Custom Builder's show; Sydney north??

[Trevor Gore]

Hi everyone,

I've been getting a bit of pressure to organise a custom acoustic guitar builder's show (mainly SS and classical, but can probably include mandos, ukes, bouzoukis etc. if the place doesn't fill with guitar makers. The venue that is doing the pushing probably has room for 20-30 exhibitors and the "room rate" will be pretty inexpensive. Situated Sydney northern beaches way, easily accessible (by car), rural/bush environment.

If we go ahead with this it will be up to YOU LOT to show your best stuff AND drag the crowds in as there is no way that I have the time to do all the organising. I'm thinking early next year, maybe late Jan or Feb, over a weekend.

Obviously very sketchy at the moment, but is there any demand out there??

[woodrat]

Hi Trevor....I would be very interested in displaying....a little later would be better for me though, maybe March. Would love the exposure to more guitar players....

John

[Trevor Gore]

Well, after a week, that's next to no response. So no hard decisions there!

I have to say that I thought there would be more interest (shows how in touch with popular culture I am!!) So, another question: What turned people off??

[peter.coombe]

I would be interested if I did not have a long drive up the coast and through Sydney to get there. Driving through Sydney turns me right off. March would be difficult because there is Port Fairy, Echuka and then the National, but Jan/Feb should be ok.

[ozwood]

I'd be keen Trevor,

But I would need a bit more notice to build a few, I'd like to go with at least four instruments , so that's 9 - 10 months of building (part Time) for me.

So, no turn off as such , more a time issue .

Cheers,

[Ormsby Guitars]

So, ukes and bouzoukis are ok, but electrics arent?

Basses?

[Trevor Gore]

Ask any acoustic builder why they don't like electrics at shows!

You need a separate building and there isn't another suitable one at this venue.

[steve roberts]

Hi Trevor
I am very interested i have 4 guitars on consignment at the moment in a shop in sydney but if they sell time will be an issue for me to build some more so quickly
Regards Steve

[jeffhigh]

"If we go ahead with this it will be up to YOU LOT to show your best stuff AND drag the crowds in"

It was the drag the crowds in issue, I have no way of doing that here let alone in Sydney.

[Phil Mailloux]

Jeff's reply pretty much sums it up. In my case, its not applicable as I build those evil electric things but honestly, I've done two Brisbane Guitar Shows, it wasn't cheap and the organisers had done craploads of marketing, the whole place was busy as for the whole week-end on both occasions, I handed out hundreds of cards, spent heaps of time with people trying out my basses, got plenty of promises from super keen would-be customers and in the end I got zilch sales from both these shows, most dealers I talked too during these shows also had less than impressive sales from these. As much fun as it can be to hang-out with other builders once in a while, its still a big investment of time and money to go to one of these. Now, if I'm stuck doing the marketing for this thing on my own, maybe 5-10 guys will show up, I might get one sale if I'm lucky as these will be already customers or very keen prospective customers but I also run the risk of losing my sale to the other builders in the room... (bearing in mind I was mostly an acoustic builder in a room full of acoustic builders) let's face it, at the price we sell these handmade things, the target market for us is a lot smaller than your typical Fender-Gibson-Martin public.

Anyway.... just putting my opinion out there as I don't build acoustics (for now) I did enjoy meeting acoustics builders at the shows though (Hi Woodrat!)

ps. oh yeah, I've had more success from guitar/bass forum get-togethers than pro shows

[EricDownunder]

Apart from a fun day if sales are what your after maybe you should try what my daughter did recently.
ie: A well presented stand, good staff with lots of smiles (sexy girls) and most of all sales committed on the day received an added value bonus of substanial value not something cheap but still alowing for good profit, well she made a motsa, her business is booked out for nearly a year and she flys out to Paris this week with some of the money she has earned. Other showes she has done in the past have allways cost her money this is the first one she has come out on top, maybe there is something in added value selling.

[kiwigeo]

At the rate Im building I should have two instrument ready for exhibition in about 4 years.

[peter.coombe]

Long experience has taught me that these sorts of shows are very unpredicable. I have exhibited at small festivals not expecting a thing, but then out of the blue get a really good sale, but on the other hand have also exhibited with some confidence of sales but got zilch. Other times I have done incredibly well, just about sold out! It is impossible to predict what will happen. To get sales you need musicians looking to buy a new instrument, and the instruments you offer need to be a good fit to what the musicians are looking for. They also need to sound and look good enough that the prospective customer gets tempted enough to reach for their wallet. Not an easy combination. The name on the headstock can also be a strong incentive for some people. Also, it is not unusual for someone to contact you months afterwards out of the blue and tell you they were blown away by one of your instruments and would now like to buy one. I made one of my biggest sales from one of those. Zero sales is not unusual, I certainly have had plenty, but although disappointing, you can learn a lot from it. Feedback from musicians and other makers is invaluable, and you can get some of your very best ideas from an exhibition. If someone else is selling, but you are not, find out why and do something about it. A lot of makers get discouraged after attending a couple of unsuccessful exhibitions, but you just need to persist and persist. It is now unusual for me not to sell something, but it has taken almost 20 years to get to that stage with my mandolins. With my guitars I am back to square one, I'm a nobody in the guitar world, it is tough and the guitars are accumulating, but I need to persist and not get discouraged. I am sceptical that value adding will work. In my experience most customers looking for a high end instrument are not looking for a bargain or something extra thrown in.

How the organisers of an exhibition can get musicians with quivering wallets into the front door is a mystery to me. Most musicians have empty wallets! Volume of people is not necessarily a good indication of sales. So being busy and lots of business cards disappearing is not necessarily going to culminate into successful sales. More often than not it doesn't. What you want is quality, and less tyre kickers, and sometimes a nice quiet environment with good acoustics and fewer people will bring sales. It shows off your instruments at best advantage so they become more tempting. Marketing is the hardest part of this business, and I have learned a lot over the years, but don't have any secrets to successful sales. Very high quality sound and build is a good start, but that is the easy bit.

[Ormsby Guitars]

Marketing is the hardest part of this business, and I have learned a lot over the years, but don't have any secrets to successful sales. Very high quality sound and build is a good start, but that is the easy bit.

What is your target audience?
What is their age group?
What do they enjoy as hobbies?
Financial status?
Where do they generally live?
Why are they buying from you?
How long between initial contact, and purchase?
How are they finding you?
Do you have an email list?
What do you do, to stand apart from the competition?
What are the reasons people buy from you and not others?
What do you do, to create a feeling of loyalty?
What is your after sales service policy?
Warranty?
Wait time?
... etc etc

[woodrat]

Anyway.... just putting my opinion out there as I don't build acoustics (for now) I did enjoy meeting acoustics builders at the shows though (Hi Woodrat!)

Hi Jeff...I remember...that was two or three years ago...you were with Bill Paulin...(Hi Bill!) ...that show was terrible for me. The Electrics were so loud. Had I known that was going to be the situation I would not have come at all...you just couldnt hear the guitar that you (more importantly my prospective customers) were playing....so I put that down to experience. I have nothing against electrics....you just can't show them in the same building on the same weekend

...Peter is right about you just cant know what is going to happen. At the last National folk festival I sold an instrument after the close as everyone was packing up and some exhibitors had even left.

Cheers

John

[P Bill]

Hi John,
As I remember I only listened to your guitars, way too nice for the likes of me to paw.