new. At first I thought it was a fluke, but when it happened the second time, I figured it was the trend. We simply could not justify the cost of me going when we weren’t going to be wowed with new things. I did enjoy my time at Market and hope to attend again; but I don’t really see that happening any time soon. 🙁

    Good luck. I look forward to your after-market posts; and hope that you have a more positive experience this time.