Question For Dewey Vendors

[jetcitywoman]

In part because of the bad weather we had last year that damaged a tent and some vendor's merchandise, Larry asked some of us to try to vend out of our hotel rooms this year. I am willing to go along with that, but I have some worries. I'd like to ask other vendors who have vended from their room in the past what that experience was like.

 

Larry said that if we all get rooms on the second floor, then we can turn the whole floor into a sort of a mall. Love that idea! But when I booked my room, the hotel staff said they can't guarantee which floor they'll put me on, won't know until I check in. So I'm a bit worried that I'll get there and discover that I'm the only vendor on my floor and as a result, nobody will come to shop with me. I asked Larry about that and he said that we can do something with signs to tell everybody where to find all the vendors. But just the nature of shopping.... I don't yet have a following of "fans" so depend a lot on foot traffic. I'm not sure that even with signs, people will come looking for my shop/room. I could be wrong, maybe I'm just nervous.

 

Other miscellaneous questions:

 

When you vend from your hotel room, can you hang your banner or other signs in the hallway so that people down the hall can see it? Or are you restricted to taping a small sign to your door only?

 

How was the shopping experience in a hotel room? It seems to me that the beds would be in the way but I don't think I want to try to move them. I can use them for display tables, but there's not typically a lot of space around them for a couple shoppers with dogs to move around and look at things.

[cleptogrey]

we used to do a wonderful fishing and tackle show from our motel room in pa. it was FUN! the entire place was filled with dealers and shoppers, nice people stopped by chatted, bought and people didi every floor of the motel.we were also protected from the weather- it was a winter show- in the teens in pa is burrrrrr...... we kept the door wide open and it was easy peasy since we only schlepped our merchandise to one place. dinner at the desk, but longer hours if you wish.

[jetcitywoman]

Yeah, I can definitely see the appeal of not having to set up a tent and tables. As long as people come to see us, at least to browse and chat.

[JenniferS]

I personally liked years past at Dewey when their were tons of vendors in hotel room and condos. It was so fun and banners were great! One way to get everyone to visit you was "Vendoropoly" which was a map given out with registration and if you visited every vendor on the board, you got entered into a grand prize drawing. Bring back Vendoropoly!!

[jetcitywoman]

Oh, Jen, I LOVE that idea! Or even a "treasure hunt" or something, anything to encourage people to explore and visit all the vendors.

[queenwinniesmom]

Sharon, what hotel are you in? Is everything headquartered at the Sleep Inn? Will tents be there as well? And is that where a lot of vendors are staying?

 

We haven't been to Dewey since 2011, but I know that some hotels always got a lot more traffic than others. We vended from our room once---I think it was our last year. We were in the Sea Esta 3, and on the 3rd floor, so I know we didn't get as much traffic as others located more conveniently. Of course, we always sold less than everyone else anyway! But we did okay, mostly early on. We just put our stuff on both beds. But some people pushed the beds to one side, or I even saw people who stacked the mattresses against the wall. I guess it would depend on how much merchandise you had. Some people---who clearly made more money than we did---even got another room, and devoted that just to vending.

 

We just had one small banner, which we put on the railing outside our door. You could see it from below, so I think it helped, but we were also the only ones vending on the third floor. We also taped small signs on the first floor, and in the elevator, and the hotel let us do that. I've found that the more popular vendors can pretty much vend anywhere, and people will find them. We didn't have that luxury, and being new, you probably don't either.

 

I think the map listing every vendor is a very good---even necessary---idea. People have to be able to find you.

 

Not sure I understand why Larry's asking some people to vend from their rooms. Is there not going to be a tent? If there is a tent, what difference would it make, other than that if the weather is bad, you'd be inside if you didn't want to take the chance.

Edited August 2, 2017 by queenwinniesmom

[jetcitywoman]

I'll be at the Sleep Inn, supposedly the "official" event hotel (there are undoubtedly vendors at other hotels). The idea was that we'd all be on the second floor, which would turn the whole floor into something like a mall. I love the idea. But the hotel doesn't seem to want to make any promises.

 

The Sleep Inn has interior hallways, but I could put a sign near the 2nd floor elevator and in the lobby telling people where I am. That's a good idea.

 

Vending out of my room also saves money registering as a vendor since I don't have to pay for the communal tent that way. From what I understand we'll still have a vendor tent at the Sleep Inn, but we can't find a big enough one for all the vendors. Also, based on last year the two large tents we had took up close to half of all the available parking. So that wasn't ideal.

[Mercsmom]

I personally liked years past at Dewey when their were tons of vendors in hotel room and condos. It was so fun and banners were great! One way to get everyone to visit you was "Vendoropoly" which was a map given out with registration and if you visited every vendor on the board, you got entered into a grand prize drawing. Bring back Vendoropoly!!

 

 

That's perfect!

 

Nancy, the weather last year turned perfectly nasty toward the end. It was near hurricane Saturday night and Sunday. I can't imagine how a tent would survive.