Bridal fairs

[ccrusoe]

So I'm in the Raleigh, NC area. We have 3 big bridal fairs every year. I checked into setting up a booth at one of them....But the same person is registered at all 3. Ughhh---share the love here girl!!!

Sorry, just venting

[DebbieJ]

Honestly, bridal fairs are NOT worth the money you spend, so be glad someone else has already booked them up!

[ChefBeckyD]

I was going to post the same as Deb.

In my experience, Bridal Fairs are the most expensive, and least productive type of booth you can do. I know that I've seen exceptions to this, but they are exactly that - exceptions.
I did a couple earlier in my career, after I had my baby, and was wanting to get back into the swing of things. Paid a lot of money, and can't think of one lead or contact that panned out from either one.

[ccrusoe]

Thanks for making me feel better!!!

[Judybabe]

bridal fairs can be lucrative if done right, however they are so expensive to attend it's almost not worth it. The biggest incentive is getting that bridal registry list of names. You can send postcards, mini's in the name of 'getting married' or congrats! and the brides eat them up.

might I suggest asking a bridal shop to let you set up a box offering info on "pampered chef bridal registries and shower shows'. check it weekly or purchase a brochure holder from an office supply store and put brochures about BR's and Shower shows in the shop and girls and their friends or family will pick them up. again, check on it weekly. In my bridal shop, I had a counter that other businesses could leave their cards, brochures etc. for my customers' to take. I became a local resource center for weddings in general. people would call the shop for the name of a caterer or cake decorator or photographer.:thumbup:

BUT, this shop is helping you so help her back. talk about her shop when visiting with friends or customers. give her a small gift as a token of your appreciation. I guess this is what smart people would call networking.
:balloon:

If you develop a relationship with a shop, you might offer to give her some items for a door prize she gives away and she would give you a copy of the bridal names that registered at the fair.

[Becca_in_MD]

Bridal fairs have been very worth it for me. They have restarted my biz a couple of times.

I suggest contacting the person who has the booth at the 3 fairs. She may be selling time slots to other consultants.

A team member gets our bridal fair booth and sells hour time slots. She handles getting the booth, the display and the door prizes that the fair requires. Each consultant provides their own door prize slips and anything else they want to hand out. The February fair that we do at the convention center is a 2-day event and usually each consultant pays $50/hour. The Aug. fair is 1-day so the fee is a little higher, $65/hour. The rate may seem a bit high, but with one booking you have earned it back and then you're in touch with a new group of people and get bookings from there.

I look at bridal fairs as booking lead generators and eventually recruit generators. Two of my team members booked shows off the fair and eventually signed. Another team member was a guest at a show I booked off the fair. I don't push the bridal registry as they have not been producers for me. The best leads are the mothers, sisters and others who attend b/c they're not as tied up in wedding planning.

The reward is all in the follow-up. If you invest in a fair, you have to follow-up with the booking leads within 24-48 hours. I give a free cooking show to EVERYONE (just keep track of who was there together so they both don't win). Not everyone will accept the prize, not all of them will book something for the next month. I tell them the free cooking show is valid until xxx date.

[Chef Bobby]

In my 3 years I've had 40 registries on my website. Most of them came from bridal fairs. Out of 40, I've only had 1 that had sales over $150. I've asked for classes at conference because I must be doing something wrong. Only about 4 had any sales at all.

[Janis]

You could attend the bridal fair and wear your logowear! :)