Although what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, when it comes to the ACRE show, we thought that we could share a bit of our experience with those of you who didn’t make it to Nevada. The first ACRE show was a great show for us. The registration was fast and easy, the show was held at a convenient time of year for our summer-intensive seasonal business, we reconnected with some of our favorite current artists and found 25 new artists, the convention center was clean, bright and easily accessible by public transportation, and Las Vegas was fabulous and fun (Showgirls! Slots!)
We have been buying through Wholesale Crafts for the past several years and have been generally pleased with the work that we’ve received. But there have been times when the web photos really haven’t adequately shown an artist’s work. It was wonderful to be able to see and touch the work personally – to really know what was going to be coming in the mail without any surprises (except for those folks who can’t manage to call when they’re in a backorder situation). It was also good to see artists with high quality work who haven’t participated in the Rosen or east coast ACC shows.
Most of the artists with whom we spoke felt that ACRE had the potential to grow into a successful show, but there just weren’t enough buyers this year. They did think that the show was reasonably priced and well managed. Perhaps with enhanced buyer incentives, more retailers could be persuaded to give ACRE a place on their buying calendar.
Other points of concern were that the emerging artists section was tucked away at the back in a different orientation than the rest of the show aisles, making it hard to navigate and not truly visible. The online show planner would have been a great idea and advance planning tool, but it did not consistently work to pull out the categories of work, artists and booth locations needed. And for the budget conscious among us, it would be helpful to hold the show mid-week when the Vegas hotel rates are lower.
ACRE is a show that we plan to attend in the coming years. It is a great alternative to the large, established shows and as it builds a more substantial buyer base, it will, in turn, attract new artists and fresh work. And that’s a good thing!
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25-Apr-11