I am struggling to find the words to sum up Quilt Market 2023! Instead, I am posting two pictures. Every picture is worth at least 1000 words. Here are two photos for you to work with. I look forward to your comments. Have a great week!
Traffic did seem a bit light, and as much as I had to carefully plan expenses, I know it was much more difficult for you and the other exhibitors. To be honest, we had not attended Market in a few years – covid kept us close to home. And as easy as it is to order online since, I decided I needed to be there in person. I remembered how invigorated and focused I was after previous Markets and I wanted to experience that again. I’m happy to say I did again this year. I loved talking with the reps in attendance, found new sources of products and patterns I was looking for and overall enjoyed a very productive Market. I also wanted my 25 year old daughter to experience everything and I’m happy to say she enthusiastically took part in all aspects and added her perspective to several conversations. I know there are so many logistics you need to juggle, and it will be interesting to see what develops in the future, but I was happy to spend the time & resources this year. Thanks, Scott.
I love the family quilt !!! I hope it was a rare occasion that it was that slow. Market is pretty amazing and can be overwhelming. You have to take it in stride and take so many pictures , or notes. I do a file with market and take pictures of business card and sales sheets and ideas . I love to purchase a sample or pattern for anything I intend to use for a display or class. I’ve always given the free items to my customers as thank you prizes after market and I’ve even used display item after the show to introduce things at the store. I have collected every free bag available and they have been gifts when you sign up for a class or random . My customers feel like you gave them gold !!!! One year the magazine gal told me to take any that I wanted after market, we sent them home in media mail them sent them to villages. I know we ended up with new customers and the schools even used a few in sewing class. So in my opinion Market is Amazing!! That being said ,
Coming from Alaska it’s about $2000-$ 2500. 00 before we walk in the doors . We have balanced the staying further away and getting a car rental . Having a bit more freedom. I love market and get so inspired by everyone and everything. If I spend that kind of money to attend that is less what I would be spending on my vendors. IT’s truly a balancing act. I have slowed down on purchases for the past year as I get my new place up and running so this year I did not go. I wanted to badly so I can be prepared, but I had to make a hard choice.
Bearly Threaded Quilting now The Last Stitch Quilting and Sewing.
I love the quilt! 😉 And I’m thinking the second picture is a comment on the foot traffic at Market. What can be done to get more shops to come to Market? What can we do to make Market a live not-to-miss event which would benefit shops both creatively and monetarily? What can we offer that is unique to this Market? These are the questions I am asking myself and hoping the industry is asking itself in general. I love my collaboration with FreeSpirit and think that these collaborations between creatives and manufacturers are what keep the machine running. I can’t really put a dollar amount on the the contacts and collaborations (with quilt shops, manufactures, and other creatives) that have been set in motion for me at this Market, but I know that none of that would have happened had I stayed home. If we want this industry to flourish, we ALL need to participate. 😀
3 Comments
Clare Neff
Traffic did seem a bit light, and as much as I had to carefully plan expenses, I know it was much more difficult for you and the other exhibitors. To be honest, we had not attended Market in a few years – covid kept us close to home. And as easy as it is to order online since, I decided I needed to be there in person. I remembered how invigorated and focused I was after previous Markets and I wanted to experience that again. I’m happy to say I did again this year. I loved talking with the reps in attendance, found new sources of products and patterns I was looking for and overall enjoyed a very productive Market. I also wanted my 25 year old daughter to experience everything and I’m happy to say she enthusiastically took part in all aspects and added her perspective to several conversations. I know there are so many logistics you need to juggle, and it will be interesting to see what develops in the future, but I was happy to spend the time & resources this year. Thanks, Scott.
Jeanne Acton
I love the family quilt !!! I hope it was a rare occasion that it was that slow. Market is pretty amazing and can be overwhelming. You have to take it in stride and take so many pictures , or notes. I do a file with market and take pictures of business card and sales sheets and ideas . I love to purchase a sample or pattern for anything I intend to use for a display or class. I’ve always given the free items to my customers as thank you prizes after market and I’ve even used display item after the show to introduce things at the store. I have collected every free bag available and they have been gifts when you sign up for a class or random . My customers feel like you gave them gold !!!! One year the magazine gal told me to take any that I wanted after market, we sent them home in media mail them sent them to villages. I know we ended up with new customers and the schools even used a few in sewing class. So in my opinion Market is Amazing!! That being said ,
Coming from Alaska it’s about $2000-$ 2500. 00 before we walk in the doors . We have balanced the staying further away and getting a car rental . Having a bit more freedom. I love market and get so inspired by everyone and everything. If I spend that kind of money to attend that is less what I would be spending on my vendors. IT’s truly a balancing act. I have slowed down on purchases for the past year as I get my new place up and running so this year I did not go. I wanted to badly so I can be prepared, but I had to make a hard choice.
Bearly Threaded Quilting now The Last Stitch Quilting and Sewing.
Robin Long
I love the quilt! 😉 And I’m thinking the second picture is a comment on the foot traffic at Market. What can be done to get more shops to come to Market? What can we do to make Market a live not-to-miss event which would benefit shops both creatively and monetarily? What can we offer that is unique to this Market? These are the questions I am asking myself and hoping the industry is asking itself in general. I love my collaboration with FreeSpirit and think that these collaborations between creatives and manufacturers are what keep the machine running. I can’t really put a dollar amount on the the contacts and collaborations (with quilt shops, manufactures, and other creatives) that have been set in motion for me at this Market, but I know that none of that would have happened had I stayed home. If we want this industry to flourish, we ALL need to participate. 😀