I know I've been back from the show for ages...but the orders have been keeping me on my toes. My expectations were exceeded at the show. With my move coming up this summer, I just wanted a little bit of wholesale to tie me over till the next show. Well, I ended up with 27 orders instead! So, imagine me working like mad to get them all filled.
I was told that I would be crazy to drive out to Edmonton in February since weather is so unpredictable on the prairies. Well, weather did turn out to be on my side...had a wonderful drive out there and back. If it was a week later, I'd be stuck in some god forsaken town in the middle of the flatlands in a snowstorm!
I'm over half way done with my orders at the moment and working hard to fill the rest for the end of this month. Now, this is all happening while I'm trying to get our home ready for sale! Cannot wait till my husband finally lives with us full time again. When I had our son, I don't think I imagined being a single mom during the week. Hard to juggle family, household and business by yourself most of the time. Especially in the winter when there's a couple feet of snow outside to be shovelled and it's NOT on the weekends! That is the one thing I will not miss leaving Winnipeg.
Anyways, am enclosing a couple of pictures of my wholesale set up which is a 5' x 10' booth. It's great doing wholesale show setups, it's about half the time it takes me to set up a retail sales booth which takes upwards to 6 hours. I was pleased with this set up, it was clean and simple. The buyers can see all the items available to them and it was easy to order. I've learned alot throughout the wholesale shows I've done to find what works or not in selling. Display is of the utmost importance and having everything organized in categories is helpful for the buyers also.
The one big perk from this show is one of my favourite galleries that sell my work, Made in Canada in Edmonton are now proud owners of 2 of my teapots (the frog and the 'genie' style one). It's so nice to know they've gone to good homes.
