08/26/2026
Why my shows are the way they are?
I was a vendor for many years at many shows. I was never impressed with the quality of the shows. Were they big? Yea, a lot of them were very big. However they lacked substance and quality. When I decided to start doing these, it came after a show where I was setup between a satellite TV company and an cell phone company. Even though I was right in the middle of the show I just as well been in the parking lot. Everyone avoided my booth to stay clear of the sales pitch of my two neighbors. I have absolutely nothing against those kind of businesses. However, they do not belong in an outdoor show. So when we started that was our first rule, absolutely nobody outside our industry could rent a booth, sponsor or even hand out flyers. I have stuck to this for nearly 30 years and I will never waiver on it.
Also over time I have become far more concerned about corporate influence into my shows. So I added that to my no list. We have let Cabela's set up at our shows, but we do not allow them to sale anything. They either hand out their swag or let people know where they are, but no selling. I understand giant chains like that can set profits at pennies on the dollar and none of the small mom and pop shops can compete with that. I have stuck to that and have been quite fortunate to have forged some great friendships and working relationships with lots of small companies in our industry. It has become a loyalty begets loyalty relationship. I will give away a booth to someone who makes things in their garage before I would let one of the corporate stores rent it for $10 grand. It's just who I am and how I do business.
Our shows are never the biggest and that is by design. A lot of square footage doesn't equate to good. Every booth at one of my shows you walk into, belong there. Absolutely no fluff and filler vendors. I will die on that hill!
